The reptile's head was waving slowly from side to side
and its hot eyes flashed like little murder-lights. Always in the air
was the dry, shrill whistling of the rattles.
"Beware! Beware! Beware!"
The man made a preliminary feint with his stick. Instantly the snake's
heavy head and neck were bended back on the double curve and instantly
the snake's body shot forward in a low, strait, hard spring. The man
jumped with a convulsive chatter and swung his stick. The blind,
sweeping blow fell upon the snake's head and hurled him so that steel-
colored plates were for a moment uppermost. But he rallied swiftly,
agilely, and again the head and neck bended back to the double curve,
and the steaming, wide-open mouth made its desperate effort to reach its
enemy. This attack, it could be seen, was despairing, but it was
nevertheless impetuous, gallant, ferocious, of the same quality as the
charge of the lone chief when the walls of white faces close upon him in
the mountains. The stick swung unerringly again, and the snake,
mutilated, torn, whirled himself into the last coil.
And now the man went sheer raving mad from the emotions of his
forefathers and from his own. He came to close quarters. He gripped the
stick with his two hands and made it speed like a flail. The snake,
tumbling in the anguish of final despair, fought, bit, flung itself upon
this stick which was taking his life.
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