“But he wan't satisfied with merely squalling and rattling; for he quit that, and opening his mouth about wide enough for me to get my fist in, began to stretch his head out, and draw it back; and then sich hissing, Rolfe, you never did hear. The yaller one stood his ground like a man:—there didn't seem to be any back out about him, and when the old brown began to hiss, he opened his mouth until I thought he would swallow himself, and the way he did blow was nothing to nobody. I thought there was a small hurricane coming up. Well, now their dander was so high, they couldn't stand it any longer:—so at it they went. They glided off,—their heads and tails were both up;—there wan't more than about three feet of their bodies on the ground;—and they began to encircle each other like a couple of chickens. They had now quit hissing and squalling, and only rattled once in a while, looking each other straight in the face all the time. Every time they went round, I saw that they were getting closer and closer, and they looked to me just like two fellows of the true spunk, who had stripped and were eyeing each other, before taking a round. They were going at it so seriously, it naturally made my hair rise up. They were by themselves,—there was no other snake present, to cry hurra for one, or well done for the other, a thing you know which helps mightily sometimes;—but they were going to try it, rough, roar, and tumble for life. “Well, now I was jest as much interested as if I had come across a couple of men who were going to take a brush. I clean forgot the bear, and if the snakes had fought till sunset, I meant to see 'em out, and give 'em all the fair play that I knew how. I left them, you know, circling round:—they went round, I think, as much as three times, when the first thing I knowed, they were both in a knot, and sich squeezing and swelling, and rattling, and creeping through one another, I never seed before in all my born days. They would lock their bodies together, and twist 'em just like the working of a worm into a screw, and all the time their mouths were so wide open, that I thought each one was trying to swallow the other. “Rolfe, I don't care what people say, I won't believe that snakes have bones in 'em, for you couldn't have tied a thread into more knots than I saw them get into that day. They may be filled with small gristles.” “Go on with your story, Earth,” said Rolfe. “Well, I left 'em kinked up,—they were tangled for nearly half an hour;—and what do you suppose I was doing, then?” “Ah! God knows,” said Rolfe, “it is more than I can tell.” “Why, jest looking at 'em, and straining and twisting every joint almost out of place, following them in their motions. I did this without knowing it, and I never should have found it out, if I hadn't begun to feel sore all over.