Wichita eagle., 1888-11-03


Abe placed the rattles in his pocket and
speedily forgot all about them
The next Saturday the surveying corps had
approached within three miles Of the "Hol-
ler' neighborhood about the school house,
and were hard at work figuring how they
could pass by the great sandstone bluff and
still enter the "Holler" at the spot where the
scheming superintendent desired to locate
the town, which, with becoming n,odesty, he
intended to name for himself. Early in the
morning Abe slipped away from the home
steads and the white heads, who had signifed
their intention to accompany HIM, and spent
the greater part OF the day in the company
Of Harry Herman, the young chief Of
the corps. Harry shared his dinner
with the white headed boy, and, daring the
noon hour, told him tales Of railroad locomo-
tives and the men who drive them In turn,
Abe amused the young man by his feats with
the old dirk knife, which, with unerring skill,
he cast at a line stake. Then, as they lay
ourstretched beneath the scanty boughs OF
some cottonwood trees, Harry asked, apropos
of nothing in particular, ABE, do you go to
schools'
'sYas," with a most rueful expression Of
countenance. "Wish didn't halter"
''WhyT
"'Cause the teachers everlastinly tryin' ter
make me learn sunpin'. Twixt you an me,
nam and the old man, laws I don't know
nuthin' and never will, an'n-with burst
of candor-'I reckon their MORN half right"
ooh, no, you are smart enough to learn as
well as any one, suppose" Harry added re-
fectively; your teacher is some weasened
old maid"
''Not much she hain'tr' answered Abe,
stoutly, "she hain't no SIGH thing, even if she
does growl like q badger cause never know
my lessons. She's syoung an pretty, that's
what she is"
"Ah, indeed. What is the name of this
angelic being;" queried Harry lazily.
"Ivy Allen"
''Whatln Only the largest black faced let
ters could do justice to that what" and tho
explosive manner in which the surveyor
uttered it. And then he began perfect
tornado Of questions in reference to the girl,
her appearance, boarding place, tasks, ETC.,
almost ad infinitum. And all Of them Abe,
the white headed, answered to the best of his
ability. Harry registered an inward vow
that, as soon as the days work was COM
pleted, he would repair at once to the board
ing place of dainty little Ivy Allen. But
the fates were against him. That night he
was Frustrated by an attack of ague.
Monday came, and Abe YVES, If possible,
more stupid over his lessons than ever. He
seemed absolutely to have forgotten the lit
tie that Ivy, by dint Of much exertion,
had succeeded in hammering into his under
standing. He cut pranks by the dozen and
played tricks by the score. At last Ivy, irri-
tated and knowing that his parents would
bear her out in the act, resolved to try the
hazel switch. She took the rod, but hearing
him mutter something, she asked: "Whatf
and he replied: "Nuthin'; don't telly no
body" As she administered rebuke, which
she intended as solemn warning to the
school as well as to Abe, the switch with
which she designed to chastise the boy
slipped from her hand and fell to the floor.
Abe's eyes followed the switch, and in an
instant he gave start which Ivy at once in
terpreted as coming from sudden shock Of
remorse, brought about by her well mer-
tied rebuke. The snake whose rattles had
been SO successfully amputated a few days
before had crawled from the hole in tho
thinking, and was now coiled in angry atti-
tude, close to the fallen switch His fiat
head appeared above his notified coils, and
swayed slowly to and fro, while his forked
tongue played about his open jaws. The
wounded stump of his tall vibrated with
rapidity that, had the rattles been still at
tached, would have given a loud alarm. The
thoughts beneath Abe's mop of white hair
few with amazing rapidity. If he called out
her danger, Ivy would either faint or make
some sudden move that would cause the
snake to strike her. The other scholars had
not noticed the presence Of the hideous rep
tile, and were attending to the scathing ut
tsranoes which fell upon Abe's needless ears
as meaningless sounds. Already Ivys hand
was slowly descending toward the fallen
switch, close to the great rattlesnake, whose
eyes seemed to Abe to CLEAN with demoniacal
delight. As she reached for the switch, Ivy
did not turn her eyes from the school,
but was secretly enjoying the effect her
reprimand was having upon the youngsters,
and particularly upon Abe, who bad grown
suddenly so white that she was forced to con-
clude that somewhere beneath his stolid ex-
terror there existed a sensitive spot. Lower
fell her hand. and brighter cleaned tho
snakes eyes. Then, like fash, Abe acted.
nered piece Of slate against the opposite wall,
where it was instantly smashed to fragments,
preventing Ivy to certainty from turning
10 her danger. Then, with lightning move,
Abe drew the long knife, turned the keen
point toward his finger tips. and, with
quick, forward motion of his hand, sent it
hurting through the air. The snake was in
the act Of striking the girls hand, which had
almost reached the switch as Abe smashed
the slate. The keen knife passed down
through his body, pinnng the notified coils
to the floor, and severing the vibrating neck.
What yell went up from those half wild
scholars as Ivy seeing the deadly danger she
had so narrowly escaped, sprang to her feet
and fell into the arms Of Harry Herman, the
young surveyor, who entered just then and
whose visit began SO excitingiyl AS he held
her In bis arms he-but, as this is not love
story, viii not tell what he did, but will
only repeat the words OF little Sim Tyler:
"Wal, II be aint a-huggin' the tescherr"
"You be.I' shouted nearly every yourgster
IN q chorus that speedily brought the pair to
their senses Of what is and what is not proper
In a school room. Wien some one turned the
attention to Abe it was found that be bad
tumbled full length on the foor, having
tainted for the first time in bis life.
Abe is now q fireman, and bids fair to BE-
come al engineer On the new railroad, which
runs through the "Hollsr.' Last week be
attended the webbing O: Harry Herman and
little Ivy Allen In the house o. the young
couple is q unique ornau,snt In the form OF
stuffed rateleiess rastlesaake, with long dirk
knife piercing his coils Tox P. NoaSAx-