Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1897-01-08
Kelly and the doctor robe into the
circle of the flAring ligh,.
tAt;., =, ,l,a Inof,p ooHa1

Kelly and the doctor rOOe lhtO tue
circle of the niring ligh;.
sAIivtP the doctor asked.
alive, yes,' said jock; 'allve
and that's about all. He can't
speak
'Wnat have you given him
brandy That's rigAt, how muchP
"A bottle full'
Right aud you've kept him
awaksi Tnat'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 room. The
Mexlcan's foot was swollen, so that
it scarcely looked like a human
member; but in the midst of the
purple swelling was a white circle
wltk the little blue marks. plslnl5
evident for it's centre. The Mexi-
con seemed to fesl no pd1 even
when the doctor handled the wound
and pressed it upward with his
fingers.
Hold the candle close ho said
It's blamed strange he added
'blamed strange pe6king at the
little blue mark with his tOrceps;
The 'fang's In the wound yet.
never heard of that happening be
tore. Shake him a bit; don't let
him go drowsy.'
His swollen llmbs wObbled like
Jelly under the treatment. 1t was
horrld.
The doctor gave a little dig, and
then little tug with his fOrceps.
Presently he held up to the candle
in the clutch OF tue forceps, long
white splne, aud regarded 1t cur
losly.
Then he said IN a hollow voice:
Do you know what it isl It's not
a fang at all; It's cactus spike
'Whatp
A strangely perplexed little
group of men gazed into eacn
others faces with questioning eyes
under the stars thar twinkle don't
over the snow. topped edges OF the
Sierras.
Only horn?
Iook at ir,' the doctor sad
you can see the thing Tor your
selves
One after the other examined
the spine, feeling It's point with
a finger that We certainly sAould
not have yenlured near it had il
been a poisonfang. 'And there's
nothing else IN the wound' JOCK
asked.
Aud you mean to tell me that
I've wasted two hours Of my time,
to say nothing Of & bottle OF ouI
best brandy, in walking about
Greaser that has nothing the nat
ter but a thorn in his foOt' Wen,
am daTned!
That's about what you've beer
doing the doctor sad quietly.
well, [ am darned.' Jock turn
ed with a Look Of righteous wrath
to the wretched Mexican, who wal
lying in comatose heap in ID,
arms: but the first sight OF his fac,
checked the words unspOken.
Shake him up; keep him walk
ing;' Jock began again, when b
had succeeded in arOusing som
slgn of life in Louie, that all tha'
pointing at his distended features
rs the cactuSthOrnP
'Tuere's not a mite else in tn
wound
'Well, I am darned.'
sAll the same,' the doctor adde'
quietly, he'd have died it yo'
nadn't kept him going
Died! What of ?
.Snake-bi'e! -sh AXE him ur
shere; don't let him 90 drOwsy.'
I Snake bitel Heavens and eartl
b L thought you said there was notl
7 ing IN his foot beyond the thorn
Then the doctor went up 70 Joe
: and laid a hand OH each OF hi
shoulders, and said, very slowl
r and distinctly: You marx IN
- Jock Peters, we're Ill face OF
9 bigger thing tonight than snak'
K blte. Ws're in the face of one G
8 the biggest and ultimatest my
1 teries-the infvenee of the mln
4 upon the body. I've heard
IT something like this case before
although I've never seen il, NJ
X ever thought l should; and that
connection with a coolle and
a cobra 10 India. in that case, to
] there was no snake-blte, allhouG
II there was a snake. The cool