Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1889-10-04

amazement found that | was bound hand
and foot with a heavy ccrd; and even as
began to realize that | was the captive, not
the captor, harsh laugh broke upon my
ears. and turning | saw standing near the
cupboard in the corner a brawny negro!
..Ha, ha, Massa! Yoa done wake up
Don rise yit. Oars no hurry. When l
gifts what want I'll 90 way aud Yer kin
sleep spell moro Till yer friens come
home. They'll ontie yer Don't rise yit,
massar" and again he laughed long aud
heartily
"You william cried, If you don't loose
me this instant and clear away from here
I'll have you in jail! What do you mean,
coming here and tieing me in this wayf
Undo mel"
..What | meant" he grinned; Il mean to
clear dis yer cabin OF all de stuff | kin
carry. dat's what | mean. And | won't do
you no hurt ef ye keep still, but ef aggera-
vate me,-look out, Is d bad niger, / isl
The reprobate shook his fist and glared
at me in such manner that I believed
him.
"See here" said |, let me go and | will
give Won what you want if you'll promise
not to steal anv more. That's fair. Let
me GO"
He laughed again grimly
II won steal no mo after dis time,
massa, I'll promise 'ye; case whyf I'm
goin to tote away ebery ting want dis
tripl An I tell We agin, don ye talk TO
me no mo'!'
The man was growing angry and deem
ed silence but prudence on my part, bound
as | was.
The fellow was ransaeking every portion
of our camp and had already gathered
goodly plunder, which he was slowing IN
pack basket intending to carry it away up
ON his back. He worked hastily, and saw
that he was much worried. Should my
comrades return he would be surely caught,
or should I work free from my bonds be
fore he had gotten beyond my reach,
might follow, obtain help and arrest him.
These dangers he evidently appreciated,
and so lost no time in his rascally work.
Already he had taken what he could hnd
of provisions, our tea, coffee, sugar, baking
powder and few cans of condensed milk,
when glancing about his eye fell upon the
egg bag in the corner.
Striding to it he thrust his hand quickly
into its open mouth to discover its con
tents. but no sooner had he done so than
with yell of horror he sprang back, his
arm extended, and hanging fast to his
wrist, where its fangs were imbedded, a
great black snake, Wriggles!
''Pisoned Pisoned," he shrieked, while
his face grew ashen hued with terror. Use
snake bit and pisoned!' and shaking his
arm as if it were the limb of tree, he sue
ceeded at last in finging the reptile from
him into a corner, where he writhed and
twisted and played his forked tongue,
showing all the signs of snake anger
40 Lord, o Lord! Use gwine to die,
shorew moaned the negro, while the dark
blood fell drop by drop from his bitten
wrist
saw my chance and seized 1t.
"Untie me and l can save yOu!
With a cry of Joy he sprang to my side,
and pulling sheath knife from his belt he
cut the cords which bound me.
80, massa! Good massa! Sabe me if We
kin an I'll swar or de Bible uebber to
steal no moi Q, massa Sabe me. | feels
| de pison creepin' tro' my veinsH'
Give me that knife" said |, 'and hold
out your hand"
With n groan the fellow obeyed, and
cut deep cash in the wrist where the
snakes fangs had been, from which the
blood ran in a little stream.
''Now suck that wound and draw all the
poison out" / commanded, "and quick,
too, while | tie your arm above here"
Most gladly he obeyed, while | bound 4
ligature lightly above his elbow. In fact
treated the bite exactly as if it had been
given by a venomous instead of a harmless
snake, and in thirty minutes had the
negros hand and wrist SO bandaged and his
arm so lashed that he was practically dis
abled. Then commanded him to go out
side and sit on the ground with his back
against the cabin while | prepared some
thing for him to drink to antidote the
| poison!
He obeyed, and such mess rs | fixed
up! | had decided not to arrest the rascal
but to take his punishment into my own
hands, and most thorough ! made it.
| mixed for him at least "A quart of raw
eggs and pepper, which | forced him to
drink, followed by glass of strong salt
and water.
The result may better be imagined than
| described Suffice to say that when the
boys returned at about five in the afternoon
the thief was just able to walk, his fright
and his treatment having made him very
| sick man; and after a thousand promises
never to steal again, to return the articles
already taken and never to forget me and
my kindness in saving his life, we allowed
him to depart, a sadder if not wiser man.
Doubtless nights sleep renewed the
| evil in him, for he did not return the rod
and pipe, but we were never troubled by
him again, and Wriggles was given one
raw egg a day for his meritorious service
during all the remainder of our stay i'll the