tunic. Fetch it, if you like; may as well."

Rube ran back to where Kiddie had slept, and returned with the loaded
revolver. He was astonished and alarmed at what he now saw. The
rattlesnake had come wholly out from the tree, and Kiddie stood
directly over it with his right foot planted across the thicker part of
its writhing body, and the toasting fork, held firmly in his left hand,
gripping the reptile by the neck. The snake's mouth was wide open--it
seemed almost to be snarling angrily; the long body was wriggling, and
all the time came the ominous rattling sound from the ringed tail.

"Get round by the back of me, and give me the gun in my right hand,"
ordered Kiddie. "Don't be scared. I've got him, sure; he ain't goin'
ter wriggle away."

[Illustration: "I've got him, sure; he ain't goin' ter wriggle away."]

Rube passed the revolver and watched. He expected Kiddie to discharge
the weapon close to the rattlesnake's head. To his surprise, Kiddie
removed his right foot, drew away the forked stick, and stepped back a
couple of paces. The snake, now at unhindered liberty, raised its head
several inches from the ground and coiled round, with jaws wide open,
ready to strike. Kiddie then pressed his trigger, and the bullet,
entering between the two poison fangs, came out at the back of the
serpent's skull.

"Say, what in thunder did you let it go loose for?" questioned Rube.
"It might have escaped! It might have bitten you!"

"Which means that you figure I might have missed my aim?" said Kiddie.
"Not very complimentary to my shootin'. Why did I let it go loose?
Well, I jest notioned it would be some cowardly ter shoot while I held
the brute that way. Beside, I didn't want ter shatter the skull too
much. Biggest rattler I've seen--seven feet long if it's an inch, and
worth preservin'. Say, those bees look like givin' us trouble. Best
hustle through with breakfast, and then get along to the traps. The
honey c'n wait. That sulphur of yours is goin' ter do the trick."

They went together to make the round of the traps, first going some way
up the creek to the willows where Rube had set his beaver traps in the
midst of a colony of these busy animals. Rube was in hope that every
trap would be filled; but there were only two beavers--one of them
quite young and small, the other, a large male in prime condition.

"Best let it go, as it ain't hurt any," Kiddie advised, liberating the
smaller one. "You c