The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-09-03
Died for His Master.

Dleu lOT his mhsttTs
"There were snakes then, and we had
killed them. Rattlers used to come out
on the lodges of rocks and lie in the hot
sun. One or two had come around the
mill, and | had shot one in our door-yard.
But we thought nothing of that. People
living in the woods or in wild places get
used to things that would fill them with
horror in a settled country. We expected
to find snakes, and as long as they kept
their distance or gave US chance to shoot
them when they got too near, we didn't
mind them.
As told you, fixed up things around
the house during slack time. One of the
bits of furniture knocked together was
a bedstead. 1t was more like broad
lounge than bedstead, for it had neither
little like a couch, and that was the
head. We had some bearskins and blan-
kets to sleep on, and more blankets to
cover us. 1t was big improvement on
the floor where we had been sleeping, and
after hard days work handling logs
used to think it about as comfortable a
spot as l knew.
well, it got along into the fall and we
began to have chilly nights. The equi-
noctial gave us big rain, and for fort
night had all the water l could use.
Then it got dry again. One afternoon,
after several days of threatening weather,
it began to rain. Hour after hour the
rain came down till about nine o'clock in
the evening, when it suddenly cleared off
and turned cold. 1t was late in October,
and we kept fire burning on the hearth
nights, more for the baby's sake than for
our own. Our bed was parallel with the
fireplace, and stood out near the middle
of the room. We had an English shep-
herd dog named Leo, which we took with
US from Massachusetts. He was black
and.white beauty, and my wife, who had
raised him, thought about as much of
him as she did of the baby or meat
least, used to tell her so. The dog was
fond of me, and made great pet of
him. He was noble fellow, and all he
wanted was for me to whistle just once
and he'd come. We let him sleep in the
room at the foot of the bed. Sometimes
in the morning I'd wake up before my
wife, and I'd whistle just once to the dog
Up he'd come over the foot of the bed,
and wake Katie by licking her face.
"That night we were just going to bed
when it turned cold. l threw an extra
pine knot on the fire and went to the door
and looked out. l shall never forget that
look, for it was the last time ever stood
there and saw stars above Skinner Hol-
low. l closed the door and went to bed
and soon fell asleep. Islept on the side
of the bed nearest the hearth, my wife
slept on the further side, and the baby
lay between us. For some reason didn't
sleep long, and when l walked up 1
couldn't get to sleep again. Finally got
out of bed and threw another knot on the
fire. Leo was stretched out on the floor
with his nose between his paws. He eyed
me sleepily as l walked around the room
and gave me loving look as l stopped
down and patted his head. went back
to bed and fell into an uneasy sleep. All
at once wakened with start. 1t must
have been past midnight. seemed to
be fully awake the moment opened my
eyes, and such sight as they rested on
God grant they may never see again. l
was lying on my left side facing my wife,
who was lying on her right side. The
baby lay on its back between us. As
opened my eyes dark object glided down
from off the baby, and just then the knot
burst into flames and flooded the room
with light. A rattlesnake, fully five feet
long, had slipped down from between my
wife and myself, where it had been
stretched out presumably to get warm
and, startled no doubt by some movement
had made in waking, had thrown itself
into a coil on the bed at the baby's feet
and just opposite my knees.
"Somebody asks if life is worth living
think it is as general thing, but if life
had many such moments as that, should
say emphatically that death was prefera
BILE. For moment l lost my head.
did not move, fortunately, but | seemed
to drift entirely out of all consciousness
For a moment only this lasted. Then my
senses came back to me, and felt tina
from the reaction would probably trem
BILE from head to foot. How ever man
aged to keep my body rigid don't know
but by an awful effort did. knew tina
to stir was death, perhaps for myself, per
haps for my boy, perhaps-my God, thu
thought was agony-for my wife. Outside
l could hear the caves dripping from tn
rain, and l could detect the sound O
water running to waste over the fiume
Tomorrow, thought, I'll have plenty o
Wdt6r again. lOmOTrOWl WOulu eve
see tomorrow again And if 1 did
would | not meet it alone2 In spite o
all could dc, shudder ran through m,
body.
"The snake felt it and raised its head
could see its eyes glisten and dance il
the freight, and the bright rays glance
over the undulating coils. could SO
that the snake was irritated, and kne,
that it was liable to spring at any moment
Who would it striker Either of US wa
within easy distance. 1t seemed to m
that could see the beginning of the mu'
cular contraction which would proceed
the spring.
AN this, of course, passed in frat
ton of the time have occupied in tellin
it. My wife and boy slept on. L praye
that they might not move, for if they di
felt the snake would throw itself TO
ward. l moved my head slightly. TIL