Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-01-08

For few moments it shook its horrid head, while Otter watched gasping. Twice it opened its great jaws and spat, and twice it strove to close them. Oh, what if it should rid itself of the knife or drive it through the soft flesh of the throati Then he was lost indeed. But this it might not do, for the lower blade caught upon the jawbone, and at each effort it drove the sharp point of the upper knife deeper to- ward its brain. Moreover, so good was the steel and so firm were the hide lashings of the handles, shrunken as they were with the wet, that nothing broke or gave. Now he will trample II or dash me to pieces with his tail," said Otter. But as yet the snake had no such mind. Indeed in its agony it seemed to have forgotten the presence of its foe. It writhed upon the floor of the cave, flashing the rock with its tail, gasping horribly the while. Then suddenly it started forward past him, and the tough hide rope about Otter's middle ran out like the line from the bow of a whaleboat when the harpoon has gone home in the quarry.
 Thrice the dwarf spun round violently; then he felt himself dragged in great jerks along the rocky floor, which, happil' for him, was smooth. A fourth jerk, and once more he was in the waters of the pool-aye, and being carried to its remot- est depths.
 Now, that man is fool, thought Ot- ter, 'who ties himself to such fish as this, for it will drown me ere it dies" Had it been any other man doubtless | this would have been so. But the dwarf was as nearly amphibious as human be- ing can be, and could dive and swim and hold his breath-aye, and see-beneath the surface as we'll as the animal from which he took his name. Never did these gifts stand their owner in better stead than during the minutes of this strange duel. Twice the tortured reptile sank to the bottom of the pool-and its depth was great-dragging the dwarf after him, though, as 1t chanced, between each dive it rose to the surface, giving him time to breathe. A third time it dived, and Otter | must follow It, on this occasion to the mouth of one of the subterranean exits of the water, into which the dwarf was | sucked. Now the brute turned, heading up the pool with a rush like that of salm- on, and Otter, who had prayed that the | line would break, now prayed that 1t | might hold, for he knew that even he could never hope to swim against that un- 1 dertow.
 It held, and once moro they rose to the ! surface, where the reptile lay flashing the waters in its pain, blood pouring from its i mouth and nostri1s. Very glad was the dwarf to be able to breathe again, for dur ing that last rush he had gone near to suf- location. He lifted his head, inhaling the air with great gulps, and saw that the banks of the pool were lined with specta- | tors, who shouted and surged in a state of \ mad excitement. After that he did not see much more for awhile, since just then \ it seemed to occur to the crocodile for the | first time that the man alongside of him was the cause of his suffering. At least it | widowed round, causing the waters to boil about its horny sides, and charged | him. With its fangs it could not bite. \ Therefore 1t struck at him with its tail. Twice Otter diyed, avoiding the blows, | but the third time he was not so success l ful, for tho reptile followed him into the | deep water and dealt him a fearful blow ! before he could either sink or rise. He | felt the rough scales cut into his flesh and l a sensation as though every bone in his | body was breaking and his eyes were starting from his head. Faintly and more faintly he struggled, but in vain, for now life and sense were leaving him together, and everything grew black.
 But suddenly there came a change, and Otter knew vaguely that once more he was being dragged through the water and over rock. Then darkness took him, and he remembered no more.
 When he awoke again, it was to find himself lying on the floor of the cave, but not alone, for by his side, twisted into q I last and hideous contortion, was the snake ! god-dead! The upper blade of the double | knife had worked itself into its brain, and with dying effort it sought the den | where it had lived for centuries, dragging Otter with 1t, and there expired, how or when he knew not. But the dwarf had ' lar- kh1
 terror of the People of the Mist, tho sym
 bol and indeed the object of their worship, slain by his skill and valor
 Otter saw and understood, and, bruised and shaken as he was, his heart swelled
 with pride, for had he not done deed single handed such as was not told of in
 the stories of his land? ''Oh that the naas
 were here to sec this sight!'' he said as he
 crawled along the length of his dead ene-
 my and seated himself upon its fat and
 loathsome head. Alas! he cannot" he
 added, but I pray that my watching
 spirit may spare my life; that I may live
 to sing this song of the staying of the devil
 of the People of the Mist. Wow! That
 was fight. When shall a man see such
 another? And 10! save for many bruises
 and the cutting of the rope about my mid
 dle, am not greatly hurt for the water
 broke the weight of his tail when he smote
 mo with it. After all, it is we'll that the
 line held. for it served to drag mo from
 the pool as 1t dragged mo into it, and oth-
 erwise had surely drowned there. Sec,
 though, it is nearly done with" And
 taking that end of it in his hand which
 issued from the jaws of the crocodile he
 broke it with a jerk, for, with the excep-
 tion of half a strand, 1t was frayed through
 by the yellow fangs. Then, when he had
 recovered himself little and washed the
 worst of his hurts with water, Otter set
 himself to consider the position. First,
 however, he made an utterly intellectual
 effort to extact the great knives Ten men | could not have moved them, for the upper
 blade was driven many inches deep into thG
 bone and muscles of the reptiles massive
 head. But for this indeed 1t would sooI
 have shaken itself clear of them. But, ai
 it was, every contortion and gnashing ol
 its jaws had only served to drive the stee
 in deeper-up to tho hilt indeed.
 Abandoning this attempt, the dwar
 crept cautiously to the mouth of the cave . and peered up at tho farther banks of the
 pool, whence he could hear shouts and SCI
 men moving to and fro, apparently fin {
 state of great excitement.
 Now, am weary of that pool, he sait
 to himself, "and if I am seen in it tn, great people will surely shoot at mo witt
 arrows and kill me. What shall do
 then! l cannot stay in this place of stinki
 with the dead devil and the bones of thos' whom he has devoured until die of hun ger. Now, this water must come iron
 somewhere. Therefore it seems best tha
 should follow 1t awhile, searching for tn I spot where it enters the cave. It will b.
 dark walking. but the walls and the foo
 are smooth, so that shall not hurt my self, and if I find nothing can return . again and strive to escape from tho poo
 by night
 I Having decided upon the adventure, Ot ter began to carry it out with characteris , tic promptness, th" orc readily, indeed