Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9 Finally the water pushed John close enough to the creek bank that he could grab hold of a thorny bush. The prickers tore up his fingers. But John held on tight, and managed to pull himself out of the churning water. He clawed his way up the bank and sat there in the mud, coughing and wheezing as he tried to catch his breath.

Where were the guys? What had happened to them? They must think he'd run off, like a scared little rabbit! The guys would never let him forget this. He heard footsteps, and voices calling his name. And the guys came bursting out of the bushes, rushing toward him, surrounding him. John braced himself. "Are you all right?" "We lost you!" "We thought you were a goner!" They weren't mad at John. They were worried about him! John forgot his thorn-bitten fingers, and his freezing, mud-soaked clothes. He scrambled to his feet and rushed toward them. "Did you kill King Rattler?" he asked. The boys eyed each other. Rex slumped a little. "No. He went into his hole."

And then Peter blurted out, "I was so scared I wet my pants!" John looked down, and sure enough, there was a big wet stain on Peter's trousers. Rex frowned at Peter, just like Miss Ruell did when Peter let out a big belch in the middle of a grammar lesson. But then Rex cracked a smile. And all at once they exploded into laughter, including John. He laughed at Peter's soaked pants. But also in amazement about what they'd done — they'd faced down King Rattler, the fiercest snake in Dakota! When they finally calmed down and wiped away their laughing tears, Rex got serious again. "It was a bad plan," he admitted. "I should have known he wouldn't be in his hole during the day." "Don't worry," Sven said, putting a comforting hand on Rex's shoulder. "Now we know where he lives. We can come back and get him next Sunday."

"Nah," Rex said. "It's getting too cold. He's going to be hibernating soon. We'll have to wait until spring." John tried not to show how relieved he felt. Peter shouted out, "We'll be back for you, King Rattler!" He waved his empty mouse sack like a flag. Sven and Rex pumped their fists and stabbed at the sky with their weapons. They bellowed and hooted. John cheered along with them. He felt like he was at a White Stockings game. They ran together to the pond and stopped for a few minutes to catch their breath. Then it was finally time to say good-bye and go their separate ways back to their farms. John walked through the grass toward home. He was shivering in his wet clothes, but he barely noticed. He kept chuckling to himself as he thought of Peter.

John was about a mile from home when he spotted the dark cloud rushing in from the northwest. During his time in Dakota, John had learned to recognize the different kinds of clouds that appeared in the sky. This one was steel gray, and rimmed with white. John's heart pounded. It was a blizzard cloud. But how could there be a blizzard coming? It wasn't even October yet! John remembered Rex's father's prediction of a bad winter, and the fact that the birds had left early. And now John wished he was a bird so he could fly home. The wind whipped the grasses back and forth. An icy chill filled the air. John shivered in his wet clothes. He broke into a run, pushing aside the blades of grass. He had to get back to his farm before the snow started to pour down. One of the first things he'd learned in Dakota was to never be outside in a blizzard.

Last year a farmer in Prairie Creek died in a blizzard. He'd been in his barn when it hit, and he tried to get back to his house. It was just twenty feet away. But the snow was so thick in the air that he couldn't find his way. He wandered around in circles until he finally couldn't take another step. His body wasn't found until the spring, when the snow melted. John ran faster and faster, peering over his shoulder at the looming cloud. Would he make it home in time?