Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-11-09
EXTRA-HAZARDOUS


The hop that evening was to be quite the
| event of the season at the -- house, one of
the most fashionable summer resorts among
the hills of New England. Most of the young
ladies were getting up their compilations in
their rooms, and Miss Antoinette Livingston
was Just starting forth to refresh hers wheEo
she had originally obtained it-out in the sun
and breezes not that its delicate tint looked
| in particular need of refreshment, as she stood
on the piazza arruyed in a blue cloth walking
suit that fitted well to the full yet plant lines
of her rather tall figure A little white plume
was stuck in the jaunty blue hat, the shining
yellow hair, the envy of the other girls, fell
| in loose knot down her shoulders. and the
dark blue eyes with which she scanned the
surrounding peaks of the lordly mountains,
were as wide opened, clear and confident as Il
child's-a child's who has never been fright
ened. And why, indeed, should they not,
seeing that no child was ever more sedulously
protected from all that could shock, PAIN or
grieve, in the harsh realities of the world.
| The pet of a family that had been wealthy for
generations, the flattered queen of the circle
her beauty had drawn around her, the walls
and angles of life were indeed all upholstered
| for her, and the Providence she said her
prayers to was very polite and gentlcmanly
| deity.
Miss Livingston finally finished her inspec-
| ton of the mountains and started off brisky
for her walk drawing after her TO the next
turn of the road a skein of admiring gances
| from the groups of ladies and gentlemen on
the piazza, as one pulls out a ball of moasses
candy. An hours walk. seasoned with bot
anizing, was her usual afternoon recreation.
and she had not intended that the programme
to-day Should differ from the customary one
| But, yielding to the seductions Of an old wood
road half overgrown with bushes and young
trees, she was beguiled on from one fork and
turn to another, until she finally found her
self fairly in the woods the road having pass
ed by insensible gradations into the forest
At first she was not much disturbed. having
no doubt that she could easily regain the road
and go out as she came in. But, after walk
ing vigorously for half an hour without COM
ing to anything, lump began to come up in
her throat, and she was forced to admit that
| she was lost
She had now come into an open, rocky
place, where the trees had grown infrequcnt
and stunted, and the sun fell hotly on slabs Of
granite scattered around and interspersed
with tindery MOSES and whortlcbcrry bushes
With the feeling that she was lost the strength
suddenly left her limbs, and she sat down on
the shady side of mass of rock, feeling very
much like crying, and with considerable ado
TO keep that lump in her throat from growing
unmanageable. Although the lovely color
had somewhat left her face, know well the
old rock had never borne prettier flower on
its rugged bosom. II would not do to give
way to her feelings, however; she must keep
her wits about her, and so she bit her lips to
prevent them from trembling and sought,
by an effort Of the will, to still the beating of
her heart. But these praiseworthy efforts at
self-control were suddenly nulliied by sight
that for moment stopped her heart entirely.
big, rough-looking man was walking with
n swinging gait across one end of the opening.
The slouch hat, the coatless flannel shirt the
bronzed face and unkempt beard, the bundle
on n stick across his shoulder, left no sort OF
doubt in her mind that he was a genuine, un.
adulterated and unusually formidable exam
pie of the species tramp-that variety of wild
beast that has succeeded the bears and wolves
in the undisturbed possession of American
fields and forests. A hundred tales of the vio
lent and bloody doings which have made the
tramp the terror of women and children the
country through with the sense of her utter
ly helpless position, flashed through Miss Liv
ingstons mind. Apparently he had not ye
seen her Scarcely daring to breathe, sh,
rose to crouching posture, and, without tax
ing her eyes from the tramp, silently stepped
backward around the rock, in whose shadow
she had been sitting, and to her intense re
lief, found herself at length withdrawn from
his possible view.
How loud that cricket sang. There it wa
again in spite of her preoccupation, sh,
could not help noticing that it did not soun(
exactly like a cricket, either 1t was NOR,
like the rattle of dried peas in pod. Sh
glanced down to the spot whence it proceed
ed Her eyes froze with horror. A seconC
more, and huge mttlesnake sprang lik
lightning upon her. Instinctively throwing
out her arms to defend herself, she shrieket
| at the ton Of her VOipa N etanniOU
the rock, without looking where she was go
ing, she had probably brushed across the rep
tile as IT lay basking in the sun, and thus en-
ragged it. In moment the tramp, the idea o
whose existence had been shocked out of he
mind, came running up. She was too mucl
under the horror of the snake to think of him
except as a human helper. She pointed b
the creature which was coiling itself in readi
ness for another stroke if necessary and tn
tramp, seizing n fragment of rock, hurled
with such force and precision that the reptil
! was stretched crushed and writhing. The
he turned and stared at her with an express
} ion indicating his profound astonishment a
| happening on fashionably dressed youn
lady in such locality.
Are you betterY" he finally asked
II don't know" she said.
In her excitement she had not been con
scious of a sting, but now, as she directed he
t ton near the elbow of her right arm. Their
r was also wet spot on the sleeve. 1t fitte
4 tight to her arm and would not come up. Tn
{ tramp opened his pocket-knife and gave it I
D her, saying, peremptorily
S rip it up"
= She hesitated, and then, apparently recog
D nizing that it was no time for prudery bega
S to cut and haggle at the sleeve, making sue
D poor work that he was evidently on the poI
: of taking the knife out of her hand and doin
d it for her, but refrained. As she raised tn
e severed sleeve above the round, white hesl
1 she turned aside a little so that he could nc
S see. There on the outside of her arm, wer
e two red punctures in the flesh, from which
!, few drops of blood had exuded.
= Lets see," said the tramp and she show
+ ed him. She wasn't thinking of the propri'
i ties any more.
j "Ah that's bad" said he, shaking hi
head and looking concerned.
''It's fatal, isn't it 2" she asked, family
b He did not reply in words, but his count'
: nance indicated that he had nothing to say I
e the contrary. She sat down on a rock, fC
Y her limbs trembled under her. She was yer
d pale and her face was set in rigid lines.
/ ''We must try to get you home at once,
s said the tramp, who was standing before ht
IS looking down on her compassionately frol
a his six-feet altitude. "Where do you live ?"
Q ''I'm staying at the - house in - bI
J. came out to walk, and lost my way, and "
h no idea which way is home" she replied, ri