The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1892-07-06

at him stupidity. AS he made the move
ment rsttlesnake struck him in the
face, and another at his side would have
done the same had he not thrown him
self out of reach of his deadly fangs.
The rattles resounded on every side
The two men ran back to stretch of
sand beyond the rocks and gazed at each
other wildly.
Hold still, demanded Mart. "Let me
look at your bite"
He grasped the boys hand.
"Thank God, it's not in the vein"
He seized his knife and quickly hol-
lowed out piece of the flesh.
There, hold your hand down and let
the blood run free, while tie this cord
around your arm"
He twisted the stout cord until it cut
into the arm.
Nov, the whisky" he gasped.
mo" said Robbins, "let me cut the
poison out of your wound"
Mart held still moment while this
was done.
"Now, the whisky-quick" cried Rob
bins.
But Selby did not look for the bringing
forth of the flask with any light of hope
in his eyes.
at is yours" he said quietly. "There
is only enough for one, and barely that"
"Then it is yours, Mart"
"No-yours.
"But you are the worse bitten. Your
face is already beginning to swell.
Drink it"
There was anguish in the tone, as there
was heroism in the Words but it was
heroism of the weakly sort. He held out
the bottle at arms length, while he
turned his face away.
No, Robbins; it's yours, boy" came
in frmer and more commanding tone
from Mart Selby. "You have mother
and sweetheart back in the states.
And II have nobody. There was some
one once, but there amt nobody now
nobody at ALL"
In the face of this fearful temptation
Robbins felt himself weakening. He
grew less strong of resolution with each
tick of the watch in his pocket, heard
so plainly in the desert stiffness. What
coward he felt himself; but-how
sweet was life!
Was there not help to be had from
some other source? He could not take
this. The drinking of that liquid was
the drinking of Selby's life, and that life
meant much to him now. Here was the
whole man!
His eye swept the hopeless plain. He
looked for the dust of a traveller, but
he saw none. The heat of the day was
growing. He thought he felt the poison
pulsing through his veins.
"No-no," he said, sinking down upon
the sand. And there was a pitiable
weakness in his tone.
Selby took the bottle from his hand.
AS he did so shade of fear arose to
Robbins face. Selby saw it and smiled.
The swollen face made the smile gro
tesque; but none the less it was the smile
of god He camesforward and knelt
beside the crouching form of Robbins,
who, lying on his face, with his eyes
shut, begged him not to think of him,
but of himself. But the tone was grow
ing weaker.
The other said no word, but lifting his
friends head he uncorked the bottle and
held it to his lips. A look Of remon-
STRANGE came to Robbins face, and he
raised his hand to push away the bottle.
Just then he glanced upward. A buzz
zard was circling about in the clear,
blue air. He shivered, and as the neck
of the bottle was forced between his
teeth and Selby was holding back his
head, how could he help swallowing?
The look of remonstrance faded slowly
away as the liquor gurgled from the
bottle. Soon it was all drained. The
boys head sank to the ground and a
heavy sleep laid hold upon him.
When he awoke there lay by his side
the body of man with pistol bullet
in his head.-The ArgonaM.