Walk Till You Disappear by Jacqueline Dembar Greene

Author:Jacqueline Dembar Greene
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Chapter Book, Chapter Books, Jewish, Judaism, Kar-Ben, Kar-Ben Publishing, Older Readers, Religious, Jewish, Jacqueline Dembar Greene, Walk Till You Disappear
Publisher: Lerner Publishing Group
Published: 2019-07-31T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

Snake Killer

The tawny cock stood as still as a fence post. Miguel also froze, afraid the slightest movement would scare it off. The bird’s feathers mixed mottled shades of brown and black with streaks of white, providing camouflage.

A stealthy motion in the sand drew Miguel’s attention. Just in front of the bird, a thick-bodied rattlesnake slithered toward their shelter. Yellow scales tinged the diamond pattern along its back, and its tongue darted in and out, testing the air for the scent of prey. Miguel had always been told a rattler wouldn’t attack if you didn’t move. It was one piece of advice he had followed. The skin on his back prickled, and he wondered if he could remain as calm and still as Rushing Cloud.

The snake slid closer, its movements both contorted and graceful. Miguel silently prayed the snake would change direction. Just as it entered a bright patch of sunlight, the roadrunner flapped down. Its long, sharp beak was poised for attack.

The snake opened its jaws wide, baring its fangs. Its tail rattles vibrated an ominous warning, but the bird kept up its sniping. Aiming for a spot just behind the snake’s head, it landed a fearless peck. The snake coiled and sprang at the bird, which flapped out of range and then charged again. Attacking and retreating, the two adversaries seemed determined to fight to the death.

“Rattlesnakes cannot live long under the sun,” Rushing Cloud whispered. “It is a creature of night.” Miguel watched the battle with awe. The roadrunner toyed with the snake, luring it farther into the blazing sun, attacking just often enough to keep it from escaping under the rocks. The rattler became sluggish, either tiring from the fight or suffering from the rising heat.

The bird’s attacks grew bolder and more deadly, striking deep into the rattler’s flesh. When the snake failed to respond to one ferocious peck, the bird boldly caught the large reptile in its beak and dashed it against a rock. The snake struggled, but its wounds were too severe.

Miguel was riveted to the final moments of the duel. The bird made one last attack, tearing a deep wound at the back of the reptile’s head. The rattler gave a convulsive shake and lay still in the sun. As the roadrunner dove in to devour its kill, Rushing Cloud sprang from the shelter waving his arms up and down. The victorious bird cast its glassy orange-rimmed eyes on its prey and then looked with alarm at the intruder. It raced off across the sand, its tail straight and its beak thrust forward like the point of an arrow.

Rushing Cloud grabbed the limp snake by the tail and held it up like a trophy. It was longer than he was tall. A small smile curled at the corner of his mouth. “Dinner,” he said.

Miguel stepped closer. “You’re going to eat it?” he asked.

“No,” Rushing Cloud said. “You are.”

Miguel knew that the ranch hands occasionally ate a rattlesnake they had killed. The thought

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