UZ G AUNT'S SNAKE-STORY. 309 



coiled up nearest to me, raised his head, as I did this, 

 and set his tail a-buzzin' like mad. I heard the sound, 

 clear and clean, and saw that the critter was a rattle- 

 snake. I gave one look at the other two, and they was 

 the same. There I sat, in the stern of the little boat, with 

 three rattlesnakes eyin' me, and not one of 'em six feet 

 off. I don't quite remember just what I did, but some- 

 how without accident I got the scull back, and started on. 

 Either the near snake by his looks told me, or some- 

 thing else did, that if I put for dry land they wouldn't 

 make trouble. Now it's a good half mile to the hill-side 

 from the Swan Island gates, and I took a straight course, 

 I tell you. Big fool that I was for bein' so frightened ; 

 I didn't keep much of a look ahead, and, 'fore I knew it, 

 I went bump into a big saw-log that had come down the 

 river. The boat came to with a jerk, and up raised every 

 one of them snakes fully a foot or more, and didn't say 

 anything, but looked at me, as much as to say, ' Do that 

 again, Uz Gaunt, and your goose is cooked.' I hadn't 

 control of my scull as I generally have, but somehow I 

 made out to get movin' again. Luck was against me 

 somehow, and I got into a tangle of grass and brush, but 

 didn't come to a stand-still. One of the snakes, though, 

 didn't like the sound of the boat's bottom gratin' over 

 the brush, so it raised up, and coiled on a box that 

 was lyin' at my feet. He settled on that box, with one 

 lap of his coils restin' on the toe of my boot. I didn't 

 dare to stir. All of a sudden that foot began to tickle 

 like, and I wanted to wiggle my toes, but I didn't dare 

 to. Then that leg got to sleep, and I couldn't shift it. 

 It hadn't any feelin' in it, and I felt as though I'd tum- 

 ble over on one side. It was no use. There was that one 

 snake, on guard like, and it was evident to stir was cer- 

 tain death. The boat didn't seem to move ahead worth 



