The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1896-11-05

with . purplish tinge round . tiny blue
spot, from which tho smallest imagin-
able drop Of blood had welled.
"Any good cauterizing it?" I sug-
gested.
"Not a mag" Jock said, shortly.
go on with the brandy and keep him
moving; that's his only chance"
The Mexican's face was dreadful to
see; he called, in his terror, on every
saint in the church; but he declared he
suffered no pain. Jock, improving the
occasion, began relating in low voice
to me anecdotes of all the snake bites
he had known. ''One boy I've seen that
did recover" he said; land that was
from the bite of brown snake, and
brown snakes as bad, they say, as q
rattler--an Australian brown snake,
that is; RATHER can't be worse. But
this boy was stupid all his life after;
not as quick-witted as the average,
which is not much to say. And at
times, just at the time of year at which
he'd been bitten, the wound got red
again and swelled, and he was stupider
than ever. Louie had on sock; the
rattler'd have had to go through that;
he might have spent bit of his poison
there; that gives Louie sort of a
chance. Docs it hurt you now, Louie? ?"
mo, boss; no, not hurt"
The swelling was spreading; going
up the ankle and right up the leg, and
the man began to talk slowly and pain
fully.
II remember said Jock, going
along ridge of a terrace on steep
river bank. The river was full OF
sharks, and I met brown snake COM
ing along the ridge toward me. There
wasn't room to turn, and couldn't take
to the river, for the sharks, and hadn't
gun. But my pal coming behind had
a gun, and he poked the barrel in be-
tween nv legs and blew the brute to
bits
lis that true, Jock?' asked.
my heavens, d'you think I'd ever lie
at such a time as this?" with a glance at
Louie's face.
care you getting sleepy, man?" he
said; then, as Louie did not answer, he
took him under the arm. Signaling me
to do the same on the other side, we
kept him moving between us up and
down and round the tent. From time
to time we made him drink more
brandy. He had taken half bottle,
but it seemed 10 have no effect on him.
1T stimulates the hearts action, you
know" Jock explained, lust as the
poison goes to stop it; but strychnine's
the best, acts as nerve tonic. It's deal
to do with the nerves, this snake-bite
business"
We heard the little ground-owls be-
gin whistling at each other from the
mouths of their squirrel holes away
down in the plain, and the bats and
moths began to come out as tn sun
sank out of sight. They brushed our
faces as we continued to march the
Mexican to and fro. Presently I left
the work to Jock, and rugged up pine
torch for signal light on the pole
which I had taken from the wagon.
The job took some while, but at length
I got the light fairly faring.
"Look at his face" Jock whispered to
me, as I came back to him.
1t was a shocking sight under the
Pickering rays, swollen, distorted, livid.
The mans arm was swollen, too, as l
felt when 1 took my place to support
him. His movements were lethargic
and heavy. so that I wondered that
Jock, unaided. could have kept him
moving so long.
"Give him more brandy" Jock di-
rected, more; that's it-he's had near
ly all the bottle. There's a chance
he went on presently; II really believe
there is. I thought he'd have been
dead before now. Maybe he don't mean
dying after all. A white man'd have
been dead half an hour ago."
II wish the doctor'd come"
mighty little good wishing"
The weary tramp went on. Twice !
had replenished the beacon-torch and
once more we gave the Mexican gulp
of the brandy, which finished the bot.
tie. As I was fixing the torch for the
third time I heard shout down the
canyon. I answered with all my
might, and in few minutes Jim Kelly
and the doctor rode into the circle OF
the fiaring light.
"Alive?' the doctor asked.
"Alive, yes" said Jock; ''alive, and
that's about all. He can't speak"
"What have you given him-brandy?
That's right. How much?"
"A hottleful."
Fright, and you've kept him awake
That's it. He won't die now. Won
derful fellows, these greasers. He'd
have died before this if he meant dying.
Let's see the wound"
The candle burned as quietly in the
still air as in a room. The Mexican's
foot was swollen so that it scarcely
looked like human member; but i'll
the midst of the purple swelling was a
white circle with the little blue mark.
plainly evident, for its center. The
Mexican seemed to feel no pain, even
when the doctor handled the wound
and pressed it upward with his fingers.
Hold the candle close" he said. ITS
blamed strange he added, "blamed
strange" pecking at the little blue