"The rattlesnake?" asked Diddie, in horror.

"Hit's true, des like I'm tellin' yer," said Daddy; "hit wuz de
rattlesnake; an' dey's de bes' doctors dey is 'mongst all de beases. Yer
may see him creepin' 'long thu de grass like he don't know nuffin', but
he kin doctor den."

"How does he doctor, Daddy?" asked Dumps.

"Now you chil'en look er hyear," said the old man; "I ain't gwine ter
tell yer all I know 'bout'n de rattlesnake; dar's some things fur ter
tell, and den ergin dar's some things fur ter keep ter yerse'f; an' wat
dey is twix' me an' de rattlesnake, hit's des twix' me'n him; an' you
ain't de fust ones wat want ter know an' couldn't. Yer may ax, but axin'
ain't findin' out den; an', mo'n dat, ef'n I'm got ter be bothered wid
axin' uv questions, den I ain't gwine obstruck yer, dat's all."

The children begged his pardon, and promised not to interrupt again, and
Daddy Jake continued his story.

"Yes, de rattlesnake doctored on him, an' atter er wile he got so he
could see some uv nights; but he can't see much in de daytime, do; an'
ez fur de Peafowl, he shuck an' he shuck his tail, but dem spots is dar
tell yit! An' wen he foun' he couldn't git 'em off, den he 'gun ter 'ten
like he wuz glad uv 'em on dar, and dat wat makes him spread his tail
and ac' so foolish in de spring uv de year.

"Dey's er heap uv de beases done ruint deyse'fs wid dey cuttin's up an'
gwines on," continued Daddy Jake "Now dar's de Beaver, he usen fur ter
hab er smoove roun' tail des like er 'possum's, wat wuz er heap handier