Los Angeles daily herald. [volume] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1873-1876, 1874-05-10

legs take cdTe VI thO OouJ VS. ~
next. Dropping his scythe and spin
ming round like a top, he was ready to
strike $40 gait, when at that moment
the snake was near enough to nook MS
crooked teeth into Johns shirt, just
above the hem. With tremendous
spring he started off with the speed OF
a locomotive. His first jump took the
snake clear from the ground, and as
John stole u hasty glance over his
shoulder, he was Mortified to find the
REPTILE securely fastened to the eX-
tremity of his garment; while the
speed which he rushed forward kept
the serpent suspended at an angle OF
ninety degrees with his body.
Here was quandary. ii he stop
ped. the snake would coil around his
body and squeeze him to death; ii he
continued the race, he would soon fall
from sheer exhaustion, On he flew,
scarce daring to think how his dread-
full race would end. Instinctively he
had taken the direction of home; When
feeling of security came over him.
Suddenly flashed across his mind the
true state of afiairs-his father gone
the ouilting-and worst of all, the
di,4s! This new horror sent the blood
back, curdling about his neck, and he
came to dead halt. The next mo-
ment he felt the body of the cold,
clammy monster in contact with his
bare lags, his tail creeping round them
in sort OF oozening way, rs though
his snakaship only meditated little
fun by tickling John upon the knees.
This was too much for human endur-
ance. With. yell, such as a man
never utters save when in mortal ter
ror poor John again set forward at a
| break-neck pace, and once more
| the snake resumed its horizontal posi-
ton, somewhat after the fashion of
| the tail of a comet.
On, on they flew! John forgot the
quilting, forgot the girls, forgot every
| thing but the snake.
His active exercise (he paid particu-
| lar attention to his running), together
| with the excessive heat, had brought
on the nose. bleed, and as he ran, ears
erect and head thrown back, his chin,
throat and shirt bosom were stained
| His first wild shrek had started the
| auilters, and forth they rushed, Won
| dering if some mad Indian was not
prowling about. BY this time John
was within few rods of the barn, and
i. running at the top of his speed, his
head turned so that he could keep his
eve on the snake, with the other OBJ
serve what course he might take. The
| friendly barn now concealed him from
with the flowing stream.
the girls. He knew they were in the
ward, having caught q glimpse of
| them as they rushed from the house.
A few more bounds and he would be
| in their midst. For moment mod.
esty overcame fear, and he once more
halted. The snake, evidently pleased
with his rapid transportation, mani
tested his gratitude by attempting to
Unfold the legs of our hero within his
embrace.
With an explosive "ouchw and
urged forward by circumstances over
which he had no CONTROL" poor John
bounded on. The next moment he
was in full view of the girls and as he
turned the corner of the barn, the
snake came round with a whiZz, some
what after the fashion of coach
whip.
Having reached the barn-yard, to
his dismay, he found the bars up. But
time was too precious to be wasted in
letting down bars. Gathering all his
strength he bounded into the air, snake
ditto, and as he alighted on the other
side, his snakeships tail cracked
across the upper bar, swapping like an
India cracker.
Again John set forward, now utterly
regardless OF the presence of the girls,
for the extra tick from the snakes tail,
as he leaped the bars, banished all his
bashfulness and modesty, and again
he had the pleasure of finding the
snake in straight line, drawing
steadily at the hem of his solitary gar
ment.
The house now became the center OF
attraction, and around it he revolved
with the speed of thought. -Four times
in each revolution, as he turned the
corners, his snakeship came round
with whiz that was quite refreshing.
While describing the third circle, as
he came near the group of wonder
struck girls, without removing his
gaze from the snake, he managed to
cry out
"CALL A MANW
The next moment he whisked out OF
sight, and quick as thought reappeared
on the other side of the house
"CALL A MANU-
And away he whirled again, turning
the corner so readily that the whiz OF
the snake sounded halfway between a
whistle and the repeated pronuncia-
ton of a double-e.
Before either of the girls had stirred
from their tracks, he had performed
another revolution
"CALL A MANw
Away he flew again, but his strength
| was rapidly failing. Nancy Clark was
| the first to recover her presence oil
mind, and Selling hoop-pole, she took
her station near the corner of the
house, and as John reappeared she
| brought it down on the snake with
such force that it broke his back and
| his holt on Johns neither garment at
| the same time.
John rushed into the house and tC
his room, and at tea-time appeared in
his best Sunday suit, but little the
worse for the race and to all appear.
ances entirely cured of bashfultess
That night he walked home with
Nancy Clark. The next New Year
they were married, and now when
John feels inclined to laugh at hi:
wife's hoops, or any other popularity
| she has only to say 9Call q mani,