“Oh, Roger, are you sure it’s a rattlesnake?”
“Yes! Yes! Come down and help me! Quick!”
“I will. Can’t you hit him with a rock or something?”
“I will if I can. But hurry up—and bring that axe3 or something with you!”
When leveling parties, as they are officially called, go out, one man often carries an axe with which to clear away any obstructions4 which may prevent a clear sight. On this occasion Roger had been carrying the axe, as well as the chain, and the implement5 now lay close to where our hero stood.
Grabbing up the axe, Dave lost no time in scrambling6 down the rocks. As he did this he heard a stone strike on some rocks below and knew that Roger was throwing at the snake.
46“Oh, Dave! Help!” yelled the senator’s son, “He’s getting ready to strike!”
With one wild leap Dave came down to within a few feet of where his chum stood between two rocks which reached up to his waist. One leg was fast between the rocks, and while the unfortunate youth was endeavoring wildly to extricate7 himself from his predicament, he was shying one loose stone after another at a snake that was coiled up in something of a hollow less than a dozen feet away. The hollow was so situated8 that exit from it could only be had in the direction occupied by the young civil engineer.
As Dave approached he saw that it was indeed a rattlesnake that his chum had disturbed. The reptile9 was at least five feet in length and of corresponding thickness, and was now coiled up as if ready to strike.
It was a moment which called for immediate10 action, and without stopping to think Dave raised the axe and sent it whirling forward toward the snake. His aim fell short, but this shortness proved to be thoroughly11 effective. The handle of the axe came down with a thud on the rocks, sending the blade flashing in a semicircle. The sharpened bit of steel caught the snake in the very center of its folds, inflicting12 several deep cuts.
Instantly the reptile’s attention was taken from 47Roger. It whirled around swiftly in search of the enemy that had struck it and whipped angrily at the axe.
“Oh, Dave! can’t you shoot him?” gasped14 Roger. “I dropped my pistol when I came down over the rocks.”
In that wild territory it was the custom of every one of the engineering gang to carry firearms. Dave had a small automatic pistol in his hip13 pocket, and this he now brought into play.
Crack! Crack! Crack! went the weapon three times in rapid succession. The first shot did not take effect, but the second and third hit the mark, and the rattlesnake twisted and turned in its death agony. Then, placing the pistol back in his pocket, our hero raised up a stone almost as large as his head and with it put the reptile out of its misery15.
“Oh, Dave, is he—is he dead?” panted Roger. His face had gone white, and his whole attitude showed how unstrung he was.
“He’s as dead as a door-nail, Roger,” was the answer, after Dave had made a brief inspection16 of the remains17. “He’ll never bother you or anybody else again.”
“I felt sure he was going to bite me!” went on the senator’s son with a shudder18.
“You certainly had a close shave, and I don’t 48wonder that it scared you, Roger. Think of facing a snake like that and not being able to run away!”
“He was down in this very hollow where my leg is first. Then he glided19 over to the other hollow and began to rattle2 and coil up to strike. If you hadn’t come down as you did, he would have struck me sure;” and the senator’s son shivered again.
“I think we had better wipe off that axe-handle, and the blade, too,” remarked Dave. “He may have gotten some of his poison on it.”
“Yes, wipe it off very carefully,” answered Roger. “But first of all I’ve got to get my foot loose. It does beat all how I got stuck.”
“You didn’t hurt your leg or your foot, did you?”
“I scraped my shin a little, but that doesn’t count.”
An inspection was made, and finally Dave had to bend down and unlace Roger’s shoe before the limb could be gotten out of the space between the two rocks. Then the footwear was recovered, and the senator’s son put it on once more. In the meanwhile, Dave took up the axe rather gingerly and also tied a bit of string to the tail of the lifeless rattlesnake.
“We’ll take it back to the camp to show the others,” announced our hero. “They wouldn’t 49believe our story unless we were able to show the snake. Besides that, we can keep the rattles1 if we want to. Some people prize them quite highly as trophies20.”
The axe was wiped off with care, and then, after Roger had recovered his pistol and also the steel measure he had dropped, the pair scrambled21 up the rocks to where Dave had left his flag and the leveling-rod. He waved the flag in the air as a signal, and presently an answering signal came back from the other members of the leveling gang, who had been wondering what had become of the two assistants.
“Say, you fellows have got to attend to business during working hours!” cried Frank Andrews, when they met. “If you want to——Great catfish22! where did you get that snake?” and he broke off short to gaze in wonder at the rattlesnake tied to the string that Roger exhibited.
“You have to break off business when you get an unexpected caller like that,” replied Dave dryly.
“Do you mean to say that rattler attacked you?” questioned Larry Bond quickly.
“He started to attack Roger.”
“And Dave threw the axe at him and then shot him,” explained the senator’s son.
“Some rattler! that’s what he is!” was the comment of John Hixon. “If he struck for you he certainly meant business;” and he examined the 50remains of the rattlesnake with much interest.
“We thought we heard several shots, but we were not sure,” remarked Frank Andrews.
