The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1888-11-23
THE MAIDSTONE.


his journey.
An employee of the Smithsonian,
experienced and fearless, though still
young, he was exploring the mount
ain regions of North Carolina in
search ofnovelties in geology, fauna
and flora, and smilingly questioned
in return:
''ln what shape, my kind friend?"
"Waal, ther mountinns, 'specerly
Their out-ot-ther-way spots, am jest
erlive with rattlesnakcs and pilots,
and Their bite am always more deadly
at this time of year than any other"
"ies, I know that is the popular
belief with regard to August, though
very much to be questioned. Blind?
When the skin they are shedding is
over their eyes, not otherwise I fancy.
But have no fears about me. lam
accustomed to them, and shall not
he deferred from adding n few rat.
ties to my collection if chance offers
for large ones."
Char be plenty OH 'em monstr'us
Jest monstr'us," was answered with
shudder, for a long life in the 10.
Guilty had not in the least diminished
her fear.
Bidding his kind friend farewell,
Paul Myratt took O little path that
led still deeper into mountains. But
he did not neglect the warming. and
cut stout, ash staff, though having
much greater faith in it's weight and
toughness than any power of it's pc
culmr hypnotism as applied to any
species of the Cratalus horridus.
Easily killed were the few he
CHANGED upon. for the stories of num-
bers found are much larger than the
reality, and he sauntered carelessly
along, knocking off IL fragment OF
rock, picking q flower, Watching the
birds or listening to their song until
the westerning Of thesun gave warm
ing of the nearness eff night.
"Not very enticing spot to
camp" he unused, as he looked over
the rocky surroundings, the multi
plicity OF dark, wide seams and cav
ernous openings, most unquestion-
ably the home of scaly enemies OF
mankind. "Ah, n town within easy
travel. That is favorable and time
ly, and l was not mistaken, there are
muttcrings ofthunder in the distance
and the wind and clouds indicate q
storm.
Carefully noting the direction, he
gathered up his bundle of travelling
conveniences and started. Soon lie
reached a bold bluff, and was COM
PEELED to travel along it's brink until
lie could discover some path that
permitted descent. But suddenly and
!earfully his footsteps were arrested,
first by the sight Of ian easle, a girl
sketching. with her long brown hair,
of the peculiar shade that readily
melts into gold, flonting uncovered,
and then by the fearful vision of On
immense rattlesnake that had crawled
from an opening undiscovered to
near her feet, and was coiled for it's
deadly stroke!
lie shouting in warming, but his
voice was lost in the reverberating
echoes; hedetaclled and threw a frag-
lnent of rock, but it fell short of it's
destined mark and dropped into Il
yawning chasm; he ran with all his
swiftness, but the distance was much
too great for him to cover in time
to save the unconscious girl from the
poisonous trangs. For one stroke
of his stout staff he would have given
all of his earthly POSSESSIONS; now it
was as useless to him as the tree from
which it had been severed.
He saw the snake strike, it's efforts
to get loose whan the curved teeth
became entangled in the dress the
white hand fan, as to brush away
some unknown intruder, saw it bit
ten, that and the arm, again and
again, and then as the girl realized
the horror of her situation, heard
the most agonizing screams.
a little later Though it seemed to
the young naturalist as the lapsing
of hours) lie reached the spot OF the
terrible combat disabled the loatll-
some and furious reptile with Il sin
gle blow, flung it far away, and raised
the fainting girl in his arms. Whittier
than n lily, and as helpless as 1,
crushed one. she lay there, with her
lips trembling with SOILS. bosom
henving convulsively, and eyes fixed
upon him with the most pleadinga p-
peal for help.
"My God!" lie groaned, as he ill.,
terpreted her wishes, II am utterly
without the mems to aid you. Even
the customary antidotes lpcklessly
flung away us II useless burden. Now
! would give my life for them. But
have courage! We can surely reach
the village in time to save your life,
though not you from suffering. Is
it very far?'
"No," was answered with con-
tracted throat and husky voice: mo,
but death is much nearer, and ] shall
never see father or mother again.
81 pray it may not he as you fear,
and we must hurry along as rapidly
as possible. You know the shortest
way?"
"Yes," with painful utterance.
'Wait yet IL moment" he said
aloud, and then mentally, "tlle chance
is desperate and dangerous. My life
may be the forfeit, hut I cannot see
one 80 young and fair die the most
fearful of deaths without risking it to
save, Mt least relieve, her."
Trained in the school lie had been,
familiar with toxicology, especially
the venom of serpcnts. none knew
better than he the danger-
Gus task lie was about to undertake..
A single abrasion ofmouth or tongue,
q curious tooth through which poison
could be absorbed, would be as fatal
and IL more sudden death than bullet
or knife. Yet there was nothing of
hesitation after that first slluddering
thought. Wiping away the bloody
ooze from the almost invisible pune
tuIed Wounds lie applied his lips to
to them one after the other and sucked
out the poison, freeing his mouth
from time to time, and not desisting
until assured the work was thorough
!lX. dote, that he could 10 no t.iore.
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