Ch. 2: Reingelder and the German Flag - Page 2

our pot--what you call stomach--mit shoy at dis thing. Now I was
gollectin' orchits also, und I knowed dot der idee of life to Reingelder
vas dis Sherman Flag. Derefore I bicked myselfs oop und I said,
"Reingelder, dot is YOUR find."--"Heart's true friend, dou art a goot
man," said Reingelder, und mit dot he obens der bickle-bottle, und der
natif woman she shqueals: "Herr Gott! It will bite." I said--pecause in
Uraguay a man must be careful of der insects--"Reingelder, shpifligate
her in der alcohol und den she will be all right."--"Nein," said
Reingelder, "I will der shnake alife examine. Dere is no fear. Der
coral-shnakes are mitout shting-apparatus brofided." Boot I looked at
her het, und she vas der het of a boison-shnake--der true viper cranium,
narrow und contract. "It is not goot," said I, "she may bite und den--we
are tree hoondert mile from aferywheres. Broduce der alcohol und bickle
him alife." Reingelder he had him in his hand--grawlin' und grawlin' as
slow as a woorm und dwice as guiet. "Nonsense," says Reingelder. "Yates
haf said dot not von of der coral-shnakes haf der sack of boison." Yates
vas der crate authorite ubon der reptilia of Sout' Amerique. He haf
written a book. You do not know, of course, but he vas a crate
authorite.

'I gum my eye upon der Sherman Flag, grawlin' und grawlin' in
Reingelder's fist, und der het vas not der het of innocence. "Mein
Gott," I said. "It is you dot will get der sack--der sack from dis life
here pelow!"

'"Den you may haf der shnake," says Reingelder, pattin' it ubon her het.
"See now, I will show you vat Yates haf written!"

'Uud mit dot he went indo his dent, unt brung out his big book of Yates;
der Sherman Flag grawlin' in his fist. "Yates haf said," said
Reingelder, und he throwed oben der book in der fork of his fist und
read der passage, proofin' conglusivement dot nefer coral-shnake bite
vas boison. Den he shut der book mit a bang, und dot shqueeze der
Sherman Flag, und she nip once und dwice.

'"Der liddle fool he haf bit me," says Reingelder.

'Dese things was before we know apout der permanganat-potash injection.
I was discomfordable.

'"Die oop der arm, Reingelder," said I, "und trink whisky ontil you can
no more trink."

'"Trink ten tousand tevils! I will go to dinner," said Reingelder, und
he put her afay und it vas very red mit emotion.

'We lifed upon soup, horse-flesh, und beans for dinner, but before we
vas eaten der soup, Reingelder he haf hold of his arm und cry, "It is
genumben to der clavicle. I am a dead man;