The record-union., 1897-08-09


and met brown snake, coming along
the ridge towards me. There wasn't
room to turn, and / couldn't take to
the river for the sharks, and / hadn't
a gun. But my pal coming behind had
a gun, and he poked the barrel in be-
tween my legs and blew the brute to
bits"
rs that true. Jock?' I asked.
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 signalling
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 bran
dy He had taken half a bottle, but it
seemed to have no effect on him.
1T stimulates the hearts action, you
know" Jock explained, Just as the
poison goes to stop it; but strychnine's
the best. acts as nerve tonic. It's a
deal to do with the nerves, this snake
bite business"
We heard the little ground owls be-
gin " UlSlllIES 10 EACH OAitCi lIOliI liz
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 Mexican
to and fro. Presently l 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 while, but at length l got the
light fairly fiaring."
Look at his face" Jock whispered
to me as 1 came back to him.
1t was a shocking sight under the
fiickering rays, swollen, distorted, livid-
The mans arm was swollen too, as L
felt when l 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 direct
ed, more; that's it-hes had nearly
all the bottle. There's a chance" he
went on presently; Il really believe
there is. 1 thought he'd have been
mean dying after all. A white man'd
have been dead half an hour ago.
Il wish the doctord come
mighty little good wishing"
The weary tramp went on. Twice
I had to replenish the beacon-torch, and
once more we gave the Mexican a gulp
of the brandy, which finished the bot
tie. AS I was fixing the torch for the
third time, I heard a shout down the
canyon. / answered with all my might,
and in a few minutes Jim Kelly and the
doctor rode into the circle of the far
ing 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 bottleful"
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 dy-
ing. 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 a human member; but in
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, TITS
blamed strange" he added, blamed
strange" pecking at the little blue
mark with his forceps; 1.-The fang's in
the wound yet. I never heard of that
happening before. Shake him a bit;
don't let him go drowsy"
His swollen limbs wobbled like Jelly
under the treatment It was horrid
The doctor gave little dig. and then
little tug with his forceps. Presently
he held up to the candle, in the clutch
of the forceps, long white spine, and
regarded it curiously.
Then he said in a hollow voice: "Do
you know what it is? It's not fang
at all; it's a cactus-spike''
What"
A 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.
"Only a thOrn!"
Look at it, the doctor said. you
can see the thing for yourselves"
One after the other we examined the
spine, feeling its point with a finger
that we certainly should not have ven
tured near it had it been a poison
fang. And there's nothing else in the
wound?" Jock asked
mot a thing else
And you mean to tell me that I've
wasted two hours of my time. to say
nothing of the bottle of our best bran
dy, in walking about a Greaser that
has nothing the matter but thorn in
his foot? Well, am darned''
That's about what you've been do
ing" the doctor said quietly.
Well l am darned" Jock turned
with a look of righteous wrath to the
wretehed Mexican, who was lying in
comatose heap in my arms but the
first sight of his face checked the words
unspoken.
Shake him up; keep him waking"
the doctor cried.
But you don't mean to tell me-" Jock
began again, when we had succeeded in
arousing some sign of life in Louie,
that all that" pointing at his distend-
ed features, lis the cactus -thorn?"
There's not a mite else in the
wound
.eWeU am darned