“There, that finishes my snake-bite cure, more the pity,” he kept telling his fellow prisoner, with a vein of keen regret in his voice. “No, yeou jest caint have another drop yeou greedy rascal. Seems like yeou made things warm enuff for two ginks what never did any harm to yeou or the fambly; an’ now suh, the tables got to turn—I’m figgerin’ on makin’ the likes o’ yeou as hot as Tophet, that’s right, Old Eph.”
Still holding out the empty flask as though to keep the bear from dropping down on all-fours, Perk carefully took out a match, and held it poised between fingers and thumb. Then it was that what he really meant to do clicked in the mind of Jack; it rather staggered him in the bargain, so that he uttered an exclamation that told the other he had divined his secret.
“Kinder guess yeou’re on to my curves, buddy,” observed Perk; “well, here she goes, an’ hopin’ luck comes aour way.”
He thereupon scraped the head of the match along a certain part of the tree trunk—several times was this repeated, but all to no avail, as the friction did not appear to be brisk enough to start things going.
Then Perk went back to first principles, and gave a quick scrape down the seat of his trousers; whereupon there followed a tiny flash, and the match began to burn brightly.
Waving the bottle, and letting a drop or two ooze from its mouth Perk, watching his opportunity cast the burning match directly on top of the bear’s shaggy neck. He must have held his breath with suspense while so doing, for he felt as though he were casting the die, with everything at stake.
“Wow! it’s a go, Perk, you wonderful schemer!” burst from Jack, as he saw a blue flame start up, where the booze had fallen on the thick, rusty looking coat of the astonished animal, instantly increasing as the liquor caught.
Both of them watched with staring eyes to see what followed; but they did not have long to wait. The bear dropped down on all four feet, and twisting his head around commenced snapping viciously at the spot where he already began to feel uncomfortably warm. This caused him to burn his tongue, and from that moment it took on all the aspect of a circus to the two spectators lodged there amidst the branches of that friendly tree; although to be sure it was an altogether different kind of situation to the astonished bear.
The animal developed a surprising amount of agility, twisting and turning in a frantic endeavor to bite at the object that was giving him such a queer sensation as of pain. But all his antics had no effect on the fire in his coat, which was continually extending its circulation by streaks and bounds.
“Go to it, buddy—call aout the hull fire department an’ smother the blaze, or yeou’re sure a goner. Lookit him arollin’ on the ground to beat the band—aint that cute though, partner—jest like sensible human bein’s would do if they had their heads ’bout ’em when on fire. But it aint agoin’ to help the pore ole dick any, either. There, he’s a runnin’ off like fun, headin’ fur some sorter water-hole he knows ’bout, I kinder guess. What a sight that is, Jack ole geezer; but jest the same I’m sorry ’bout that snake pizen stuff, I sure am—didn’t canc’late to have to use it on sech game.”