The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1897-04-02
me, the blissful day came, just as the

"ohill lllC va iOi lilI
at least; not for the merry companions,
who remained together until early in
the morning. But | withdrew with
my young wife from the loud com
pany.
We lived in a hotel. As | with my
wife on my arm walked through the
long, gloomy corridor on which our
room opened II shadow slipped by
quite close to us. paid no attention
to it, but it occurred to me later that
the shadow assumed human shape-it
was Jim Cody, who hated me, because
Flora had preferred he to him, and
because | treated him with contempt
on account of his bad character.
The door of my room was open; a
candelabrum. with one of its candles
burning, stood on the table. With II
timid, yet joyful heart, l drew my lit
tie wife over the threshold; then kiss
ing the clear, white brow, | took off
her veil and bridal wreath, and was
about to lay them on the table, when
peculiar sound froZe my blood.
There is no sound i'll the world like
this. 1t was the rattle of Il rattle
! snake.
Terrified, looked about me-. There
close to the little feet of my unsus-
pecting wife, lay the horrid reptile;
only one step, and she was lost,
Quickly pulling her back, lifted her
in my arms to protect her from the
teadly bite. At that moment, from
ONE unaccountable cause, the can
telabrum toppled over and the one
burning candle went out; at the same
moment the key was turned from the
outside, the door locked and ii satanic
| loY.ph +hrnn,rh tho anpriAn1
| That was Jim COdy's revenge
Like a flash this certainty shot
through my brain: but | had no time
to indulge in the thought longer.
must think of deliverance. Our sit
uation was desperate one, and my
task not small. | found myself hold
ing my wife in my arms, in Il dark
room. three steps away from one of
the most poisonous snakes. | could
not put my wife down, SO as to expose
her to the reptiles bite. l myself did
not dare to take a step, for fear of
| treading on the snake, which, as it
| seemed to me. had moved in order to
change its place. The only thing that
| remand for Inc to do was to wait on the
| spot where | was until it grew light,
! for, if not excited, / knew that the
rattlesnake attacks no one; and it
was tor that reason also that did not
cali for help--the noise might have
| reused the snake.
Hastily telling my wife just what
our situation was, [ begged her to
keep perfectly quiet. Now began the
most frightful night OF my life. | am
a powerful man, and my little wife
was soft and light, and yet | almost
| broke down under her weight. Often
| thought could hold out no longer;
| but the fear of delivering up the be
| loved creature to death let me accom-
| plish something superhuman. And
| this fear was not without foundation;
| the snake was very restless and evil
| IDENTIFY excited. | could not, to be
sure, see it, but from time to time
| its ill omened rattle.
Had been able to see, would have
COPIED with ten rattlesnakes; but in
| the dark | was powerless, and had it
concerned my life alone l would have
still risked it; but the life of my sweet
| little wife was at stake. | must hold
out-and did hold outflow, heaven
only knows. For more than six hours
| stood on one spot, with my wife in
my arms. What | endured is not to
be described, think. If some one
was to offer me hundred thousand
pounds, | would not do it again.
At last the morning softly dawned.
| Bat | was not delivered yet, for more
than half iii hour still passed before
| it was light enough to be able to dis.
| tinguish the objects in the room, and
| this half hour became to me the hard
est of the whole night. But it finally
wore away; it grew lighter, and now |
| even thought | saw the Snake-there
on the carpet. Yes, that was it
Without moving, it lay coiled up on
| the same spot where | had seen it last
night.
Cautiously and softly, l stepped
| back wards, as far as that corner of
| the hearth, where among sticks and
| weapons, a very sharp Chinese sabre
stood. | let my wife slip slowly upon
a chair. She was very weak and faint
and pale from excitement and anxiety
for me. Cautiously 1 drew the sabre
from the scabbard. Then, gliding,
! approached my sleeping enemy. For
precautions sake | had taken in my
left hand a bed cover, which wished
to hold towards the reptile if it awoke.
But my precaution was unnecessary,
for the snake lay motionless.
Then eXerting all my strength the
heavy BILE de whiZZed down upon the
venomou worm. l thought would
cut the reptile in two, but it only bent
together and continued to lie in the
same position, Now, in the increasing
light, as | looked with wonder at my
apparently uninjured enemy, yet who
lay there so still, saw-did my eyes
deceive me? | saw lying on the car
| If Ia ,rtif i.ia Ia, h Ia,. l.
such as we had used in pantomime
But no, impossible, there must be
rattlesnake in the room. | had heard
the rattle so distinctly, l knew the
sound too well Il could not be mistaken
Then while was still thinking over
it, my young wife cried out anXiously:
There there what is that?' and
pointed with the tip of her foot to the
clothes press.
Startled, turned round quickly.
By heaven that was the rattle of IL
rattlesnake, There was no snake TO
it, however, but simply Il cord thas
led out of the room through Il hole in
the door. And upon closer examina-
ton, found another cord running
through the same hole, and attached
to the upset candeiab rum on the floor.
Now | could account for its topping
over
ooh, this Jim Cody, this scoundrelr'
l cried. well, just wait till catch
himr'
But 1 did not catch him-have not
found him again up to the present, and
what is more | do not want to set
eyes on the fellow again, for really he
only made use of me.