Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1899-09-08

seemed 10 be crazy or mad. He want
cd TO fight everybody who went near
him. When I fed him. he would go into
a fury and jump at me like a little de-
mon.
Zone day he got out Of his cage. 1
tried to catch him, but nc took up a po-
sition in a corner and showed fight. His
eyes cleaned like FIRE, only there wac a
greenish tinge to them. l soon saw II
wouldn't do to fool with him and made
up my mind that the best thing to do
would be to get a club and kill him. 1
was afraid he had hydrophobia. So l
went out to the wood pile and got q
stick about three feet long.
''Just ms ! drew II and was about to
strike he made a jump and lit on my
arm. Quick as lightning he buried his
teeth in my arm just above the elbow.
Then he jumped down and took his sta
ton in the corner again. l was afraid
he would bite somebody else, and so ]
took the gun and shot him in the head.
sin a few days the place where he
bit me began to infiame, and my arm
swelled until il was as big as two arms
We sent for the doctor. and he said it
was a case Of blood poisoning, and j
would have to be pretty careful, or /
would lose the arm. The next day was
my regular day for shaking. and /
dreaded 1t, l tell you. The pain in my
arm was terrible. and l thought that
and the ague at once would be more
than / could stand. But l didn't have
A.. -l.I. NJ. - r,I.I 4, lfNF11 .vA Il
could feel some of the symptoms. but
there was no chill and no fever except
that in my ann My next shake day |
missed it ngain and felt no signs Of ii
at all. But l had some queer feelings
come over me. WANTED to run into the
woods and climb trees. and then l felt
a strong desire to bite somebody. i be-
came raving mad, although l was so
reduced with the ague it took two men
to held me, ana when l tried to talk l
barked like a squirrel. But in a few
days l got over the craze, and my arm
grew better, and at last it seemed to be
entirely cured. But / had no more ague.
l gained flesh and in n few weeks was
as strong as ever and felt perfectly
we'll. How to account for it / did not
know, but the doctor studied over the
case a good deal and then talked 1t
over with other doctors. 1t was brought
up in a meeting Of the county medical
society. and they had me attend the
meeting and tell about it. They finally
all came TO the conclusion that the
squirrel had i%noculated me with virus
that killed the ague germs in my body.
The case was written up in some of the
medical journals. and for awhile l was
quite famous.
81 was pleased to be cured of the
ague, but at times the scar on my arm
infames and gets terribly sore. Then
have the same feeling / had when il
became sore at first. l cannot resist the
impulse to go into the woods and imi-
tate the actions of a squirrel My reg
ular food loses its attraction for me-,
and live on a diet of nuts and grain.
Then for a few days l have the desire
to bite everybody that comes near me,
and have TO be restrained or would do
somebody an injury. When that passes
off, / am all right again.
81 got a letter from my old doctor a
few days ago, and he wants me to go
down to the Wabash country again.
This antitoxin business has set him to
thinking about my case. and he has
come TO the conclusion that he could
obtain a virus from my blood that could
be used to i~noculate ague patients and
prevent the disease. I don't want to
have my veins tapped like they do the
horses at the laboratory, but l suppose
l can afford to give a little blood for the
sake Of science and humanity. Perhaps
you'll hear of me later if their expert
ments are successful Detroit News
Tribune