The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1888-11-23
family VIII I'D thanks, he put his
arm around the girl and hurried her

". v; s.:s.
=:
family vii Davst] tl,nnke .he p,,t hin
arm around sthe girl and hurried her
forward.
But not long could she direct the
way to traveI. NOT long comli her
limbs sustain her. Another terror
came to break down tho little rcmnin.
ing nerve ana strength. and she fal.
| tered, reeled and fell. She Ind gone
through a. much of mental and DIV
steal sIf Earinr aa nature would endure
had gone as 'iar as She could.
With the rain llescenlinu ma if tho
windows 81 heaven had ieen flung
wide omen and a second flood cnme
to earth. With the thunder rolling
and crushing above their heads and
shaking the. solid rocks beneath their
feet, with the liehtninr flashing and
binding. she Inv. scarcely mile to
move hand or foot for self.nreseryn.
ton. But no fear of .rattlesnakes
then. Before the terrible maiesty of
the elemental war even thew had fled
| terrified to the lowest depths of their
noisome llenss md cnwared in snch
fear os instinct gives instict that; in
many casee r. twin brother ofenson.
Though despnirinr of saving the
fleetinr life. vet driven nearly frantic
by being alone with the girl in the
now dense darkness and now blind
ing glare, Myratt lifted her again in
his strong arms and lnsled forward.
| Guided by the lights Of the village he
proceeded. whisnerinr hone he did
not feel. receiving moaning whispers
for q time md then NO recognition.
The Girl WAS beyond speechl He
saw by The fiames of lirbtninr that
the bitten hand and arm had swollen
to an immense size, that upon the
delicate fiesh were reproduced the
spots Of the serpent. felt that the
beatinp Of the heart VIVA growing
fainter and fa;nter. that the hot
breath was becoming less md loss
knew Tint in q little time he would
be CARRYING a corpse. beautiful but an
hour before. theloathsome. discolored
and hideous bevond the convention
of those who have never seen such n
death.
Straining eyery nerve. pantinp
from speed and worn with Ris burden
Myratt still kent on. reached the
path that led down to the village,
and was about to descend. when he
was met by q party anxiously search.
ing for the lost girl.
5Bitten by a rattlesnake? Diving
| or dead? Stained and spotted with
the horrible leprosy of the sernent
poison? oh. nv God! it is terrible"
eroaned the moor father as the in
Sensible form was pInced within his
arms and the fearful tale told.
But the grief was as nothing to
the wild agonized sobbinp and
shrieking OF tho loving mother when
she saw her darling Brought in and
laid upon a bed, as hideous and re-
pulsiye as she had last seen her bright
and beautiful.
Physicians came. but their exner;.
| ence and wisdom availed little. The
| poison had spread RAPIDLY. been
strongly INCORPORATED with The circr.
lation. the action of the henrt mar.
alyzed until II had almost ceased Tn
beat. Ammonia, iodine, everything
to be Thought of ns an nntidote Inv.
dratic and palliative medicine were
tried without giyinr relief The hid
eous spots grew larger and more
distinct; sinuous, twisting. creeping
motions took the place Of natural
ones. and hand and limb became
more swollen. The sufferinps of the
STRICKEN oirl became so terr;hlo 90 ~
cause several to he carried faint;n~
from the room. Others to tnrn phnst,
" pale, grow sick and eagerly rush
into the omen air.
Can nothing he done? On. NV
Door. dear childv' sobbed the henri.
broken mother, still clinring to the
writhing form. still clinginn to the
hone long ,riven I'M Inv iii Others
dNothin@. cnme answered hack
from the firmly Compressed Inns Of
the nhysicinn.n.chief awe have
exhausted MI orr knowle,]1e nil o,,r
skill. but"
He motioned tn his nssociotes
drew them aside and q whispered con.
sultutiun was liaiu.- -. -. :,
"Chloroform' was the only word
that reached the strained ears nj
kPaul Myratt. hut f WINS enouph
He knew but too we'll what f. nor.
tended; that they were discussing
the proprietv of easing her terrible
suffarinps and freeing her nure sonl
from the rotting CLAW nv a long
deep anmsthetic slumber. Inv one
that would never he broken in this
world.
tt was 80 decided. and while one If
their number was absent procmrino
the powerful chemical combination
thew again gathered around their
natient and Watched thc snasms If
balm, the horrible writings and con.
torsions. with professional Interest
though not with tenrless ewes Other
than human would thew hive hoon
could they lnve done 80.
In the midst of the stiffness that
was worse than that of death, 81
lence to which sound would come as
the falling of clods upon the coffin
lid, a stranger entered. So wild with
excitement was the town that no one