"One after the other, Jim an' Bill teeters up, all silent, with a flat cactus leaf in their beaks, an' starts to fence in the rattlesnake with 'em.They builds a corral of cactus all about him, which the same is mebby six-foot across.Them engineerin' feats takes Jim an' Bill twenty minutes.But they completes 'em; an'
thar's the rattlesnake, plumb surrounded.
"These yere cactuses, as you most likely saveys, is thorny no limit;an' the spikes is that sharp, needles is futile to 'em.Jim an' Bill knows the rattlesnake can't cross this thorny corral.
"He don't look it none, but from the way he plays his hand, I takes it a rattlesnake is sensitive an' easy hurt onder the chin.
"An' it's plain to me an' Peets them Road Runners is aware of said weaknesses of rattlesnakes, an' is bankin' their play tharon.We-alls figgers, lookin' on, that Jim an' Bill aims to put the rattlesnake in prison; leave him captive that a-way in a cactus calaboose.But we don't size up Jim an' Bill accurate at all.Them two fowls is shorely profound.
"No sooner is the corral made, than Jim an' Bill, without a word of warnin', opens up a warjig 'round the outside; flappin' their pinions an' screechin' like squaws.Nacherally the rattlesnake wakes up.The sight of them two Road Runners, Jim an' Bill, cussin' an'
swearin' at him, an' carryin' on that a-way scares him.
"It's trooth to say Bill an' Jim certainly conducts themse'fs scand'lous.The epithets they heaps on that pore ignorant rattlesnake, the taunts they flings at him, would have done Apaches proud.
The rattlesnake buzzes an' quils up, an' onsheaths his fangs, an'
makes bluffs to strike Bill an' Jim, but they only hops an' dances about, thinkin' up more ornery things to say.Every time the rattlesnake goes to crawl away--which he does frequent--he strikes the cactus thorns an' pulls back.By an' by he sees he's elected, an' he gets that enraged he swells up till he's big as two snakes;Bill an' Jim maintainin' their sass.Them Road Runners is abreast of the play every minute, you can see that.
"At last comes the finish, an' matters gets dealt down to the turn.
The rattlesnake suddenly crooks his neck, he's so plumb locoed with rage an' fear, an' socks his fangs into himse'f.That's the fact;bites himse'f, an' never lets up till he's dead.
"It don't seem to astound Jim an' Bill none when the rattlesnake 'sassinates himse'f that a-way, an' I reckons they has this yere sooicide in view.They keeps pesterin' an' projectin' about ontil the rattlesnake is plumb defunct, an' then they emits a whirlwind of new whoops, an' goes over to one side an' pulls off a skelp dance.
Jim an' Bill is shorely cel'bratin' a vic'try.
"After the skelp dance is over, Bill an' Jim tiptoes over mighty quiet an' sedate, an' Jim takes their prey by the tail an' yanks it.
After the rattlesnake's drug out straight, him an' Bill runs their eyes along him like they's sizin' him up.With this yere last, however, it's cl'ar the Road Runners regards the deal as closed.
They sa'nters off down the trail, arm in arm like, conversin' in low tones so Peets an' me never does hear what they says.When they's in what they takes to be the c'rrect p'sition, they stops an' looks back at me an' Peets.Bill turns to Jim like he's sayin':
"'Thar's them two short-horns ag'in.I wonders if they ever aims to pull their freight, or do they reckon they'll pitch camp right yere?"'
