The Red Cloud chief., 1883-11-02
SNAKES IN THE GRASS.

h darkness YOU can see IL all. There
j. the wagon Of the lone emigrant family,
IT, cover weather-worn and rem to prove
that the journey has been long and
weary. Ten feet away are the embcrs Of
the tire on which the evening meal was
cooked. Between the wagon and the
fire Is the rude bed Of robes and blankets
on which mother and children are sleep
ing. On the other side Of the vehicle
stand the horses. munching at the short,
sweet grass or listening TO the far-of
voice Of the wolf.
This is the back ground. In the fore
ground a sentinel sits with his back to
the solitary cottonwood. At his right
hand runs a little brook-at his left II
the Eoundlcss prairie DER which night
has spread her mantle. Forty feet away
are wife and children trusting in his
vigilance. Overhead g%ray-white clouds
are driving across the star-lit heavens,
and the moan Of the wind has an uneasy.
heryQus> round. Away nut on the prairie
4hc wolf gallops from knoll TO knoll
and snuffs the air. and the coyote gnaws
nj the bleached bones Of the buffalo. and
utte-s his short. sharp cries Of hunger.
Is there danger? All day long as the
tired horses pulled the wagon Mt n slow
pace, the emigrant has carefully scanned
the circle about him. but without cause
for uncasincss. He knows he is in the
Indian country. and for the last twenty
four hours his nerves have been braced
to hear their dreaded war-whoop and
10 catch sight Of a band riding down
upon him.
IL is midnight as we find him. His
has been as keen Is q foX's and bis
eve has not rested for a moment. The
stakes are human lives-his life with
the rest. The odds are ten to one
against him.
"Ah! il we were back at the old
home in Ohio! You remember the old
farmhouse hidden away amOng the
cherry and pear trees? There is the
highway, lined with dusty May-wccds.
Half a mile beyond is the quaint little
school house. where the children
learned their A, B, &. Half = mile
above il the bridge across the"
The sentinel rouscs up and ruhs his
eyes. II was the creek talking to him.
As he listened to its monOtOnous babblc
II suddenly began 10 in plain
tongue. For a moment he il thrilled
and alarmed. He looks kecnly about,
and he listens with batcd breath.
There arc the same sounds-the wall of
the coyote-the munching of the horses
the bAbbling of the broOk-nOw and
then a half-groan from one Of the chill
dren sleeping an uneasy sleep. And
~>.- AZ ll- s.l.. ...
There was the big brown barn full
Of sweet-smelling hay-thc pasture lot
with its cows-fhe pond In which the
barc-lcgged children used to wade--the
orchard with its burden of fruit. Don't
you remember how you used TO sit on
the stoop ut cvcning-time and smoke
your pipe and watch the children at
play on the grass? How peaceful every
thing was! There was a drowsy feel
ing In the summer air-the lazy hum Of
insects the low songs of the good wife
as she rocked baby TO sleep-who, you
sometimes fell asleep and let your pipe
drop from"
The brook babbled and the man slept.
Aye! the sentinel who had five lives In
his keeping slept and dreamed. and in
his dreams wandered back TO the old
home and heard the old familiar sounds.
SSH" 1t was a rustic in the grass!
Turn to the left a little lore. There it
is! Thirty feet from the sleeping man a
rattlesnake rears It's head above the
grass and looks around. It's eyes CLEAN
like stars. The neck swells. the tongue
flashes In and out, and it coils and un-
coils itself as If in fierce combat. Now
it is adtancing--now it swerves TO the
right-now to the left-now thalts and
coils itself TO strike. 1t might creep up
and bury its fangs in the flesh of the
sleeping man, and it will! It creeps
again. 1t glides through the grass like
q gleam-now to the right-now to tho
left--now straight ahead.
''S-s-s-h,'
The serpent halts. Twenty feet more
and il could have struck the sleeper. but
some movement of his has alarmed il,
End it glides away for fifty feet as fast as
. shadow travels.
Now look beyond the snake! Is it a
second serpent worming its way over the
ground to surround the sleeper with
perl? Is il a wolf or panther creeping
forward to make q victim? Now you
a see more clearly. There is the
scalp-lock and feathers-the dark face
the cleaning cyes-the shut teeth and
tronzcd throat Of q Blackfoot warrior.
A courier from one branch of his tribe
to another; he has discovered the equip
ment, circled around II twice, and is
now creeping upon the man, who sleeps
instead OF watches.
How softly he movesl A panther
stealing upon . listening doe would not
exercise more care. Almost inch BY
inch. and yet he Is slowly approaching.
He was . hundred feet away. Now be
is ety-eighty--seventy-sixty He
. see . dark mass at the foot OF the
tree, and he knows that the sentinel
must be asleep or he would not be in
that position.
Sec the rattlesnake! It has faced
about II it was daylight you could see
. 6ercer CLEAN in its eye-a tightening
Of the cords and MUSCLES 6ercer fash
Of the red tongue. A straight line Of
.Sixty feet drawn from the Indian to the
0OW02np ass over the snake. Now
The warrior Gf(opGfxward again-not
weed breaking-no6 EfU00afQp prove
he pgsssnce. Two feet-f6WSR
Sc Il snake! Its head 10 thrown book
10 syss shoot sparhs-thsrs goes IL
deo6ly sts-s-s-s q his rattle. he heoA
q IL IDdian h not thrse fest awg -
10 Aean TIE omiDous sound. He draws
back. bit thets b daxt. . AAsA, ard
oo0eehin1 strikes Mn I'M q Tie faco
aDa = ri sha1ea ~ untu - spEings
- ~ ~ With cry bpeEd iw lalfs
M sgpnnd a1l r1Ghsg svay b IL
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IRto GFow y11nas1nooa and treQblo1
esa8 hmoo1nse rllsod their heads
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