Walk Two Moons Chapter 15 Summary

A Snake Has a Snack

  • When Sal, Gram, and Gramps cross over into South Dakota, they decide to stop and take a swim in the Missouri River. It's super refreshing, and Sal likes how her long hair floats in the water.
  • Suddenly, a young man shows up out of nowhere. He tells them they are on private property, and he pulls out a knife. This cannot be good.
  • As Gram, Gramps, and Sal wait, terrified, in the river, the young man looks through Gramps' clothes, hoping to find his wallet.
  • Just at that moment, a water moccasin (a snake!) swims by and bites Gram on the leg. Yikes: this just keeps getting worse and worse. See what we mean about Gram and Gramps getting into all kinds of trouble?
  • Gramps carries Gram to the car, and the young man, who turns out to be a pretty good guy, uses his knife to cut into the place where the snake has bitten.
  • He sucks the venom out of her wound and spits it out. He does this repeatedly, and in between sucking and spitting (ew ew ew), he gives Gramps directions to the nearest hospital.
  • Not surprisingly, Gram is not doing well. Water moccasins can be deadly, after all.
  • She spends the night in the hospital, and Gramps sleeps in her hospital bed with her, even though the nurses try to kick him out. Guess we know where Sal's stubborn streak comes from.
  • Sal tries to give the young man some money from her grandfather, but he won't take it.
  • The guy (still a stranger) sleeps all night in a chair in the waiting room, and at one point, tells Sal that he likes her hair.