Candace screamed at May to look behind her, but May was busy with the snake and didn't look quick enough, so the old mammy struck right in her back.

She just caught in the hem of May's skirt, and her teeth stuck in the goods--you know how a snake's teeth turn back--so she couldn't let go.

May took one look and raced down the bank to the crossing, through the water, and toward us, with the snake dragging and twisting, and trying her best to get away.

May was screaming at every jump for Candace, and Mehitabel was flying up and down crying: "Oh there's snakes in my shoes! There's snakes in my shoes!" That was a fair sample of how much sense a Heasty ever had.

It took all Mehitabel's shoes could do to hold her feet, for after one went barefoot all week, and never put on shoes except on Sunday or for a visit, the feet became so spread out, shoes had all they could do to manage them, and then mostly they pinched until they made one squirm.
But she jumped and said that, while May ran and screamed, and Candace gripped her big hickory stick and told May to stand still.