Fred kept his eye on that head. At the instant the sharp crack of the rifle rang out the frightful object vanished, and the long body broke into fierce writhings. Jack had clipped off the head as neatly as if with the blow of a scimitar, the bullet shattering the neck just below, and at its narrowest portion. "That's as well as I could have done myself," commented Fred, as his friend lowered his weapon and watched the struggles of his victim, which quickly ceased, for, as has been said, the _crotalus_ species is easily killed, and when one of them has been decapitated he cannot keep up appearances very long. When it became certain the reptile was dead the boys drew near for a closer inspection. They counted the rattles, which were seventeen in number, proving the reptile of extraordinary size. "We didn't think to count those of the other," said Fred, "but I am sure it was not so large as this." "No; but I wonder whether we are going to stumble over them at every step?" "This is only the second one; we may not see another for a week." "I hope we shall not; but so long as they are kind enough to give us notice of their intentions we ought to be able to avoid their bites." It looked as if their experience of the previous day was to be repeated, for within a hundred yards from the spot an animal was discovered on a rock, a considerable distance above them. Fred was the first to see it, and exclaimed: "There's another buck, Jack! It's your turn." But before Jack could bring his weapon to a level the animal saw them and was off like a flash. In fact they had no more than a glimpse of it--barely enough to see that it had no antlers, and probably was not a deer at all. "It isn't going to be as easy work as we thought," said Fred; "I shouldn't be surprised if we fail to get a shot to-day." "Well, we shall have the fun of tramping ourselves tired. It seems to me that when any sort of game shows itself it comes out in plain sight and is not scared up by us. Let's sit down a while and watch things around us." This singular proposal was acted upon. After picking their way some distance further among the rocks they chose a seat, and then looked searchingly here and there at the different elevations and prominent points, in the hope of catching sight of some game which would give them a shot before dashing off with headlong haste. "Right over that part of the mountain peak yonder," said Jack, pointing at the place, "I saw the moon rise last night. I have watched it come out of the ocean many a time, but never saw anything so beautiful before." He described as best he could the impressive scene, while Fred listened, and for the first time felt regret that he had not been awakened that he, too, might have enjoyed the view. When he had studied the mountain peak for some minutes, he raised his glass and surveyed it steadily for a while longer. "I thought so," he remarked; "turn your glass, Jack, in that direction."