"Oh, I say, my lad, don't look so white. Wern't 'fraid, were you?"
"Yes," I said, huskily. "I could not help being frightened."
"Not you," said Morgan, roughly; "you wasn't half frightened, or you
wouldn't have done what you did. Now then, my gentleman, you're never
going to bite and kill any one, so--there--and there!"
As he spoke he placed one foot a few inches from the rattlesnake's head,
the creature opening its mouth and making a feeble attempt to bite, but
the next moment my keen knife had divided the neck, and Morgan picked up
the piece.
"Now look ye here, Master George, I shouldn't wonder if this gentleman's
got two sharp teeth at the top here like an adder has at home. They're
the poison ones, and--yes, what did I tell you?"
He laughed as he opened the creature's wide mouth with the blade of the
knife, and drew forward two keen-looking fangs, to show me.
"There you are," he said. "Just like adders', only theirs is little
tiny things just like a sharp bit of glass, and they lay back in the
roof of their mouths so that you have to look close to see 'em."
"Throw the horrible poisonous thing away," I said.
"Yes; we'll pitch it all together in the river. Some big alligator will
think it's a fine worm, and I hope he'll like it. One moment; I must
find my knife."