"Yes--yes, but do put him down, Joel," she begged, "and let me
see if you're all right."

So Joel at last set his snake on the ground, and straightened
out his tail; then he commenced to run all around him. "Ain't he
a buster, Polly!" he cried, his eyes shining.

Polly looked at him reprovingly out of her brown eyes. "Mamsie
wouldn't like you to say that word," she began. "But you won't
again, I know," seeing his face.

"No," said Joel, brightening up, "I won't, Polly. But ain't he
big! You couldn't a-killed him, Dave," he cried at little Davie
tucking up his toes under him on the grass.

"No," said Davie. "O dear me, he may be alive and bite us all
now."

"Hoh!" exclaimed Joel, "he's just as dead as anything. See!" and
he twitched up the long gray snake by the tip of the tail and
swung it over his head.

"Oh, don't, Joe!" begged Polly, running over to put her arms
around David, who burrowed into them as far as he could. "Do put
him down, and come and tell us how you killed him. There, let's
all sit down on the doorstep. Come, boys."

"I'm going to hold my snake," announced Joel, stopping the swing
in mid-air to pat the adder's head lovingly. "Ain't he sweet,