“I guess you didn’t hear them very well because we were in something of a hollow,” answered Dave; and then he and Roger gave the particulars of what had occurred.
“You can be mighty23 lucky that you weren’t struck,” declared Hixon emphatically. “When I was out in the gold mines in the northern part of this state I knew a man who was struck twice by a rattler, and he came about as close to dying as any man I ever saw.”
The adventure had so unnerved Roger that Frank Andrews excused him for the rest of the day, and he went back to the construction camp, taking the remains of the rattlesnake with him. Here the story about the reptile soon spread; and that evening all the men connected with the camp came in to view the rattlesnake.
“I’m very thankful that you got out of this as luckily as you did,” remarked Mr. Obray to Roger. Then he told all of his men that they must be very careful when they went among the rocks and through the bushes. “Because, you know,” he explained, “where there is one rattlesnake there may be more. I was told by those who made the first survey for the railroad that they saw no snakes of any kind in this vicinity. Evidently, 51however, there was one snake that they missed.”
“And I hope he’s the only one,” put in Frank Andrews.
The snake scare was the main topic of conversation for several days, and it is safe to say that no one went anywhere without having his eyes wide open for a possible appearance of some reptile. But no more snakes—rattlers or otherwise—put in an appearance.
Phil had written that he would come out to Montana in about a week and would stop at the construction camp before going to the Endicott place. Dave and Roger, of course, looked forward to the visit with much pleasure.
“We’ll have to ask for a day off just to show Phil around,” said Dave.
“That’s so. And among other points of interest we can show him the spot where you killed the rattler,” answered his chum, with a grim smile.
“Yes, we can do that.”
“I hope Shadow Hamilton comes with him. I could even stand it to hear some of Shadow’s oldest chestnuts24 of stories,” went on Roger. “It would seem like old times at Oak Hall.”
“Let us trust that Shadow has a new batch25 of stories to tell,” responded Dave. “We haven’t seen him in such a while he has had plenty of time to gather in a new crop.”
52Several days went by, and the young civil engineers were kept so busy that they had little time to think about the coming of Phil Lawrence and Shadow Hamilton. Once or twice they thought of Nick Jasniff and asked Mr. Obray if that individual had shown himself.
“Not yet,” was the manager’s reply. “Maybe he got wind that you were here and that is keeping him away.”
On the afternoon of the fourth day following the killing26 of the rattlesnake, Dave and Roger were hard at work in Section Five when one of the general utility men around the camp came riding up on horseback and leading another steed by the halter.
“Mr. Obray sent me for you,” he announced to the chums. “You are to take these two horses and ride down to the office as fast as you can. Some young man is there that you wanted to see—the fellow who came here some days ago looking for a job.”
“It must be Nick Jasniff!” exclaimed Dave, and lost no time in leaping into the saddle. He was followed by Roger; and both hurried off along the trail leading to the construction camp.
“Let us sneak27 up to the office by the back way and listen to what Nick Jasniff has to say,” suggested Dave while they were on the way.
This suited Roger, and coming into view of the 53camp they left the horses at the shed and hurried along past the bunk-houses to the rear of the office. Here a window was wide open, and, looking through this, they saw Mr. Obray at a desk, and sitting near him was his visitor, hat in hand.
“There is no mistake about him. It’s Nick Jasniff,” whispered the senator’s son.
He was right, it was indeed the former bully28 of Oak Hall, the rascal29 who had been sent to prison for the robbery of Mr. Wadsworth’s jewelry30 works. Jasniff was talking very earnestly to the manager of the construction camp.
“Yes, I am working over at the Double Eight Ranch31,” Jasniff was saying. “I’ve been there now for quite a while, but I don’t like it very much. You see, I’ve been used to office life, and working around the construction of skyscrapers32, and things like that. I had a pretty good job out in San Francisco and another one in Seattle. I would much rather work for a concern like yours than to stick to cow-punching.”
“How long have you been at Double Eight Ranch?” questioned Mr. Obray. He was doing what he could to put in time until Dave and Roger might arrive.
“Been there nearly three months.”
“And did you come directly from San Francisco or Seattle?”
“Oh—I—er—came from Seattle,” responded 54Nick Jasniff hesitatingly. “I was—er—out of work for about six weeks.”
“And how long did you work in Seattle?”
“A little over a year. I would have stayed there longer, only the firm that employed me went out of business,” continued the fellow who had been in prison glibly33.
“Ever been in the East—in New York or Philadelphia?”
“No, sir. I never got any farther East than Chicago.”
At this reply from Jasniff Dave poked34 Roger in the side and both looked at each other knowingly.
“He’s the same Jasniff,” whispered the senator’s son. “He always did have a smooth tongue.”
“Yes. And that smooth tongue of his got him into more than one difficulty,” responded our hero.
The pair remained silent for a minute or two longer listening to the questions put by Ralph Obray and the answers made by Nick Jasniff. Finally the questions became so personal that the fellow who had been in prison commenced to grow suspicious.
“Well, will you have an opening for me or not?” he demanded at last, arising to his feet.
