times, how many times he might have hit it was an
unknown as the thing began to twist, and thrash, and all of a
sudden it was coming at him and he backed up quickly.
Mister
Day stood there gaping.
The
snake came to the end of its rope and his uncle fired, a careful
shot that hit under the chin and spurted blood from the top of the
skull but the thing was not easily killed. The children were
hustled back by parents and older siblings, away from the thrashing
tail, sweeping through great arcs in its rage and its
agony.
Jeremy
had no doubt that animals could feel pain, and yet he couldn’t tear
his eyes away from the unforgettable sight.
This was truly sickening. Surely the snake hadn’t done anything
wrong—
“ All right. Stand back.” The snake was quieter now, with blood
bubbling from its mouth and nostrils.
His
uncle fired again, aiming apparently for the point where the head
met the first vertebra in the neck.
The
dying animal jerked, and quivered and gasped loudly in the
stillness of the midday heat.
Harry
fired again, and again, and again…click, click.
It was
over, finally. There were no more bullets.
“ Right. I’m going to need a really big knife.”
Jeremy
hardly recognized Uncle Harry in that moment.
He’d
been spattered by a fine spray of hot wet blood, but was seemingly
oblivious to it. Mister Day as well. For all they knew, that big
lump in the animal’s belly might just as well be some anonymous
deer, another big snake or a wild pig.
There
was only one way to find out.
***
“ Here, let me do it. I owe you that much, anyways.” Mister Day
extended a hand, and after a look, Uncle Harry gave him the big
hunting knife their interpreter had whistled up from the proud papa
of a dozen children between zero and twelve years of age…all lined
up in a row, watching with eyes wide, half of them sucking their
thumbs too.
Not
afraid of a little blood, willing hands pulled and tugged, and the
dead snake was stretched out straight upon the ground.
“ Roll it over.”
The
gentleman translated and the people argued amongst themselves and
finally agreed on right to left. Someone cut the rope. They rolled
it over on its back. The spinal bones would otherwise be in the
way, and all he had was one small blade.
Dropping
to his knees, his upper legs almost too short to reach the ground
while astride the belly of the monster, Mister Day took a deep
breath and decided exactly where to put the knife in. The snake had
to be thirty feet long, and a good two feet in diameter at the
bulge.
Fresh
rivers of blood spurted. The snake was clearly dead as there was no
reaction to the first cut. People steadied it, as he pulled
again.
Sliding
back, trying to gauge the thickest section of snake, Mister Day
kept pulling. He got about five feet, and then took a little rest.
He wiped his forehead with the back of his left hand.
Taking
the handle in both hands again, he kept going.
There
was nothing more they could do to hurt Mister Syrmes now, and
recovering his body if possible was, arguably, the right thing to
do no matter what sort of condition he was in.
***
“ Well.”
The butt
of the rifle stuck out on the one end. That was
something…
Looking
like nothing more than a big hairball, whatever it was, it had been
successfully removed from the belly of the serpent. The natives,
delighted with their conquest, for surely they must hate and fear
the great animals, were dragging it away. According to the
translator they would skin it and then cook it up. People for miles
around would be eating snake meat tonight.
Mister
Day was looking a bit green. His crotch and legs were dark with
blood. His Uncle looked around, finally settling on
Jeremy.
“ Where’s Mrs. O’Dell?”
“ About halfway back to Buena Vista, by this time. She’ll be all
right. She’s got a gun in her purse.”
Harry
gave a little snort.
“ Sir?”
“ Yes, Jeremy?”
“ We need a good stick or two.” The snake had
unknown as the thing began to twist, and thrash, and all of a
sudden it was coming at him and he backed up quickly.
Mister
Day stood there gaping.
The
snake came to the end of its rope and his uncle fired, a careful
shot that hit under the chin and spurted blood from the top of the
skull but the thing was not easily killed. The children were
hustled back by parents and older siblings, away from the thrashing
tail, sweeping through great arcs in its rage and its
agony.
Jeremy
had no doubt that animals could feel pain, and yet he couldn’t tear
his eyes away from the unforgettable sight.
This was truly sickening. Surely the snake hadn’t done anything
wrong—
“ All right. Stand back.” The snake was quieter now, with blood
bubbling from its mouth and nostrils.
His
uncle fired again, aiming apparently for the point where the head
met the first vertebra in the neck.
The
dying animal jerked, and quivered and gasped loudly in the
stillness of the midday heat.
Harry
fired again, and again, and again…click, click.
It was
over, finally. There were no more bullets.
“ Right. I’m going to need a really big knife.”
Jeremy
hardly recognized Uncle Harry in that moment.
He’d
been spattered by a fine spray of hot wet blood, but was seemingly
oblivious to it. Mister Day as well. For all they knew, that big
lump in the animal’s belly might just as well be some anonymous
deer, another big snake or a wild pig.
There
was only one way to find out.
***
“ Here, let me do it. I owe you that much, anyways.” Mister Day
extended a hand, and after a look, Uncle Harry gave him the big
hunting knife their interpreter had whistled up from the proud papa
of a dozen children between zero and twelve years of age…all lined
up in a row, watching with eyes wide, half of them sucking their
thumbs too.
Not
afraid of a little blood, willing hands pulled and tugged, and the
dead snake was stretched out straight upon the ground.
“ Roll it over.”
The
gentleman translated and the people argued amongst themselves and
finally agreed on right to left. Someone cut the rope. They rolled
it over on its back. The spinal bones would otherwise be in the
way, and all he had was one small blade.
Dropping
to his knees, his upper legs almost too short to reach the ground
while astride the belly of the monster, Mister Day took a deep
breath and decided exactly where to put the knife in. The snake had
to be thirty feet long, and a good two feet in diameter at the
bulge.
Fresh
rivers of blood spurted. The snake was clearly dead as there was no
reaction to the first cut. People steadied it, as he pulled
again.
Sliding
back, trying to gauge the thickest section of snake, Mister Day
kept pulling. He got about five feet, and then took a little rest.
He wiped his forehead with the back of his left hand.
Taking
the handle in both hands again, he kept going.
There
was nothing more they could do to hurt Mister Syrmes now, and
recovering his body if possible was, arguably, the right thing to
do no matter what sort of condition he was in.
***
“ Well.”
The butt
of the rifle stuck out on the one end. That was
something…
Looking
like nothing more than a big hairball, whatever it was, it had been
successfully removed from the belly of the serpent. The natives,
delighted with their conquest, for surely they must hate and fear
the great animals, were dragging it away. According to the
translator they would skin it and then cook it up. People for miles
around would be eating snake meat tonight.
Mister
Day was looking a bit green. His crotch and legs were dark with
blood. His Uncle looked around, finally settling on
Jeremy.
“ Where’s Mrs. O’Dell?”
“ About halfway back to Buena Vista, by this time. She’ll be all
right. She’s got a gun in her purse.”
Harry
gave a little snort.
“ Sir?”
“ Yes, Jeremy?”
“ We need a good stick or two.” The snake had
Similar Books
