Suddenly he paused. Something just beyond the light
was growing into a series of graceful loops. A long neck slowly lifted
itself and two baleful eyes fixed upon Roldan. He raised his pistol, and
the rattler was beheaded as neatly as if it were stuffed and dismembered
with a pen knife. It shot out to full length, and the clever marksman
took it by its horny tail and dragged it to the fire.
"He didn't know that we'd have him for supper," said Adan, gleefully.
"Here, let us eat our steak and then I'll skin him."
The steak proved tough, and when it had been disposed of with many
grumblings, the rattlesnake was skinned and roasted, and proved very
delicate and edible.
"Now," said Roldan, "we must sleep." Their clothes being dry they
dressed; and after inspecting with a torch a circle of about two hundred
yards to see that there were no snake holes, they built a hasty ring of
chaparral, set fire to it that beasts and reptiles should keep their
distance, then lay down and slept. Roldan was always a light sleeper,
and with the fire on his mind awoke every few hours and gathered fresh
chaparral or roused the heavier Adan. Coyotes wailed in the distance,
and once as Roldan gathered brush he heard again the deadly rattle.
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