“He’ll grow to like it, though,” prophesied Cora. “He’ll be ready for another one by the time we get back.”
The cars moved along now at a moderate pace, for they had ample time before them and were not at all anxious to reach their destination.
Suddenly Jack’s car, which was in advance, came to a full stop. He turned about and motioned for Cora to drive up as softly as possible.
“What is it?” she asked as she drew up alongside.
For answer, Jack pointed ahead, and the girls saw a big rattlesnake sunning himself in the road.
The girls gave a shriek that roused the snake. He reared his ugly triangular head, saw the cars, and with an angry rattle threw himself into position for attack or defense as the case might call for. His forked tongue played back and forth like lightning and his wicked eyes sparkled with rage.
“Oh, let’s get back!” cried Belle. “He may try to climb into the car!”
“A black snake does that sometimes, but a rattler never does,” declared Walter. “He’ll leave us alone if we leave him alone.”
“For goodness’ sake, leave him alone, then!” pleaded Bess.
“I’m going to get a closer look at him,” said Jack, preparing to jump from the car.
“Don’t, Jack, don’t!” cried Cora, and there was such fear in his sister’s voice that Jack yielded, though reluctantly.
“We’re not going to let him get away, are we?” he grumbled.
“Why not?” replied Cora. “He wasn’t doing anything to us.”
“He ought to be killed on general principles,” said Paul.
“He’s an enemy of the human race,” added Walter.
But this viewpoint did not appeal to the girls.
“He has a right to his life,” said tender-hearted Bess.
“To be sure he has,” acquiesced Belle. “Besides, you boys haven’t any weapons, and you might get bitten.”
“There are plenty of rocks and sticks around here to kill him with,” said Walter.
But the girls insisted, and while they were excitedly talking, the snake himself, seeing that he was not attacked, solved the matter by uncoiling and gliding away into the bushes at the side of the road.
“A perfectly good bunch of rattles gone to waste,” said Jack disgustedly, as they prepared to start on again.
“He’s given us a tip anyway to be on the lookout,” warned Walter. “Where there’s one there may be others. Joel says they’re not very plentiful about here, but he does run across them sometimes. I wonder what Joel would say if he knew we had a chance to kill one and didn’t do it.”