Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-09-12
Ialfs aud Sketfhes.
DYING FeR ITS MASTER.
Continued from yesterday. }

fortnight naQ all tne water cOulu 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 9 O'Clock in the
evening, when it suddenly cleared off and
| turned cold. 1t was late in October. and
we keep fire burning on the hearth
nights, more for the baby's sake than Tor
our own. Our bed was parallel with the
| fireplace, and stood out near the middle
of the room. We had an English shepherd
dog named Leo. which we took with US
from Massachusetts, He was a black
and-white beauty, and my wife, who had
raised him, thought about as much OF him
as she did of the baby and me-or, at
least, used to tell Der so. The dog was
| fond of me, and | made a great pet OF
| him. He was a 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 he face.
"That night we were just going to bed
when it turned cold. threw an extra
pine knot on the fire and went to the door
! and looked out. shall never forget that
| look. Tor it was the last time | ever stood
there and saw stars above Skinner Hol-
| low. 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 didn't
sleep long, and when | walked up
couldn't 90 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 sleepilyas | walked around
the room, and gave me loving look as |
| stopped down and patted his head.
went back to bed and fell into an uneasy
sleep. All at once | awakened with a
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. was lying on my left side fac
ing my wife. who was lying on her right
side. The baby lay on its back between
us. As | opened nv eyes dark object
glded down from off the baby, and just
then the knot burstinto flames and flooded
the room with light A rattlesnake fully
| uNt lCOO lOHS nav ollpBOu NO"h LICiI
between nv wife and myself. where it
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 knee.
Somebody asks if life is worth living.
think it is as a general thing, but if life
had many such moments as that | should
say emphatically that death was prefera-
Bile. For moment | lost my head.
did not move, fortunately, but | seemed to
drift entirely out of all consciousness
For moment only this lasted. Then my
senses came back to me and | felt that
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 that
to stir was death, perhaps to myself,
perhaps tor my boy, perhaps-my God,
the thought was agony-for my wife.
Outside | could hear the ewes dripping
from the rain, and could detect the sound
of water running to waste over the tlume
Tomorrow Would ever see to morrow
again? And if did. would not meet i,
alone? In spite of all could do shud
der ran through my body.
The snake felt it aud raised its head
| could see its eyes glsten and dance in
the freight, and the bright rays glanced
over the undulating coils. I could see
that the snake was irritated, and knew
that it was liable to spring at any moment
Who would it strikep Either of us wa;
within easy distance. 1t seemed to me
!, that could see the beginning of the mus
cular contraction which would precedt
the spring.
"All this OF course, pissed in fraction
of the time have occupied in telling it
: My wife and the boy had slept on.
prayed that they might not move, for i
> they did felt the snake would throw IT.
, self forward. moved my head slightly
= The snakes head again arose, and for the
first time it sounded its rattle. Instantly
my wife opened her eyes, and someway
they rested on the snake. | could see tina
every vistage of color had left her face
but she did not move muscle. Then hel
: eyes slowly left the snake and came up tc
= mine.
Looking back over the nearly 80 years
! which have elapsed since then can see
, the look in her eyes yet. We had some
> times talked of meeting death together
Now it lay between us and in a more hor
5 rible form than we had ever dreamed of
/ Yet the look of perfect confidence in me
5 which my wife's eyes almost spoke, was
something a man does not see more than
once in lifetime. That look seemed to
Z say, for baby's sake. and like a flash be.
came as cool as am at this moment.
could not speak, but my wife understood
that she must keep perfectly quiet and
jump. When the time came, slowly and
with infinite care raised my head till
could look down the bed to the floor. Ny
/ wife's eyes followed mine, and we both
saw the dog. The hideous head
2 of the snake swayed to and fro and knew
what was to be done must be done quickly
$ looked at my wife and she realized my
pain. Her eyes filled with tears but gave
| consent. With prayer for help moist.
ened my lips and gave one short. sharp
whistle. The snake, think, didn't know
what to make OF it. but the dog. Leo, did
|, As quick as thought almost he sprang to
his feet and bounded on to the bed, To
this day have never been able to under.
stand why the snake did not strike wher
q the dog moved. but il did not As the
dogs body rose in the air. my wife caught
hold of the baby's garments and rolled out
| of bed. | rolled out on my side, grasped
my rifle. which stood at the head of the
bed and turned The doc and the snake