The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1888-11-08

it hurting through the air. 1t was almost
too late The keen blade, true to aim, passed
through snakehesh and entered an inch into
the floor with spiteful ''chugI" cutting off
the reptiles rattles and half an inch of his
body with them.
"Wal," remarked Abe gravely, as he re-
placed the knife and picked up the rattles,
''ef I'd ha' BEN minute sooner I'd a-cut him
in two as slick as peeled onion One, two,
three, four, five, six rattles and button
that shows he was a tolluble old Teller. III
| jest keep an eye on that thar hole an git the
| bulge on him next time he comes OUT Then
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-
Ter" neighborhood about the school house,
and were hard at work figuring how they
could pass by the great sandstone bluff and
still enter the "Hollern at the spot where the
scheming superintendent desired to locate
the town, which, with becoming modesty, he
intended to name for himself. Early in the
morning Abe slipped away from the home
steads and the white heads, who had signified
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, during 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
outstretched beneath the scanty boughs of
some cottonwood trees, Harry asked, apropos
of nothing in particular, "Abe, do you 60 to
school9'
"Yas," with most rueful expression Of
countenance. "Wish didn't halter"
"Whyp
"'Cause the teachers everlastin'ly tryin' ter
make me learn sumpin' 'Twixt you an me,
mann and the old man, laws don't know
nuthin' and never will, an with a burst
of candor-"I reckon their morn half right
"Oh, no, you are smart enough to learn as
we'll as any one, suppose" Harry added re-
fiectively; "your teacher is some weasened
old maid.n
mot much she hain't!" answered Abe,
stoutly, "she hain't no SIGH thing, even if she
does growl like badger cause never know
my lessons. She's young an pretty, that's
what she is"
"Ah, indeed What is the name of this
angelic beingF queried Harry lazily,
"Ivy Allen"
"Whatl" Only the largest black faced let
tiers could do justice to that ''what," and the
explosive manner in which the surveyor
uttered it. And then he began a perfect
tornado of questions in reference to the girl,
her appearance, boarding place, tasks, etc.,
Cd inf oil A H.
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 was, 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: "What"
and he replied: "Nuthin'; don't telly no.
BODY As she administered rebuke, which
she intended as a 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 a sudden shock of
remorse, brought about by her well mer-
tied rebuke. The snake whose rattles had
| been so successfully amputated few days
before had crawled from the hole in the
chinking, and was now cooled 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 loud alarm. The
thoughts beneath Abe's mop of white hair
flew 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
terances 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 had 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 the
snakes eyes. Then, like flash, Abe acted.
Springing to his feet he dashed his three cor
nered piece of slate against the opposite wall,
where it was instantly smashed to fragments,
preventing Ivy to a certainty from turning
to her danger. Then, with alightning move,
Abe drew the long knife, turned the keen
point toward his finger tips, and, with
quick, forward motion OF his hand, sent it
hurtling 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, pinning 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 excitinglyl AS he held
her in his arms he-but, as this is not love
story, l will not tell what he did, but will