CHAPTER VIII

WILL DOES IT

“Talk to me about babes in the woods!” gasped jerry.

He was staring at the enormous rattler, that still kept up a buzzing with his rattle, and which sound poor Will had believed was made by a locust.

“Shoot the thing, Jerry!  You’ve been wise enough to fetch your gun!” said Frank.

“That just suits me.  Have you got all the snapshots you want, Will?” demanded Jerry, falling on one knee and elevating his rifle.

“There!  He’s reforming!  You see, he did actually think of me, for once.  Oh, yes.  I snapped him three times.  I rather think he didn’t like the sound, for he darted his head at me wickedly.  I suspected it might be a rattlesnake, though,” replied the photographer calmly.

Then came a sharp report.

“Keep back!” called Jerry as the snake’s folds suddenly flew out; but its head was almost blown from its body, and there was no more danger to be feared.

“I’ll get the rattle, to remind you of your narrow squeak, Will,” said Jerry.

“That’s kind of you, now; but I rather think you are getting it to remind you of your first shot at game with the new rifle,” remarked Will.

The others had by now come up to stare at the enormously thick snake, with more or less of a shudder.

“How about having that skin, to make a belt or something?” suggested Bluff.

“You’re welcome to it, if you can take it off and properly dry if; but you’re so squeamish about snakes I’d hardly think you’d care for the job,” remarked Jerry.

“I’ll see.  I heard Nellie say she always wanted a belt made out of a skin like that, and perhaps I may try to get it,” concluded Bluff.

“Are we going to proceed, or put in a day around here, fellows?” asked Frank.

“I say stay.  We may not get another chance at a swamp before we reach the open gulf, and I want to snap a dozen fine views off around here.  I mean to take the little dinghy and push into the swamp a bit,” ventured Will.

“Say! he’s getting real venturesome, ain’t he?” laughed Jerry.

“Next thing he’ll be getting lost, and we’ll have a deuce of a time finding him again.  Make him take a compass along, Frank, and that old revolver of yours,” growled Bluff.

“Don’t you worry about me, now.  Perhaps you’ll find I’m able to look out for myself far better than any of you give me credit for,” returned the other, with a show of indignation.

He went aboard to get ready, taking another roll of films along, for, as he remarked, there could be no telling what might turn up.

“Try to keep your wits about you, Will, and don’t venture too far away.  If in doubt, fire the pistol three times, and we’ll answer you,” said Frank, who was not wholly easy about the exploring trip.

“Got some grub along?” asked Bluff, for that was a very essential part of any undertaking, in his eyes.