I Had Left My
Companions, And Was Beginning To Clear Away A Fine Clump Of Trees,
When Just In The Midst Of The Thicket, Not More Than Eight Yards From
Me, One Of These Fellows Set Up His Hiss.
It is a sharp, continuous
sound, and resembles very much the letting off of the steam from
the small
Pipe of a steamboat, except that it is on a smaller scale.
I knew, by the sound of an axe, that one of my companions was near,
and called out to him, to let him know what I had fallen upon.
He took it very lightly, and as he seemed inclined to laugh at me for
being afraid, I determined to keep my place. I knew that so long
as I could hear the rattle, I was safe, for these snakes never make
a noise when they are in motion. Accordingly, I kept at my work,
and the noise which I made with cutting and breaking the trees kept
him in alarm; so that I had the rattle to show me his whereabouts.
Once or twice the noise stopped for a short time, which gave me a
little uneasiness, and retreating a few steps, I threw something
into the bush, at which he would set his rattle agoing; and finding
that he had not moved from his first place, I was easy again.
In this way I continued at my work until I had cut a full load,
never suffering him to be quiet for a moment.
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