Omaha daily bee., 1889-04-22

Nothingl saw nothing but myself
reflected in the glass OF that old armoire,
aud then behind me the figure OF the
child now upright on the bed, her back
glued to the wall, her hands with stiff,
outstretched fingers, ilattened to the
masonry, her eyes wide. dilated, fixed,
regarding something that haste and
excitement had prevented me from see
ing. Bot suddenly | saw, and threw
back my head sutfocated by horror so
freezing that | believed would swoon.
What had | distinguished also reflected
In that glass? | dared not give credence
to the testimony OF my own eyesightl
| looked again, aud, yes, | saw again
I felt myself sink at the sight-the only
object that seemed to me as looked to
exist in the whole OF the universe!
So! this was the treasure of the fillal
Gerard, the good son. who doubtless at
this very instant on his knees in his
cabin prayed with tears OF sorrow dim
ming his eyesl A treasure, truly, this
that was rolled about the legs OF that
armoire, and bound by many cris-
crossings Of slender naval gasketsl
A mammoth Demonstration OF
the giant species, mon-
strous python, ten or twelve
meters long, such as it found as times
in the hideous Nopals of the Guanyes.
Awakened from his torpid sleep by the
pain of the lashings this frightful ophi-
dian had forced himself by means of u
slow gliding fully some two or three
yards beyoud the cords that still con-
fined him.
The long trunk of the creature had
been the balancer that knocked awhile
ago upon the walls to the right and left
seeking to withdraw from its enlacings
precisely as the clock struck
IL. Now it stretched toward
us from the end of the chamber
its swollen length OF n greenish brown,
flecked with darker spots upon its gilt
tering scales; the free part of its body
erect, formidable; its cavernous mouth
wide open, its jaws distended, and
launching back and forth, while its
beady eyes regarded lis steadily. its
long and forlled tongue enraged hiss
ings of fury, that in the peaceful nurs-
in of my dreams / had taken for the sea
wind through the cracks of the shutter,
played sharply from the fiery hole in its
throat less than a meter from my face.
At this sudden vision l was seized
with an agony, in which it seemed that
my very life was passing from me. l
was sinking into syncope, when a Sob
bing Cry of despair uttered by the creole
who had recognized and been awakened
by that Kissing in the night, recalled
my scattered senses. leaped from the
bed over the footboard, still grasping
my flaming paper, slipped the bolt,
feeling like drunken man among the
panels; Catalina, her eyes riveted upon
the monster, that, seeing us flying, re
doubled it's efforts to be free, glided be
meath my arm and flung herself int
the corridor. l flung myself after her,
drew the door behind me, add just at
the moment the armoire crumbled
away.
We descended with the rapidity OF a
flash. Below nohody-the door into the
grounds wide open and still nobody
we precipitated ourselves after the
others. Upon the cliffs the creole,
forgetting me, fled like a hare in q
rapid race toward the city, and seeing
her out of danger, followed her ex-
ample. shaping my flight, however, in
the direction of the harbor, every in
slant feeling the coils of that frightful
reptile rolling in chase at my heels.
1t took me but the briefest minute to
snatch my valise from the care of the
Veloce and to re-embark with equal
speed upon the steamer Virginnie,
ringing her bell as l boarded her for a
start for France.
Three days later was home again in
my dear and peaceful retreat upon the
banks of the Marne. With feet in slip
pers, enveloped in my dressing gown,
and book OF metaphysics in my hand :,
felt myself sufficiently reposed to put
| off to an indefinite epoch all recreative
excursions among the contingencies of
| the world, no matter how frivolous or
phenomenal