Part 2 (1/2)

”No,” said Polly, with a little laugh, ”I s'pose I shouldn't, Davie” O dear h when Joel's in there all alone in the provision roo to peek and see if he's all right You stay here, Davie”

With that she hopped off down the little steps to look through the big crack in the old door of the provision room

”Why--where--” she started back and rubbed her eyes, and stared again ”Oh! Davie,” she screamed Then she clapped her hands over her mouth ”It never'd do to scare him,” she said And she opened the provision room door and rushed in The old stool stood in the middle of the floor, but there was no Joel to be seen

Polly ran here and there ”Joel--_Joel_!” she cried, peering into every corner, and looking into the potato bag and behind sos out of, and that were kept as great treasures ”O dear me, what shall I do? I must tell Davie now, so he can helpoutside, she heard Joel say, ”Don't coasp, and bounded to his side, as Joel flopped around on the ground, his back toward her, his black eyes fastened on so doubled up in his fists

”O dearover hi worse than ever, and squeezing his brown hands together tightly; ”he'll get away, maybe, and bite you”

”Oh, he'll bite you, Joe,” cried Polly, in great alarm ”O dear me, let me see what it is! I can help, Joel, I can help”

She flung herself down on the ground close to his side Just then out rushed Davie from the provision roo to turn his back on both of the froave one screa to twitch back again; ”it's an ugly mean old adder, Polly, but he's most dead I've squeezed his neck”

”Let me see him,” cried Polly ”Turn around, Joel I'll help you

O dearfrom one side to the other ”If he'd keep still, I could cut off his tail high up I'll go and get the hatchet--”

and she ran off

”Hoh! you needn't,” cried Joel after her, in great dudgeon, and giving a final wrench ”There, I've deaded him; see, Polly--see, Dave!” and he held the snake up triu over backward on the grass

”O dear me, it's a snake, Polly!” and he huddled up his feet and tucked the the long dangling body at Davie as Polly ran back

”Don't scare hiray adder, too Oh, Joel, are you sure he didn't bite you anywhere? Do throw hi the snake back and forth ”Hoh, I guess not!” he said scornfully, ”not a single snip, Polly Ain't he big! I killed him all alone by ed, ”and let ht”

So Joel at last set his snake on the ground, and straightened out his tail; then he commenced to run all around hi

Polly looked at hily out of her brown eyes ”Maan ”But you won't again, I know,” seeing his face

”No,” said Joel, brightening up, ”I won't, Polly But ain't he big! You couldn't a-killed hi up his toes under hirass

”No,” said Davie ”O dear me, he may be alive and bite us all now”

”Hoh!” exclai See!” and he twitched up the long gray snake by the tip of the tail and swung it over his head

”Oh, don't, Joe!” begged Polly, running over to put her arms around David, who burrowed into them as far as he could ”Do put him down, and come and tell us how you killed him There, let's all sit down on the doorstep Co to holdin ly ”Ain't he sweet, Polly?”

Davie shi+vered and turned his eyes away