Mystic Mountains

skirt and headed in the direction the bitch had come from.
    "Snake!"
    It was Tim. And his shout had Isabella running. Then Tim began to scream, his cries echoing across the water, from tree to tree. Isabella muffled her cry behind a fist as she jumped over an indentation in the ground, swearing as her ankle twisted. Sweat broke out on her forehead.
    "Tim? Where are you? For goodness sake, shout again." Fear made her voice shake along with her limbs, so she nearly fell as she darted through the dense growth.
    "Here, Mama. A snake got Dougie."
    "Oh my God!" Her vision clouded. She'd never known such terror.
    The pain in her ankle was forgotten as she rounded a bush and saw Dougie on the ground. She threw herself on her knees and shook his small shoulders.
    "What happened? Was there really a snake? Tell me, Tim." Frantic now, she ran her hands over Dougie's still body while she prayed Tim was wrong. Perhaps it was a lizard. They'd seen many of the reptiles during the day, and with every shred of hope in her she prayed he'd confused the creatures.
    Tim shook his head. "It was a snake, Mama. It went over there." His small finger pointed behind him. He was shaking violently, and his eyes seemed to fill his grimy  face.
    Dougie opened his eyes and by the light of the moon Isabella could see his smile. "Dougie," she whispered, heaving a sigh of relief.
    But then his eyes drifted shut. "No!" Isabell a began to tremble so much her teeth chattered. Dougie made a strange snuffling noise in the back of his throat. She shook his shoulders, then screamed when he didn't respond. Scrambling to her feet she picked Dougie up and ran for the camp.
    Tiger strode towards her. "Bella? Tim." His eyes darted from her to his son.
    "It 's Dougie, Tiger. Tim says a snake got him."
    "Jesus!" Tiger pulled Tim into his arms.
    When they reached the fire she gently placed Dougie's small limp body on the grass a few feet from its glow. Tiger knelt beside her. "Tiger, do something, for God's sake."
    "A big snake came after the pup, Tiger." Tim caught at Tiger 's hand. "Dougie and me tried to save it, but then its mama came and took it away. The snake wouldn't let go of Dougie's arm. I stamped my feet and waved a stick about like you told me and it went off. Will Dougie be all right?" He was crying silently, tears making little rivulets down his grubby cheeks.
    Tiger pressed his lips to the fair hair sticking out at all angles. "It didn't get you, did it, eh?" Tiger looked the child over, lifting his small arms, studying each one carefully.
    "No, Tiger, not me." Tim sniffed. "I didn 't touch it, like you told me. Dougie will be all right, won't he?" He stared down at his half-brother, his mouth trembling.
    Tiger pulled his lips back over his teeth, not answering. What could he say? Gently he pulled Isabella 's arms away from Dougie. There were two bleeding holes on the tiny upper arm.
    Jesus. What to do? "We can try to draw the poison out, Bella, but he's so small, I fear it's too late." Never in his life had he felt so useless.
    "No!" The eyes she turned on him were those of a wild woman. Clutching his arm, she shook it forcefully. "Try it, you have to do something, Tiger."
    Tiger said quietly to the onlookers, "Best fetch Dougal."
    "Johnny already went over," someone said in a hollow voice.
    Tiger drew out his knife and held it over the fire. His pulse-beat sounded like a drum in his head, pounding out his desperation. He'd seen this tried on a man once, and it did save his life. He wiped at the sweat dripping down his face then bent to cut a cross over the two marks.
    Isabella 's face was ashen, filled with despair, as he began to suck and spit. He saw the truth in her eyes; she had as little hope as he this would work.
    Dougie 's breathing had already slowed and his skin was growing sallow. And so cold.
    "Dougie 's gonna be all right, eh Mama?" Tiger suspected Isabella hadn't heard Tim's plaintive plea.
    "Let me at my boy!" Dougal 's shout echoed from the trees as he came rushing from the riverbank.
    Isabella looked up at him with a wail of anguish. He p ushed Tiger aside and dropped to his knees.
    "No!" His dark head went back as he roared out the single word.
    With a jerk he pulled Tim out of Isabella's arms, thrusting him away so forcefully he fell.
    "Why weren 't you watching Dougie, you stupid harlot?" Dougal yelled at Isabella.
    "Enough. " Tiger picked Tim up and strode away to hand his boy to Agnes, who hid behind a tent. When he came back,