"It's on top of the snake!" cried Charlie. "Now get down as fast as you can."
Tom gave a glance downward, and then, half-slipping, half-scrambling, he came heavily to the bottom of the ravine. Charlie now ran off some distance to a place where there was a comparatively easy descent to the paths among the rocks, and he soon reached the spot where Tom stood.
"Are you hurt?" he asked.
"No," said Tom, "only scratched a little. But there isn't a man alive who would give three cents for this snake. You've smashed its head nearly off."
"That is what I tried to do," said Charlie. "Now we will go and look for another one."
The boys moved slowly among the rocks, and it was not long before they saw another snake, coiled up and asleep. Tom roused him with the crotched end of his pole, and when the snake, after rattling and hissing, laid his head upon the ground to crawl, Tom clapped the crotch over his neck, and held him firmly down. It was of no use for the creature to squirm and wriggle; he could not get his head from under that crotch. Charlie carried the basket, and he now ran up to the snake. Taking a piece of twine from his pocket, he slipped it under the head, and tied it around the neck just in front of the crotch. It required some care to tie the cord tightly enough to prevent its slipping, but not so tight as to choke the snake. The ends of the cord were about two feet long, and each of the boys took hold of one of them. The stick was now removed, and the snake began to struggle violently, but could not get at either of his captors. He was then lifted up by the cord, and dropped, tail foremost, into the basket, when the lid was clapped down quickly upon him, and securely fastened. The ends of the twine, which hung outside, were tied together under the basket, and the boys started homeward with their prize.
When they reached the cabin of old Ramsay, the veteran snake-hunter was still sitting at his door. As soon as he heard that the boys had caught a snake, he began to make preparations to take out its fangs.
"It's too tetchy a business for young boys like you," he said.
Ramsay hobbled into the house, and brought out a strong leather strap. He then untied the ends of the twine, giving one to each of the boys to hold. The lid of the basket was removed, and the snake angrily raised its head. Ramsay then held the end of the strap toward it, when, quick as lightning, the shake struck at the leather, and fiercely bit it. The moment the creature's fangs entered the strap, Ramsay violently pulled it away.
Glancing at the end the snake had bitten, Ramsay held it out toward the boys.