Treachery
The Italian workman in the West was warned to look out for rattlesnakes.
He was assured, however, that a snake would never strike until after
sounding the rattles. One day, while seated on a log, eating his lunch,
the Italian saw a rattlesnake coiled ready to strike. He lifted his legs
carefully, with the intention of darting away on the other side of the
log the moment the rattles should sound their warning. But just as his
feet cleared the top of the log, the snake struck out and its fangs were
buried in the wood only the fraction of an inch below the Italian's
trousers. The frightened man fled madly, but he took breath to shriek
over his shoulder:
"Son of a gun! Why you no ringa da bell?"