sound as
if the injured creature was travelling rapidly about endeavouring to
escape. The dust began to settle as the smoke floated away, but twice
over arose again as after a spell of silence there was the sound of a
fall.

"He was trying to get up in the corner yonder," said Griggs.

"How horrible if it comes up one of these angles," said Ned, drawing his
breath sharply.

"No fear," cried Griggs. "Snakes can only raise themselves up for a
certain distance, and then they fall over. I've watched them often."

"I say, he's getting quieter now," said Chris.

This was plain to all, for the rustling died out, began again more
faintly, died out again, there was the sound of a pat or two as if given
spasmodically by the reptile's tail, and then all was quite still, while
the dust had cleared away so that the watchers could see by the
lanthorn's light the inert body of a very large rattlesnake.

"Why, it's not half so big as I expected," cried Chris.

"The biggest I ever saw," said Griggs quietly.

"But it made such a tremendous noise," cried Chris. "I expected to see
one double that size. I say, hadn't Ned better give him another
charge?"

"No; one of you go up to the top and drop a good-sized stone down upon
him. We shall see whether there's life enough in him to be dangerous."

"Hold my rifle, Chris, and I'll go," cried Ned eagerly, and the next
minute he was scaling the side, and on reaching the top he walked to
where he was nearly over the reptile, where he picked up a couple of
stones of the size of a man's fist and pitched one down, with the result
that the snake began to writhe violently again, but only for a very
brief time, before once more lying perfectly inert.

"No more mischief in that fellow," said Griggs. "I may as well go down
now."

"What about the others?" said Chris.

"What others?"

"There are sure to be some more."

"Nay; rattlers are not above showing fight. If there had been any more
we should have seen or heard them. I shall chance it now."

"I don't like your going down yet," said Chris anxiously. "I'll have a
shot at him now."

"Nay, nay; we may want our cartridges for something more useful than a
rattler that has had as much as it wants to kill it."

"I'll drop another stone on him," said Ned. "One of those big ones."

"Ah, do," said Griggs. "Take good aim, and drop it right on his head.
Can you see?"

"Oh, yes, I can see quite plainly."

Ned raised one of th