Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1893-10-12

shot eyes. Ii was only the crook of a
finger and the boy would be out of the
way. and another bullet would be ready
for his brother. But even as the zip of
the finger moved the fraction of an inch
and rested lightly on the trigger, there
was a sharp whirr in the bunch of sage
by the Apache's side. and the thick head
of rattlesnake circled slowly out and
stopped in the centre Of its coil, like the
tongue of a Q.
Just ready to strike. thought
Thacker, and save me the trouble and
the But PEACHES generally knows
'nough TO keep out of the way Of rat
tiers The trumpet must have drowned
the warnin'
The snakes head swayed a little, and
a breeze moved the leaves of the sage
clump lightly. Then a figure stoleacros
the canon and drew near to the boy.
The young savage saw it, but he paid no
heed 1t was only his mother. and he
held her in the contempt that all Apaches
hold women. Squaw Mary was as squat
and dirty as any desert native, and her
stone jug Of a face could be read no
easier. But something Of expression had
come TO her as she sprang over the gray
sand She had seen the rattlesnake.
The man behind the rock saw that
look, and saw that the flame Of death
would fash from the sage-clump before
she could snatch the boy away, for he
seemed deaf 20 al signs, and was bent
only on showing his mother how he
could shiver the air with that wonderful
horn.
By moving the muzzle Of the rife a
quarter Of an inch. il covered the fancy
knob that struck from ont the coil.
Thacker knew that the death stroke
would come the instant the boy should
move his foot, and that all the mothers
efforts would go for naught. She was
close on now, painting and holding ont
her hands, while the big bead.eye I'M
der the thick, black bang were full of
mother-love and mother-fear.
Zip went Thacker's lead. and
down fell the "rattler's head, while
the coil writhed in the sand.
Squaw Mary grasped the boys arm
and shook him ~ if rousing him from
sleep, CHANGING meanwhile toward the
rock from which the rife-smoke drifted
sharply away. Then she reached for
the other twin. and. knocking their black
heads together in her rush, she ran them
down the canon and out Of sight behind
a wall Of rocks.
And then Thacker saw what he had
done, and knew that his life hung on an
Apache's sense Of gratitude. Well. he
had snatched a human being out of a
deadly danger. and-again the picture
took on that awful red His darlings,
his own-all dead.
The afternoon wore away, and the
welcome darkness in which he would
drag himself forth and away to Ranch 10
was gathering at last Yes, he could 90
even now, for there was a deep shadow
on the side of the canon where he lay,
and it would be hard even for Apache
ewes to see a man in dark clothes crawl
ing along ON the brown rocks He
buckled on his cartridge belt, took an
other twist in the improyised tourni-
quet he had fastened SO tightly to his leg
Just above the bullet hole, grasped his
Winchester, and raised himself upon his
knees. Then he paused Could they
see himg He might be human blur on
.he side Of the rock, but that would he
.ncugh for sight all an Apsche
a,nded The mere tlur, the ricrs
ai,tch. was enough for "siytt.
Shaw I'm gaitin' rs skecry fs
woman It's all nonsense, he tu0ught 1
He put one hand ont uFon the ,il rc |
crawl forth. TIE sharp voice 30 4
SPOKE abruptly. and he felt a i pinch I
IL lis shoulder, where the bullet struck |
He lodged down agia behind u rock. /
but not too quickly 10 see dark forms /
rushing toward him. He pressed CLOSELY /
down against the earth and tried 70 sd; 1
his rifle to his shoulder, Int the rignJ I
hand was heavy as lead and rs prickiv 1
as il t clutched battery pole His ie /
hand-that was free. and it sTasped TIE
handle of tae revolver IN his belt
But there was tight grip On bis arm,
and an Apache knife ghtterel before lis
eyes. How large it see:nsd. low Ntn
of Edge Just as it was Drawn a ross
his throat a bead bent over from h@...nl I
the dark forms that held him down. and
he saw in the starlight the stolid. stone
jug face of Squaw Mary.
At her side stood the two twins. -
San Francisco Argonaut.