At that moment Dave and Roger glided around the side of the office and tiptoed in through the doorway35. They came up directly behind Nick 55Jasniff before he was aware of their presence.
“Here is the fellow if you want to talk to him,” said Mr. Obray quickly; and thereupon the visitor turned around, to stare in amazement36 at Dave and Roger.
“W—w—what——” stammered37 Nick Jasniff, and was unable to go on.
“You didn’t expect to see us, did you, Jasniff?” declared Dave coolly.
“You were lucky to get out of prison so quickly,” put in Roger.
“I—I—don’t know you,” faltered38 Nick Jasniff, and now his face grew purple while the heavy beads39 of perspiration40 stood out on his forehead.
“You don’t know us, eh?” cried Dave. “Well, we know you well enough!”
“Even if you are traveling under the assumed name of Jasper Nicholas,” added Roger slyly.
“See here! I don’t know what you fellows are talking about!” cried Nick Jasniff, straightening up. “Is this some game or not?”
“It is a game—on your part,” answered Dave, quickly.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Oh, come, Jasniff, what’s the use of talking like this? We know your game thoroughly!” burst out Roger. “We have found out all about you, and Mr. Obray here knows about you, too. He just sent for us to identify you.”
56At this announcement Nick Jasniff wheeled around to confront the manager.
“Is that true? Did you send for these fellows to come to identify me?”
“I did.” Mr. Obray’s face took on a stern look. “They had told me all about you.”
“They didn’t have any right to do that!” blustered41 the fellow who had been in prison.
“Yes, they did. In fact, it was their duty to do so. We are all honest men in this camp, and we have no use for fellows like you. I wanted to make sure that there was no mistake. Now I am sure, and you can get out—and stay out.”
“I think that Board of Pardons was very foolish to pardon you,” Roger could not help remarking. “They should have let you stay in prison to the end of your term.”
At this remark Nick Jasniff looked for a moment blankly at the senator’s son.
“Now, see here, you——”
“Oh, we know all about how you were pardoned,” went on Roger. “It was a big mistake. But now that they have let you go, I suppose you have as much right to earn your living as anybody.”
“But we don’t want you around where we are,” added Dave.
“Huh, I’m not taking orders from you,” blustered Nick Jasniff.
57“No, but you are taking orders from me,” interposed Mr. Obray sternly. “As I said before, I want you to leave this place. I don’t want you to come here again—understand that;” and he arose to his feet to signify that the interview was at an end.
“All right—I’ll go. But I won’t forget that you had me come over here on a fool’s errand,” grumbled42 Nick Jasniff. And then, as he reached the doorway and passed outside, he turned around and shook his fist at Dave and Roger. “Just you wait! Some day I’ll get square with you for this!” he cried angrily.
Then he ran swiftly toward the horse he had been riding, leaped into the saddle and rode away.
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收听单词发音
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1
rattles
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| （使）发出格格的响声， （使）作嘎嘎声( rattle的第三人称单数 )； 喋喋不休地说话； 迅速而嘎嘎作响地移动，堕下或走动； 使紧张，使恐惧 | |
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rattle
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| v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓 | |
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axe
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| n.斧子；v.用斧头砍，削减 | |
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obstructions
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| n.障碍物( obstruction的名词复数 )；阻碍物；阻碍；阻挠 | |
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implement
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| n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行 | |
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scrambling
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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extricate
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| v.拯救，救出；解脱 | |
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situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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reptile
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| n.爬行动物；两栖动物 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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inflicting
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| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的现在分词 ) | |
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hip
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| n.臀部，髋；屋脊 | |
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gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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glided
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| v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔 | |
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trophies
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| n.（为竞赛获胜者颁发的）奖品( trophy的名词复数 )；奖杯；（尤指狩猎或战争中获得的）纪念品；（用于比赛或赛跑名称）奖 | |
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scrambled
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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catfish
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| n.鲶鱼 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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chestnuts
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| n.栗子( chestnut的名词复数 )；栗色；栗树；栗色马 | |
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batch
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| n.一批(组，群)；一批生产量 | |
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26
killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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sneak
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| vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝)；偷偷摸摸做；n.潜行；adj.暗中进行 | |
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28
bully
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| n.恃强欺弱者，小流氓；vt.威胁，欺侮 | |
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rascal
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| n.流氓；不诚实的人 | |
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jewelry
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| n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝 | |
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ranch
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| n.大牧场，大农场 | |
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skyscrapers
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| n.摩天大楼 | |
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glibly
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| adv.流利地，流畅地；满口 | |
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poked
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| v.伸出( poke的过去式和过去分词 )；戳出；拨弄；与（某人）性交 | |
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35
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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37
stammered
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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38
faltered
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| （嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃 | |
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39
beads
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| n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链 | |
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40
perspiration
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| n.汗水；出汗 | |
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41
blustered
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| v.外强中干的威吓( bluster的过去式和过去分词 )；咆哮；（风）呼啸；狂吹 | |
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42
grumbled
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| 抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声 | |
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