The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1895-03-08

called to the nearest town on business and
did not get back to the farmhouse till late
Every light was out, and all the inmates
had evidently retired, SO l determined TO
gain my room without arousing them, if
possible. Fortunately | found my win
dow open, and without lighting n lamp l
undressed and crawled into bed But |
could not get TO sleep, and finally con
Guided to try II cigar "a II soothing tonic,
SO got up and began to walk over to
where had left my clothes for my coat,
in which had put my cigar case.
had taken only n few steps when |
heard the sharp whir-whir Of rattle
snake The sound is unmistakable, and
was aware that these creatures often
creep into houses in that region and some
times show fight when an attempt is made
to drive them out. | did not wait to in
vestigate his snakeship's whereabouts,
but gained my bed without touching the
floor ut all, believe. / must have awak-
| encd my hostess by my movements in com
/ ing in, in spite of my caution, for l now
/ heard her sing out to her husband-their
/ bedroom was next to mine with only a
thin Iath partition bctween-"Oh, John,
/ there's IL rGttiesnabe in Mr.. Richardson's
room. | heard him %
Then failing to arouse him, she called
to me; "Where is he2 Do you see him?"
answered that did not.
The lamp was u yard or two from me,
and if | had had to 20 without II light
from then until now | do not believe /
would have set my bare foot to the floor
to have got one. But did not say this,
however, to the lady. There's never any
use in owning you are n coward. People
will find it out soon enough. She wanted
to know then why did not get up and
] kill him. oh" said, 81 do not object
to his being here" She began to scream
then and to try again to awaken her hus
baud, but while am firmly convinced he
was wide enough awake to take in tho nit
uation not word could she get out OF
him.
then began to get mad. The sacred
laws of hospitality demanded that John
should arise and free his guests chamber
OF all horrors except such as he himself in
troduced there from good spirits, and
said So Mrs. John did not, however,
view the matter in this Light, and 1atly re
fused to allow John to run this risk, John
still taking no part in the argument, but,
like Br'er Rabbit, kept on saying nothing
and Laying low" In the meanwhile the
snake had again composed himself for
slumber, leaving Mrs john and me to set
tie the thing as we might, until mouse
must have run over him in the dark, for
we heard him sound his alarm, and the
next moment a shrill shrek of agony pro
claimed that the mouse had been struck.
This set Mrs. John off again, and she In
sisted that the intruder must be killed
with all my heart, madam, said en-
phutically. "Will you do it2''
This silenced her for time, when
10, ,tr,rr l,1
youd all records of such feats. My imag-
ination now commenced to grow interest
ed. and could picture that notified de
mon Of the plains crawling toward me III
the dark, stealing noiselessly up the leg
of the bed on to it and--but here Mrs.
John asked, "Mr. Richardson, are you
going to kill that snake?"
took in every point of the situation
and replied yes, if she would hold the
light. To my surprise she said she would
And in another moment ! saw the CLEAN
of light in the next room, and the com
municating door was thrown open, anC
Mrs. John, with an extra adornment of {
gayly colored patched quilt over her shout
ders, hung over the foot of her bed with {
lighted lamp in her hand. The rays vert
thrown into my room, and by them saw
monster RATHER coiled up within three
feet of the bed.
slipped my hand under my pillow ant
secured the revolver | had got into thu
habit during my stay in that part of tn
country of never allowing to be away from
me for moment, and drawing it on
cooked it.
Here Mrs. John gave new and specia
sort of screanl--a woman is more afrait
of firearms than of, anything else on eartl
al In rIE
shoot You might kill John" "If
could do that, madam, would feel that
had not lived in vain" asserted in
deadly, cold, heavy villain tone, but re
pented it, for Mrs. John nearly fell bacl
, into bed with the lamp and my hopes o
Kidding my apartment of my roommate
E But she recovered sufficiently to sit VI
once more and hold the light in IA wobbly
| hysterical sort of a way, and | fired Tn
-. snake, which did not hit, as | only want
! ed to make him lift his head so that
T.. could dispatch him with single shot
now furiously threw himself into a col
{ and raised his ugly head, and l, aiming
as carefully as Mrs. John would let me
fired again and sent the snake down witt
a bullet through his brain,
Ha, but what was thisS From the mex
room, from under Mrs. Johns own bed
there sounded second rattle ike a not
of defiance. And simultaneously Johl
awoke with suspicious suddenness. la
back with the happy consciousness of dut
performed and drained the sweet cup O
vengeance with it. "Arise, john" sal
in calm tones, land slay this menace t
thy happy home" and, blush to say, h
again so forgot the laws of hospitality a
% bid his guest to hold his tongue.
Mrs. John had collapsed and could onl
utter indistinct means. John now dc
nlanded of me that / should throw him ey
cry object in my reach, which / Mt frs
declined to do, feeling drowsy, but at las
consented and showered boots, spurs an
riding whips on Mrs. Johns prostrat
form. John gathered these up and il
turn showered them under the bed. A
first the snake refused to be dislodged
and, like all of us, had it only kept it
temper would have remained master of tn
: situation.
But growing angry under this fusillad
it coiled and recoiled, striking again an
again, until at last it came from unde
Z the bed to thrust forth its head at a boo
John seized his chance and gave it tn
contents of his revolver, which tore it q
to pieces. Philadelphia Times,