The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1874-05-15
FORK-TONGTE

FORK TONGU ED.
Harry y she gasped, in a strange,
harsh, cracked voice and, as I started
and looked up from my work, there was
my wife coming toward me, with her
arms stretched out, her eyes fixed, and
a horrible, CHASTITY look upon her white
face, that made me drop my spade and
run to meet her. / caught her just as
she was falling, when her eyes closed
and she gave a shiver that seemed to
shake her whole body.
This was Vol after we had settled out
III the ~up-country. and there was only
another hut here and there in those
days but, after years of knocking
about at home, trying to get an honest
living and never succeeding, we had to
make u minds to try Australia, and
here we were, living in a log hut 1 had
Knocked up for myself, shepherding
and doing what little l could in the
shape of gardening /; for that being my
right trade, with all the beautiful rich
soil lying fallow, it did seem a sin to me
not to have a turn at it; SO, getting
what seeds / could from Sydney, and
adding to the few l had in my chest, I
managed to make quite a little Eden of
the bit of land l broke up around our
hut. We were not saving money, not
to any extent, but there was a roof over
our heads, and no rent to pay, lots of
vegetables OF II W planting, and not
costing anything, plenty of work to do,
and, one sort and another, always plenty
TO eat so that, after what we had gone
through in England, you may be sure
we were willing to put up with such in
c~onveniences as fell to L share and.
as a matter of course, there were things
to encounter out there in what some
people would call a wilderness, though
1t was Evidences that blossomed Ikea
rose. There were times when we were in
dread of the blacks, who had done some
very queer things here and there about;
then the place was terribly lonely and
out OF the way if you wanted the doc
tor; and Mary used to joke me because
/ " could get a pint of beer, but l
found 1 could get on just as well with
out it, and, my word, what a capital cup
of tea we had out there.
Well, Mary came out to me that day
looking SO horribly ghastly that, being
naturally too fast at ~fancying troubles
IN advance, l saw directly half a score
of blacks coming to spear us, and some
of them knocking out the children's
brains with their clnbs-and not the
first time either, but in q few moments
the poor girl opened her eyes and began.
60 stare about her. There were no
blacks to be seen. Little Joe was sit
ting in the path playing, and, though 1
looked along the edge of the wood be-
hind the house, / could see no signs of
danger; SO L began to see she must
lave been taken ill, and turned over in
my W mind how l should get help for
her.
Just then her face grew contracted
again as her thoughts seemed to 60
back, and sasping once more, Harry,
Harry" she gave another shudder, and
said, 1.-THE baby-a snake |"
could not see myself, but 1 know I
turned pale, all the blood seeming to
rush to my heart, for if there is any
thing of which I am afraid it is a snake,
even going so far as to dislike eels, of
of which there were plenty in the river,
close at hand.
L don't know how we got there, but
the next thing 1 remember is standing
al the hut window, with Mary holding
little Joe tight in her arms, and I
looking through at the cradle where our