BeforewereachedtheDeams’Iwishedthatwehadcarriedthemasmothertoldus，forwehadlostthree，andifwestoppedtohuntthem，morewouldhide。BythetimewedrovethemunderthefloodgatecrossingthecreekbetweenourlandandtheDeams’fourweregone。LeonleftmeonthegatewithbothswitchestokeepthemfromgoingbackandherantocallMrs。Deam。Shehadredhairandahottemper，andwewerenotveryanxioustoseeher，butwehadtodoit。WhileLeonwasgoneIwasthinkingprettyfastandIknewexactlyhowthingswouldhappen。FirsttimemothersawMrs。Deamshewouldaskheriftheduckswereallright，andshewouldtellthatfourweregone。Motherwouldaskhowmanyshehad，andshewouldsaytwelve，thenmotherwouldrememberthatshestarteduswithtwelveinthebasket——Ohwhat’stheuse！Somethinghadtobedone。Ithadtobedonequicklytoo，forIcouldhearAmandaDeam，herboySammyandLeoncomingacrossthebarnyard。Ilookedaroundindespair，butwhenthingsaretheveryworst，thereisalmostalwayssomewayout。
Onthedrystrawworkedbetweenandpushingagainstthepanelsofthefloodgate，notfarfromme，Isawabigblackwatersnake。I
tookonegoodlookatit：nocopperyhead，nogeometrypatterns，norattlebox，soIknewitwasn’tpoisonousandwouldn’tbiteuntilitwashurt，andifitdid，allyouhadtodowastosucktheplace，anditwouldn’tamounttomorethantwolittlepricksasifpinshadstuckyou；butabigsnakewasagoodexcuse。I
rolledfromthefloodgateamongtheducks，andcried，“Snake！“
Theyscatteredeverywhere。Thesnakelazilyuncoiledandslidacrossthestrawsoslowlythat——thankgoodness！AmandaDeamgotafairlookatit。Sheimmediatelybegantojumpupanddownandscream。Leongrabbedastickandcamerunningtothewater。I