The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1893-01-19

ucoSAa t0AOy AOA t1ol0cp, HOOUltlS uISdI1l..
ing OF a clear, cold water, drawn from
marble fountains in crystal goblets:
The young man was the first to
awake. The sun was beginning to
shoot his fiery needles over the noun
tain. Robbins lifted his hand to rub
his eyes. *.
"R-r.z-z-z!" X
Then tongue of flame darted to-
ward him and struck him on the palm
OF the hand.
"My God," he groaned it is q rattle
snake, and he's bitten me!''
His voice seemed to awaken hun
dred echoes and to these responded a
hundred rattles.
Selby sat up in his blanket and
stared at him stupidity. As he made
the movement a rattlesnake struck
him in the face, and another, at his
sioe, would have done the same had
be not thrown himself out of reach of
his deadly fangs.
The rattles resounded on every
side. The two men ran back to a
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" 5
He twisted the stout cord until it
cut into the arm. e
"Now the whisky" he gasped.
mo" said Robbins. 'let ME cut the
poison out OF your wound"
Mart held still moment while this
"Now the whisky-quick!' cried
But Selby did not look for the
bringing forth of the flask with any
light of hope in his eyes.
1T 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 weekly sort.
He held out the bottle at arm length
while he turned his face away.
mo, by God! It's yours, boy"
came in frmer and moro commanding
tone from Mart Selby. "You have q
mother and sweetheart back in the
states. And IL have nobody.
There was some one once, but there
ain 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 a 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 travel
er, b ut 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 pitt
able weakness in his tone. -
Selby took the bottle from his hand.
AS he did so, a. shade of fear arose to
Robbins face. Selby saw itand smiled.
The swollen face made the smile gro
tesque; but, none the less, it was the
smile OF a god. He came forward 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 growing weaker.
| The other said no word, but lifting
his friends head he uncorked the bot
tie and held it to his lips. A look OF
remonstrance came to Robbins face
and he raised his hand to push away
the bottle. just then he glanced up
ward. A buzzard was circling around
the clear, blue air. He shivered, and,
as the neck of the bottle was forced
between his teeth, and Selbywas hold
ing back his head, how could he help
swallowing? The look of remons-
trance faded slowly away as the
liquor gurgled from the bottle. Soon
it was all drained. The boys head
sunk to the ground and a heavy sleep
laid hold upon him.
. When Re awoke there lay by his side
the body OF q man with pistol-bullet
in his head.-San Francisco Argon.
aut.
! Evidence In a Sharks Stomach.
The Chinese Cabinet at Whitehall
Yard, London, is also replete with
objects OF interest, while among the
naval curios is the tin box found in