The Desert Thieves by Franklin W. Dixon

Author:Franklin W. Dixon
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Aladdin

9 Straight Up for Trouble

* * *

Gathering his wits, Joe shoved the door closed. “There’s a rattlesnake in there!” he announced.

“What?” Fenton came over, eased the door open a crack, and peeked in. “You’re right. It’s coiled up about two feet inside the door, ready to strike. Worse luck, the broom is inside. Frank, ask around and see if you can borrow a broom—or anything with a long handle.”

While Frank went in search of a broom, Joe eased the door all the way open, careful to stand at arm’s length in case the snake struck. Beside the snake was a burlap sack. “It looks as if someone set a bag inside with the snake in it,” he said. “They left the end of the bag open so the snake could crawl out.”

Raymond Perez came around the corner of the motor home. “Hey, Joe,” he called out. “Hi, Mr. Hardy. What’s up?”

Fenton held up a hand to stop him, and said, “We have a little problem here. You’d better stand back.”

“What is—” Perez began. Just then the snake’s rattle buzzed, and Perez’s jaw dropped. He walked up to the steps and asked Joe in a low voice, “Do you have a broom or a mop, anything with a long handle?”

“Frank is looking for one,” Joe said. “Stay away from the door.”

“I’ve worked with snakes before,” Perez said. “Why don’t you—”

“Just butt out, Perez,” Joe said, jumping down the steps. “We’ll take care of it.”

Frank came back with Diane, who was carrying a broom in one hand and a wooden spoon in the other. “Here you go, Joe,” Frank said. “I caught Diane while she was cooking.”

“I have a way with snakes,” Perez said, grabbing the broom from Diane and ducking past Joe.

“Perez!” Joe yelled. “Don’t be stupid.”

Perez opened the door and grinned at the snake. “Hey, little fella,” he said. “These big monster people got you scared?” He eased the business end of the broom over the snake until the straw touched the floor beyond it. Then he swept the snake toward the door. The snake shook its rattles furiously but did not strike as it slid across the floor.

“Everybody stand back,” Perez said. With one quick sweep, he flicked the snake out the door and onto the ground. It recoiled, ready to strike, its tail emitting a mean-sounding buzz.

“What we need now,” Perez said, “is something like a long soup spoon. Got one of those on you, anyone? Diane?”

Diane handed him a wooden spoon.

“Now, watch this,” Perez said. In a voice like an announcer’s, he boomed out, “Do not try this at home, ladies and gentlemen. This is being done by a trained professional!” He poked the broom at the snake. It struck at the straw, and he pushed it aside. Then Perez reached down and pressed the spoon against the back of the snake’s head, pinning it to the ground. The snake’s body writhed as it tried to get its head free from the spoon.

Perez grasped the snake behind the head and picked it up.

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