The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-10-03
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THE BEST
SNAKE STORY.
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~ NNsN N'> 800 'NsN W. ~
tho world IL that there was really no
snake In It. which II more than can be
said V Of the Garden OF Eden.
It had been very hot that summer on
tho ranch, Men work In tho fields OF
California with the thermometer at ITO
degrees, while they fall down OF heat
apoplcNy In the strcHtsGf New York and
Chicago at 90 degrees. That Is the max
I'M they preach 4 the stranger IN the
west, and It has truth In II; but Il Is IA
mistake to suppose that even In CallrOr-
MA men work In the fields IN comfort In
Such Il temperature: and that summer
the thermometer hnd ROnn very nrar lis
degrees. SO we were grateful enough TO
get away Into tho hills for Il spell, with a
wagon and n tent aud the usual OUTFIT OF
pots and pans, thrCC OF Us. white men,
with Louie, the Mexican (whOm We call.
cd, In the vernacular, the Greaser), 20
mind the horses nnI make himself gem
orally useful, Our programme was 10
iiSh the tiverr, shoot deer, and pOssIbly
II grizzly bear, discover a gold mine, and
go back to the ranch with n prospective
fortune.
We had just pitched our tent. Down
on the plain for weeks before we had
been sleeping out on the vcrandas, but
the air OF the hills had n nip In 1t by
contrast. 1t was late in the afternoon.
but there was still plenty OF sunshine. |
followed Louie round n shoulder Of the
hill. Solng 10 fetch water ut 4 little dis
lance from n stream tumbllng from
somewhere among the snowy peaks that
H1nnnI llNn AT ~ tl.U, a.. a.. .-.,..
mountains above us. These mountains
had. ut some time or other. sent down a
llttle avalanche OF small rocks that lay
heaped on our left ~ we walked. The
scene was the most peaceful Imaginable.
IN an Instant n succession OF small In
cid"nts sent the peace to limbo. Louie
dropped his pannikcn with a tinkllng
clRtter, crying "Sancta Marln!" In II
voice OF terror. At the same time |
heard the dread rattle OF n snake. and
saw Its length CLEAN under LouIe's feet
and vanish among the rocks.
"SanCta Mariai" ne tottcrrd back into
my armE, his dark fac" livld with fear.
What Is II, Louie? Did the snake
strike yOu?'
I'm the foot" he said. Yes"
lie, us get back to camp. Quick, lean
on me-"
Whats the good. boss" he asked.
I'm n dead man" Nevertheless he
came with me, leaning on my shoulder.
and making a lame walk OF It.
Down In the plain we had no rattle
snakes. For miles about the ranch
there were no rocks for them and though
there were plenty OF sQuirrcl-holcs we
never saw snakes about them. The
thought OF such things did not enter
tsp 1N.n.la nRI Z 1,,t. -. a. - . Ill, N-..-
had kicked them on. with the long spurs.
and came with me In his stocking feet
Oh this quest FOR water.
\ word explained to the boys what
had happened.
"~Strychnirr's the best" said loci. Pc
tiers. who was N authority on the Qucs-
ton OF snake bites. which he had studI-
I'd in Australia; bat we haven't got IT,:
so We must do what We IAN for him
with this; but It's n poor chance" he
R6ded In Il whisper. Us. to saw time. he
Knocked III mex on 4 bOttl OF brandy.
Drink II, Louie" he said: never mind
cutting your lIp:gct 1t down; that's the
chief thing"
The McXicnn's teeth chartered as we
forced In the neck OF tho bottle, but he
drank a great SUIp without winkIrS.
TIL liquor, or pickle either, 10 scOrCh n
McXlcdu's throat has yet to be found.
Jim Kelly. the Irlshman. was saddlInE
the frcshcs; OF u horses to ride al
hest speed into Lindsay, eleven miles
away in the haze Of tn" plains. for tho
doctor. In q minute he was %pOundin;
away along III" hills. FIX up II light
as high as YOU can put II II IT'S dark
before we gel back" he shouted us he
went.
We pulled the sock off the M~cxlcau's
foot. Already 1t was swelling fast, with
a purplIsh tlnEe round n tiny blue srOt,
from which the smallest imaginable
drop of blood had wellcd.
Any good cautcrlzing IT." I SUE.
Ees,ed.
not q mag" Jock said shortly. Go
on with the brandy and keep him
Ing; that's his only chance"
The NcXiCan'S fac. was dreadful to
sec; he called, In HIS terror, on ever
saint in the church; hut he declared
he suffered n" raia. Jock, improving
the occasion, began relating IN n low
voice to me anecdotes of all the snake
bites lie had known. ''One boy I've
Seen hat did recover" he said: and
that was from tn. bit" Of IL brown
snake. and a brown snakes as bad ~
Il rattler-an Australian brown snake,
that Is: n rattle can't be worse. lIut
this boy was STUPID all his life after;
Uuc Ga Qulck-wi.t"i ~ tho average.
which Is not much 10 say. And al times
just ut the TIM" OF year al which he'd
been bitten, the wound got red again
and swellcd and h" was stupidcr thnn
ever Louis had on II sock: the rattler'd
have had TO 20 through thar; he might
have spent n hit OF his poison there;
that gives Louis n sort OF Il chance.
Does 1t hurt you now. Louic?"
No. boss, no. not hurt"
The swelling was spreading. going up
the ankle and right up the leg. and
the maj began TO talk slowly and pain
fully.
81 remember" said Jock, going along
4 ridge Of Il terrace on n steep river
hank. The river was full Of sharks, and
| met Il brown snake coming along the
ridge towards nc. There wnsn'. room
TO turn. and ] cOnldn't take to the river
fer the sharks. and I hadn't a gun. But
my pal coming behind had Il gun and
lie poEcd the barrel In between my legs
and blow III. brute TO bits"
''ls that true. jock" | nsked.
My heaven, d'yuu think I'd lie at
such n time az this?" with Il glance at
I.Uuln'E face.
lar" you getting sleepy. man?" he
said; then. as Louis did not answer. he
took him under the arm. md signnllng
mo to do the same on the other side,
We kept him moving between us up
and down and round tn" tent. From
lime to time we made him drink more
brandy. lie had taken hal. n bottle,
but 1t seemed TO have no effect on him.
at stimulates the hearts action, you
know" Jock explained. Jus, ns the
poison goes 10 stop It; but strychninc's
the best; acts as nerve tonic. It's n
deal to do with the nerves, this snake
bite business"
We heard the l!ttio ground owls he
gin whistllng 10 each other from the
mouths OF the squirrel holes away down
L. --AIaI---- 49,