Just Don't Get Excited

The forked stick dropped deftly over the snake’s body just back of the head. The reptile was effectively pinned to the sandy bottom of the dry wash. Banning, holding the stick, looked down in concentrated admiration at the prize. The snake, a red diamond rattler, indigenous to the Colorado Desert of southeastern California, about five feet in length or perhaps a few inches short of that mark, seemed stunned, unable to comprehend a new experience. It made no violent movements at all and showed no special fear, and only a slight waving of the tail and a rapid shooting in and out of its blue-black tongue evinced its dull but mounting anger. Banning congratulated himself on his skill. The snake itself couldn’t have struck with more accuracy than he had done in capturing it, and moreover, the stick apparently had in no way injured it.

“Hello, baby,” Banning said aloud, maintaining his grip on the stick to keep the reptile down firmly,