The Van Buren press., 1896-11-21

"Snake-bitel Heavens and earth,
thought you said there was nothing IN
his foot beyond the thorn
Then the doctor went up to Jock and
laid hand ON each of his shoulders,
and said, very slowly and distinctly;
you mark me, Jock Peters, we're IN
face of bigger thing tonight than
snake bite We're in face OF one of the
biggest and ultimatest facts of human
nature, and one of its biggest mysteries
the influence of the mind upon the
body. I've heard of something like this
case before, although I've never seen It,
nor ever thought | should; and that in
connection with coolie and cobra in
India In that case, too, there was no
snake bite. although there was snake.
The coolie saw the snake; it darted
from beneath his feet, and at the same
moment Qikely from the start he gave)
thorn pierced his foot-just as it hap.
pened to the Greaser. And that man,
too. the same as this man here, swelled
up. showed all the symptoms Of snake
poisoning, and died. This man we'll
save. You, Jock, have practically saved
him by keeping him moving and eoun-
teraeting the poison by the brandy.
Look at the man; isn't he snake-poi'
soned 90
by all that's blue he looks IT." jock
admitted.
and all the hurt he's GOETHE physie-
al hurts Just the pin-prick of that
thorn. The rests all mental-all the
swelling, the sureharging of the yes-
sels, mental. Now. tell NE, how do
5ou think that man would be but for
lis morbid mental state, with all that
brandy that you've given him?"
Dead, l suppose?s
You're right--dead; as dead as You
ar would be if we set to drink the same
Just now. But he-hc's hardly drunk;
hes sober. And he's better now-heart
acting better" lie bent and listened 10
lis beating as he spoke. you've seen
strange thing tonight. gentlemen
he added. rising again, and addressing
us collectively; such a thing as neither
you nor | are likely ever to see again.
And I'll tell you another thing about
it. gentlemen; it's a thing that you
won't find a great deal of credence for
when you come to tell it to the boys.
There's a fashion in this world for men
to believe they know the way things
happen; and the thing that happens in
way they don't know they put aside
as a thing that didn't happen. So OF
this" the doctor added. simply. Il
should only speak, as among gentle
men, with the hand on the pistol-pocliet
at the hip
After awhile the awful distortion OF
l.oue's face began to go down. You
can almost see it settling like a batter
pudding" as Jim Kelly said; and the
fearful purple tinge died out of it. Ills
heart was beating naturally again, anc
the doctor said we might let him &C
to sleep.
In the morning he was difficult to
rouse, as he might be after so hea7y a
night, but the doctor said he would do
tight enough if we gave him rest for a
day or two. And so we did, though his
nerve was so shaken that we had to
send him back to the plain again, where
there are no rattIesnakes. It appeared
later that Louie had cherished a morbid
dread of snakes for long while, ever
since he had had hand in the killing
of one six feet long down in the republic
of Mexico; though after couple OF
years ON the ranch he had almost for
gotten that there were such things. \
man that is nervous about snakes
should never go barefoot in the hills.
1T only shows what told YOU" Jock
Peters commented. "Strychnine is the
thing for a snake bite, because it is
such nerve tonic. If a man could make
believe he had not been bitten he need
never die of snake bite. If ever I'm Bit
ten | shall make believe it was a cactus
spine"
This is true story. although it's
such good one. If anybody doubts it,
he can see the thorn. - MacAGllan's
Magazine.