The Iuka vidette. (Iuka, Miss.) 1894-1912, 1894-09-27

In perspiration, tried to forget in
sleep real mosquitoes and imaginary
snakes.
/ believe l slept for few minutes,
The heat was such that felt as il
were burning and painting in a boiling
water bath. 1t was impossible to en-
dure it longer, SO resolved to give my
hands and arms over to the mosquitoes.
Keeping the sheet over my face, put
my arms outside and laid my hands on
the quilt.
ard than you, gallant reader, but then
and there my blood froze in my veins,
had laid my hand down on a snake,
that was stretched out beside me on
the bed! l had almost grasped it in
deed. Yes, a real, long, round snake,
cold and immobile as death.
Snakes are heavy sleepers, and this
slept profoundly. 1t was perfectly
still. Gently drew my hand in under
the sheet again.
! repeat, | am no more of a coward
than you; neither am | more brave.
But If found myself face to face with
lion and | had good gun in hand,
am perfectly convinced that | would
have the necessary sang froid to send
him a well-directed bullet before Civ
ing him the time to help himself to
slice of my anatomy. But snake in
the blaclSness of night there beside me,
and | lying unarmed, defenseless.
l have always had horror of all
~. 81 tnor hoI La
first man the human race would have
been spared a great deal, for | never
could have eaten an apple in the COM
pany of serpent, even if it had been
shared by the loveliest woman in the
world. l would rather meet a raven
ing wolf at the corner of wood than
know that there was hiding in my bed
room even an inoffensive black beetle.
A lizard would make me take to my
heels.
A snake, just fancy!
A cold perspiration broke out all
over me.
What was to be done?
Get up and fly? Yes, no doubt; but
what If woke it up and it nailed me
to the door? To lie still and wait for
daylight appeared to be the wisest
thing to do, after all. Yes, much the
wisest. But, alas. it could scarcely be
midnight yet, and never, never should
| be able to endure that living night
mare for seven mortal hours.
The snake moved not a muscle,
neither did I. What seemed strange
to me was that this snake slept
stretched out straight, instead of being
curled up, MS his species generally are
in repose. BY means of an imper-
ceptible movement of my knees came
to the conclusion that it must be about
three feet long. This is the length of
the terrible death adder. 1t made my
poor brain reel to think that The hor-
rid brute was there, ready to give me
my death when it should wake up.
Another plan suggested itself: roll
the quilt very softly and, wrapping it
over the creature, strangle it.. Yes,
yes, but the room was in dense dark
ness, and l should be running .. great
risk. 1t might wriggle deity fSom my
grasp and dart its poisoned fangs into
my arm.
Haunted by visions of LaocDon, ia.
Their and family, dripping wiGh per-
spiration, the darkness multiplied my
sufferings and made the situation
seem terrible.
Then / had few calm moments.
thanks to the idea that death caused
by snake bite is painless. You go tc
sleep and do not wake any more, that'-
all thought of Cleopatra. Heighoi
far better die like that than of goui
or rheumatism.
Stop a moment though! had rather
not die of that or of anything else to
night. To die painless death is dy
ing all the same, and feel SO grateful
to be alive!
| was going crazy, and ] felt that d
light was the only thing that could
bring back my wits. | would have nc