Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1884-10-16

the ledges of rocks and lay 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 Lying in the woods or in wild
places get used to things that would
fill them with horror in settled coun-
try. 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.
Gas told you, l fixed up things a
round the house during slack time.
One of the bits of furniture | knocked
together was bedstead. 1t was more
like broad lounge than bedstead, for
it had neither head nor footboard. One
end was raised little like couch, and
that was the head. We had some bear
skins and blankets to cover us. 1t was
big impr ovement on the floor where
we had been sleeping, and after hard
days work handling logs l used think
it about as comfortable d spot as l
! knew.
swell, it got along into the fall and
we began to have chilly nights. The
equinoctial gave us big rain, and for
a fortnight I had all the water I could
use. Then it got dry again. One af-
ternoon, after several days Of threaten
ing weather, it began to rain. Hour
after hour the rain came down till a.
bout 9 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
the room. We had an English shep-
herd dog named Loe, which we took
with us from Massachusetts,. He wasa
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 l used to tell her so. The
dog was fond of me and I made a great
pet of him. He was noble fellow,
and all he wanted was for me to whis-
tie 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 whis-
tie just Unce to the dog. Up he'd come
over the foot of the bed and wake Ka-
tie 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. shall never
forget that look, for it was the last time
ever stood there and saw stars above
Skinner Hollow. closed the door and
went to bed and soon fell asleep.
slept 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 I didn't sleep long, and
when walked up 1 couldn't get to
sleep again. Finally l 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 | walked around the
room and gave me a loving look as
as stopped down and patted his head.
I went back to bed and fell into an un-
easy sleep. All at once | wakened
with a start. 1t must have been past
midnight. I seemed to be fully awake
the moment opened my eyes, aud
such sight as they rested on God
grant they may never see again. 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 l
opened my eyes dark object glided
down from off the Eaby, 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 stretched out presuma bly,
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 liv-
ing. 1 think it is as a general thing.
but if life had many such moments as
that should say emphaticalIy that
death was preferable. For moment I
lost my head. | did not move, fortu-
nately, bnt | seemed to drift entirely
ont of all consciousness. For a mo-
ment only this lasted. Then my senses
came hack Eo ma and felt that from