The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1891-11-13

CullSu dDt'tit my dfillS anu Waist
like snakes. Then they began 10
draw me up, and almost before /
realized it | was dragged over the
edge Of the chasm almost TO the
foot of the cactus
The vines dragged me on, other
stems curled around my legs and
drew me tighter and tighter.
''Then | realized thai the Indian
story was no fable. The idea of
being in the power of this con-
| slricting thing that covered acres
Of land LaralyZed me for all in
stant. The hand that had just
touched the vines was being crush
ed IN the devilish tendons. My
little finger was broken backward
by the power of the vine. The pain
brought me TO my senses, and |
began TO fight for my life. One
hand was free, and in it was my
knife. | began to hack al the
snakelike coils of the deyilish veg
table. As fast as | could cut away
ore running stem another would
coil around me. Fight as | would,
the vine was stronger, and on and
on 1t dragged me.
"My foot struck something, and
felt il crush and crumble beneath
my heel. | looked down. 1t was
human head, one of those white
spots | had seen through my glass.
The body, fearlulIy shrunken and
emaciated, lay there among the
coillng, twisting vines. Near ii
was another.
II realized it all while | hacked
and struggled. The two had been
caught in the tolls of the awful
monster like myself and were
strangled.
IL was getting weak. The pres
sure about my limbs was unbear-
able. | had cut myself badly in
cutting he strangllng bonds |
looked over The mesa with the wild
hope of seeing some one or some
thing to help me.
"The mesa was all in motion.
The vines were twisting, curling,
falling, rising, trembling. 1t was a
moving mass, like the ocean, and
the waves were reaching and fall
ing toward me.
at was not the wind blowing
the snakeweed. The fiendish plant
had life and motion and every
fiber of ii was straining to reach
me. | knew that it those advanc-
ing waves Of black ever reached
me | was lost. | would be like
those shriveled bodies by the giant
cactus.
81 made a final effort to ESCAPE.
| could hear the muscles crack and
strain as pulled. | cut the thick
est stem that enveloped me, and
for the first time since the struggle
began was able TO make a step
backward. But the fight was not
over yet. A dozen smaller ten.
drllS, like so many whipcords, were
tangled about me, cutting INTO my
flesh with terrible power. | had
kept my throat free, though The
vines seemed to strive 10 coil
about it. So | cut and struggled
backward. A final slash, n Jump,
and | was over the edge and on the
bowldcr IN The dry creek. But the |
demons arms followed me. II
knew that they would seize me
again before | could get down, so
| dashed TO he other side of the
water course and clambered up
there.
"How | thanked God when |
found nothing there by greasewo0d
and cactus. | saw The vines swing
and sway over where | had escap-
ed, and then | tainted.
"When | came to the mesa was
quiet agai;i. The vines had reced-
ed, and il it had not been for my
aching, swollen limbs | would have
sworn it was all nightmare. But
there lay Two dried out bodies.
While | lay there | recognized one
OF them. Ii was The half breed
from Merida. The other
was doubtless he Indian who be
traved The secret of the silver
NINE"