"Tell us what it is, man. Maybe it is worth while."
"Well, just notice Rowdy, here. He's mighty uneasy and has been snuffing
into the air for some little time. Just now as I took a deep breath I
thought I smelled smoke and with it came an odor of burning flesh. It
was too heavy to be merely the remains of a dinner thrown into a fire. I
was just thinking that some accident--"
"I don't think so," replied Jack. "At least we won't think that until we
have to. It just can't be so," he added.
"It's getting mighty dark in here," stated Tom. "I wish it would lighten
up a bit. That's a fire ahead there."
"Whar y'all gwine?" A giant negro barred the path.
CHAPTER XIV
TWO BEAVERS IN PERIL
Neither Harry nor Arnold is quite clear as to just what happened after
the rattlesnake made his leap at the charmed boy.
They both are agreed on one point, however. Whenever the subject of
marksmanship is brought up, they invariably agree that the man who fired
the shot from his rifle that afternoon was the best crackshot they ever
saw. His skill surely saved Harry's life.
What really happened was that a stranger, passing through the forest at
the moment of the boys' predicament, heard the shots from Arnold's
automatic. As the reader knows, the snake, Harry and Arnold were in
direct line with Harry between the snake and Arnold. Therefore Arnold
was unable quickly to shoot the snake. He tried to distract the
attention of the reptile by creating a disturbance, but, as we know, in
this he was unsuccessful.
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