ch!" Smilax whispered. His eyes were wide with
interest, for it is not permitted many men to see a duel between these
mortal enemies.

Somewhere directly ahead of us a diamond-back rattlesnake must have
awaited the attack he sensed, though we could not yet see him. Time
after time the king snake swept by in front of us, decreasing the
circles and, I thought, increasing his speed. After each revolution we
stepped in a little nearer, being careful not to interfere with his
course nor distract his attention from the serious business at hand.

Soon the viper became visible. His flat head, elevated a few inches
above his heavy coil, turned anxiously with the sounds in the grass. He
knew what was coming, I think, but did not rattle until the king had
reduced the circles about him to a diameter of six or seven feet. Then
he became electrified. The rattles sounded viciously, and his head began
an ominous swaying motion, out and in, as he searched for a vital spot
at which to strike.

The king, although keeping just outside the danger line, was also
watching for an opportunity. He may have realized his immunity to
poisons, yet did not care unnecessarily to suffer the laceration of
fangs. Rather did he choose to rely upon the further protective gifts
that nature had given him: length and strength, speed and agility, and a
skin that blended elusively with the ground colors; therefore, revolving
in these smaller circles, he seemed to make almost a continuous line,
without beginning or end, and the rattler was at a loss to act. Now,
profiting by a moment when the venomous eyes were turned away, he darted
in and caught the viper close up behind its head. Wrapping himself about
the squirming body he ruthlessly straightened out. We heard the
vertebrae being torn until his victim lay crushed and stretched into a
helpless mass.

For several minutes the sleek avenger remained perfectly quiet. Then,
uncoiling warily but not releasing the hold with his teeth, he worked
his body aside. Last of all he dropped the head and drew suspiciously
back as if alert for a sign of life. Of course, there was none, and
soon he glided into the grass, not seeming to have noticed us at all.

"Whew!" I said, taking a deep breath. "I wish we had king snakes around
us all the time!"

"Heap good friend," Smilax grinned, stooping to cut off the rattles that
were large and perfect.

"I thought you said there weren't any snakes out in winter!"

"Not much;