The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-09-04

ward The setting SUI They we're q route
20 the coas- Many weeks -a-er :1ey
( cauped one night n New Mexico. yea:
! Piaos Altos. II the Lake Valley region L
was hot night and OLD Joha was sleepdn 2
OF lis biaakels out on the ground, lis wife
OF pie q hay 4 few :eet away, ard The
children il the camp wagon. Some ZINE
II the night his sleep was troubled Dy 4
fearful nightmare He was lying ia; on
lis back and Il seemed as though tons Of
( lsaden weight were resting heavily OF his
/ chest He was breathing with difficulty,
: for besides the Oppressive weight. there was
/ a s1ckening. nauseating cdor which POI
luted his breath and seemed 70 poison me
air With difficulty he aroused himself,
and as he slowly opened his eyes they
were met by the g,itter.ng, steely eyes OF
Z powerful snake which lay co.led in many
folds o. his breast, che things head be-
ing close 70 MS face and the forked tongue
darling out in menactng manner. Though
chilled 70 the marrow with the awful
sight and keenly alive to his fearful pre-
dicsmeut. John NcGrsgor did not lose his
head. for he was "a brave man and cool.
He knew fun well he was reasonably safe
q
thus euraga the reptile One arm was ly-
ing under him. cramped and psralyzsd. but
he dared not move A hairs breadth. scarce
~ to breathe. The suTocating stencil OF
the snake and the heavy weight on his
breast were fast taking his strength. In
fact ne felt faint and feared ere he could
plan 70 act he would be unconscious. To
call TO his wife would be certain death; TO
suddenly strike out his free hand and
grapple The neck Of the saurian was about
equally desperate, and TO attempt 10 rise
would be suicide. He thought OF his knife
az his side Gould he only quietly reach
and grasp It and with one quick skilled
swoop sever the head. which was now
elevated and wildly swaying back and
forth over his face he might yet live His
very shuddering had aroused the thing,
and Kisses and the ominous rattle told MIN
it might strike at any time. He closed
his eyes for one moment TO get away from
those torturing eyes of the foe, and 10
gain time 10 think Just then he heard his
wife move restlessly. and fearing her pos
sFble awakening might yet more irritate
the snake, he decided to move az once.
Summoning all his strength and agility,
he gave one tremendous lurch with his
body, az the same instant striking ter
ribIe bow al the quivering folds OF the
serpent. The dexterity Of mis- lunge had
had the effect desired and the snake went
plunging of in a heap and McGregor was
on his feet, though staggering and faint
Though the snake had darted his cruel
fangs at him he had shot wide Of the
arL- ~ a Pvt HafOra rha
paIsied man could act, the now nladdened
RATHER had crawled over toward his wife.
and before he could reach her had plunged
those death-dealing forked fangs into the
breast Of the sleeping, helpless woman.
With a groan she sank Imply back on her
cot, as the deadly poison had entered deep
Just above her heart, and she never spoke
or revived again. In awful agony she died
in an hour.
Stricken with horror. McGregor became
a silent fend His mind eotrered IN the
quivering balance, and he lost ali hope and
life. Two days later the baby died from
want OF nourishment, and the two were
buried in the sandy desert. A few days
later the little girl. weary from crying and
hungry because her father could not
arouse himself from his stupor. wandered
of in the chapparaL and was never again
seen alive Then the unbalanced man
came to himself, only partially, and, realiz-
ing his load Of woe, cast one look al the
double mound under the cactus and vowed
the rest OF his life to a war o. extermirs-
ton against all that go on their belly and
eat OF the dust. For twenty years he he's
carried that sharp ash stick and his gun.
and has spoken 70 10 man. but day after
day hunts the abode OF the rattlesnaks.
and on his person wears the CHASTITY
trophies Of mis- unnumbered victories. Foot
sore and stiff with winters cold and bat
ting with the elements. he is wandering
back to his old home in Iowa 70 dis. At tie
sight Of bushes or the rustling OF the grass
he suddenly stops and with a long trained
eye stares viciously into their midst. II
II is a snake his sharp pole darts out, and
he never misses.