Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1894-08-11
ness began to spread from his stomaca.
md Claudio shut his eyes

ness began 10 spread I1Oku uio 6soL0SC3s
pnd Claudio shut his eyes
Just then sudden jerk ran through
the body Of the bear, aud there was .
sharp snort as of rage or pain. Claudio
opened his eyes. Hecould see nothing
but that demoniac face; but in it he
Then there was sickening movement
tof the great claws which had sunk
deep into his back and scalp. Surely
they were relaxing! Their withdrawal
was far more painful than their en-
trance had been; but even with the
faintness of the new pain, a sudden
wave of JOY swept through the shep-
herd-for the first time, now. he
hoped, though he knew not why. He
shook his head savsgely, to clear the
blood which streamed down over his
eyes (the paw had dropped from his
scalp and dug his fists into tho deer
flrred throat, and fought with ths
strength of two Claudios-fghting no
longer as a dying rat fights, but like
man for hope Of life.
Then a very wonderful thing befelL
The bear was grooming an2 painting
heavily; and suddenly it lurched aud
iell to the ground, carrying Claudio
With it. But 1t was no longer try'n,
10 get his heal between it's jaws For
a moment he lay half upon him,
writhing and grinding its teeth, an1
then flung itself to one side, biting up
great mouthful of sand. Claudio
leapel to his feet, ran to the six
shooter and fell upon it, crying like
child. It was ten minutes before he
could get up, for loss Of blood and
more than oil. the frishtful strain
had left him limp as rag. At last he
staggered to his feet, clutching the
six shooter, and walked unsteadi]y
toward the pear.
Laying down his revolver he caught
the heavy fur to turn the bear over.
Ordinarily he would have succeeded.
Four hundredweight is no fool Of q
lump, but Claudio, as you have seen,
was an uncommonly powerful young
man. Now, however, worn out by
his fearful struggle and with nerves
so unstrung that he trembled all over,
it was too much for him. Still, the
mystery would not let him rest, and
hunching his shoulders against the
bears back he ran his hnnl under,
feeling for the wound. He gropel
anl grope |, but suddenly III hollow
felt the touch of something very diff
fereut from fur or sand. and in the
same instant an inconcelvable pang.
And when he jerkeI away his arm a
tiny snake, less than foot long,
gray hacael, AMI cooperv on the
belly. was hanging from his thump.
The last yestige Of color IA led from
.he brown face and left it gray as
ashes between thu drying streaNs OF
blood-for Claudio knew the plchu-
cuate, the only real asp in the new
| world. the deadliest snake IN North
| America. SO be had escaped the be"r
only to die by the tiny foe for never
vet had one been known to recover
from the bite of the pichucuate. 1
rattlesnake was nothing; but this
we'll, SEQ what it had done for such q
| monster as the bear and in the space
OF less than minute! Evidently IN
their struggle hruin had stepped toe
close to this unsuspeeted danger
that great lump on his hind leg ex'
plainei ALL Hal he carried his usua
coat OF fat the venom would hav,
taken far longer to operate AMI hs
would have hal abundant time to
settle accounts with Clau Ito. Bat he
no longer looked gaunt. He was still
swelling ALREADY he looked fat as il
July were here.
Already Claudio was reeling. Fear
ful pains sho. up his arm and wen
forking through his body. Upon tn
thumb were only two tiny black dot
right at the tip. but the hand in the:
I've seconds hal taken twice its size
II ne coali only cnt It of! But ala
his knife was in his coat. AMI betor
be could ge. half way to that De woul
be a dead shepherd.
AL this .iad taken not so long as yc
have been IN reading it-nay. scar
the time IN wa.ch one might spell Il
longest word n it, fo. IN these cris'