You know, I pay a lot of attention to which words I put in bold, trying to make sure the balloons are read the way I intend. So I sat there with the third panel one, trying to decide between bolding the “shot” or the “by” when I realized that bolding neither one gave the thing a “wait…what?” quality. So no bolds. The court decides in favor of subtlety.
It’s clip art with jokes. Seriously, that’s it.
My guess? Dewey threw his cocked gun at the rattlesnake, which then struck at the movement and the warmth on the butt of the gun from his hand. The pistol went off as it hit the snake, and shot Dewey.
My second guess? It was a three-dimensional cartoon snake reminiscent of Kaa from “The Jungle Book” or the advisor from “Robin Hood” (the disney animated versions of each), wearing a cowboy hat on its head, a gun holster on its middle, and a baby’s rattle on its tail. While everyone was staring at the seeming abomination of nature, Dewey shoots his mouth off and the snake shoots Dewey’s face off before vanishing in a puff of logic.
I think the second guess is more likely.