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

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