114 THE DESERT AND THE ROSE 



mouse snake, and trying as was his companion- 

 ship I was conscious of a sneaking satisfaction 

 when he (or another — most snakes look alike to 

 me) engaged a lodging under my roof the following 

 summer. But satisfaction was shortlived. One 

 evening I opened the door to behold him, as I be- 

 lieved, extended across the grain bin. 



"O, come, Ricardo!" I exclaimed. "Push that 

 thing out of my way!" 



"He won't hurt you, Senora." 



Nevertheless I gave place to the more valiant 

 Ricardo. In another moment he was shouting ex- 

 citedly to the senora to bring the hoe that this was 

 not our culebra but una culebra muy mala. Mean- 

 time he had seized a rake close to the door. Personal- 

 ly I should have preferred a hurried exit, but that 

 being hardly fair play I ran for the hoe and ven- 

 tured into the heart of the fray. 



Never have I seen a snake fight as that one 

 fought. But I draw a veil over the bloody scene. 

 Suffice it to say that my part was to hold the furious 

 monster as best I could with the rake, Ricardo striv- 

 ing to beat down the striking head with its forked 

 tongue. At last it was over, and the boy tossed the 

 loathly body out on the grass — not to die until sun- 

 set, however, according to tradition. 



"That snake has a nest somewhere," he cried, 

 "and we must find it." 



He drew the rake across the grass, then hurried- 

 ly made for the pump, overturned the water tub, and 

 away scurried wriggling nightmares in every direc- 



