Good Buddy

The snake hit Jake in the dark. He went down. "Black mamba," he said. "I only have seconds left."

 His buddy acted fast, chopped off the leg with an axe, cauterized the wound with his knife and the flames from the campfire. Jake died anyway. Wrong leg.

 "Good Buddy" published on The Orbit "Good Buddy" © 2010 Joe R. Lansdale.