The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-09-20

of snake bites, which he had studied in
Australia, but we haven't got IT, so we
must do what we can with this. But it's
a poor chance" he added in whisper, as.
to save time, he knocked the neck off a
bottle of brandy. Drink 1t, Louie" he
said. Never mind cutting your lip Get
it down, that's the chief thing"
The Mexican's teeth chartered as we
forced in the neck OF the bottle but he
drank great gulp without winking. The
liquor, or pickle either, to scorch the
throat of a Mexican has yet to be found.
Jim Kelly, the Irishman, was saddling
the freshest of our horses to ride at best
speed to Lindsay, eleven miles away In the
haze of the plains, for the doctor In a
minute he was pounding away among the
hills. Fix up light as high as you can
put it, If it's dark before we get back"
he shouted as he went.
We pulled the sock off the Mexican's
foot. Already 1t was swelling fast with
a purplish tinge round a tiny blue spot.
from which the smallest imaginable drop
Of blood had welled.
Amy good cauterizing it?" I suggested.
mot a mag" said Jock, 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
lAO pain JOCK, improving the occasion.
began relating in low voice to me anec-
dotes 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 a
brown snake, and a brown snakes as
bad, they say, as a 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 av-
erage, which is not much to say. And at
times inst q thn TINA Nf
he'd been bitten, the wound got red again
and swelled, and he was stupider than
ever. Louie had on a sock; the rattlerd
have had to go through that; he might
have spent bit of his poison there that
gives Louie sort of a chance. Does it
hurt you now, Louie?"
NO. boss, no, not hurt"
The swelling was Speeding; going up the
ankle and right up the leg, and the man
began to talk slowly and painfully.
Il remember" said Jock, "going along
ridge of a terrace on a steep river bank
The river was full of sharks, and 1 met
a brown snake coming along the ridge
toward me. There wasn't room to turn,
and I couldn't take to the river for the
sharks, and hadn't gun. But my pal
coming behind had a gun, and he polxed
the barrel in between my legs and blew
the brute to bits
my heaven, d'you think I'd lie at such
a time as this?" with a glance at Louie's
face.
Are you getting sleepy, MANI" he said.
Then, as Louie did not answer, he took
him under the arm, and 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 a Bottle, hut it seemed to have
no effect on him
cit
know" Josh explained, ''just as the poi
son goes to stop 1t, but strychnine's the
best, acts as nerve tonic. It's a deal to
do with the nerves, this snake-bite bust
ness"
We heard the little ground owls begin
whistling to each other from the mouths
of the squirrel holes away down in the
plain, and the bats and moths began to
come out as the sun sank out of sight.
They brushed our faces as we continued
to march the Me4feau to and fro Pres
emily left the work to Jock and rugged
up a pine torch for a signal light on the
pole which took from the wagon. The
job took some time, but at length 1 got
the light fairly fiaring.
Look at his face" Jock whispered to
me as I came back to him.
1t was shocking sight under the flick
ering rays, swollen, distorted, livid. The
mans arm was swollen, too, as / felt
when 1 took my place to support him.
His movements were lethargic and heavy
so that 1 wondered that Jock, unaided
could have kept him moving so long,
Give him more brandy" Jock directed;
more; that's It; he's had nearly all the
bottle. There's a chance" he went on
presently, II believe there is l 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."
81 wish the Qoctor'd Gomez
Mighty little good wishing"
The weary tramp went on. Twice had
to replenish the beacon torch, and once
more we gave the Mexican a gulp of the
brandy, which finished the bottle. AS
was fixing the torch for the third time
heard a shout down the canon. 1 an
swered with all my might and in few
minutes Jim Kelly and the doctor rode
into the circle of the faring light.
"Ahve?" the doctor asked.
"Alive, yes" said Jock; "aIive and
that's about all. He can't speak"
What have you given him. brandy?
That's right. How much?'
"A bottleful."
Right, and you've kept him awake.
That's it. He won't die now. Wonderful
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 in the midst
of the purple swelling was white circle
with the little blue mark plainly evident
for its center. The Mexican seemed to
feel no pain, even when the doctor hand
led the wound and pressed 1t upward with
his fingers.
Hold the candle close" he said, ITS
blamed strange" he added, blamed
strange" pecking at the little blue mark
with his forceps; 1.-The fang's in the wound
yet. / never heard of that happening be-
fore. Shake him bit; don't let him 80
drowsy."
His swollen limbs wabbled like Jelly un-
der the treatment. 1t was horrid.
The doctor gave little dig, then a lit
tie tug with his forceps. Presently he
held up to the candle. in the clutch Of the
forceps, a long white spine and regarded
1t curiously. Then he said in a hollow
voice: do you know what It is? 1t is
not fang at all; it's a cactus spike"
"Whatp
strangely perplexed little group Of
men gazed into each others faces with
questioning eyes, under the stars that
twinkled out over the snow-topped edges
of the Sierras.
~.