134 THE LOG OF A TIMBER CRUISER 
“T ecouldn’t for the life of me make out what it 
was, so I raised up on one elbow and as I did I see 
a shinin’ head rise up, too, right by Jenkins’ face. 
‘“‘Lordy, it give me a start. "Twas a rattler shore 
enough, an’ a plumb wicked lookin’ varmint, big 
around as my wrist. "T'was quiled up for warmth, 
cuddled on the edge of a blanket, snug’s you please. 
‘‘When the snake seen me move it must have got 
seairt, for it started glidin’ off silent and smooth. 
An’ I’m blessed if twan’t crawlin’ away from me 
right across Jenkins’ face. 
' “Ae hadn’t moved yet, but all of a sudden he give 
a little start, just the littlest kind of shiver, an’ then 
lay still again. But when I looked at him now his 
eyes was open, wide an’ stary, and I knew he was 
on to what was happenin’. 
‘*<Tay still,’ I whispered, ‘don’t you move!’ 
“‘T didn’t never know whether he heered me or 
not, because at the time he didn’t have much chance 
of showin’ it ef he had an’ later I forgot to ask. 
But he shore kep’ still. Didn’t even wink his eyes 
while that there big rattler was slippin’ his six 
feet of scaly hide acrost his count’nance. 
“Tt must ’a felt curyus while ’twas goin’ on. 
Jenkins said afterward it sounded like a big wind 
blowin’ mournful through the trees. But Jenkins 
was always a turr’ble liar, so you couldn’t depend 
much on what he said.”’ 
Here Bert stopped as if the tale was finished. He 
