The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1900-02-01

D
fore dinner. His friend persuaded him
to tackle the bathtub instead Of a
bracer. and after cold bath and some
fresh clothes Bixby said he thought he
could eat something. with a little help.
All the help that Smith allowed him
was one long whisky and seltzer, where
UPON BiXby looked unutterable re-
proach at the dispenser of sparse hos
pitality. but was too polite TO protest.
After dinner BiXby was nervous. Smith
suggested club. They went. One game
of billiards there showed up BiXby's
condition in its true light. He tore two
holes in the cloth and nearly put out
the markers eye in trying to score three
on the play. Then he demanded drink
not loudly but so fervently that his
host knew there was nothing else for it.
An hour passed and Bixby was feeling
better. at least he said he was. Smith
got him to start home and suggested
dropping in to see a doctor or the
way. Bxby snorted al the mention of a
doctor. He didn't want to see any doe
tor; what he wanted to see was a bar
tender. Off he went in search of one,
and Smith had to follow. BY the time
they got home Smith was mad and his
guest was apparently happy, but behind
that happiness was a strain of anxiety
evinced by sundry furtive glances which
he cast around him, and in the front
hall be embraced the starpost with
tears, confiding to it that it was his
only salvation against hungry horde
I of gigantic germs which were, even
then, camped upon his trail. BY urgent
insistence Smith made him drink large
| quantities of water. and presently put
him to bed. secure that nothing worse
than a very bad head would be the re-
suit of that evenings indulgence. But
he saw, too, that it was only question
of a short time before his friend would
go to pieces if a stop weren't put to his
course, and he sat down and meditated
deeply upon the subject. Suddenly his
recently acquired rattlesnake project
I ed its wicked head and shining eyes
! into his thoughts and he slapped his
thigh as does man when he hits upon
a happy thought OF mosquito.
"By thunder, I'll do it." he cried.
It'll scare seven kinds of moonlight
sunlight and starlight out of him, but
it'll serve him right and it'll cure him,
too, if anything will"
Even then Bixby was snoring with
that thick, sticky snore that means
''dead to the world" in the room adj
! joining Smiths and connected with il
through a double washroom. Above
the head of the sleeper were two pull
leys fastened to the ceiling, formerly
used for the manipulation of a mosquito
net. TO rig up a tackle of fine but strong
thread on these pulleys took Smith less
than five minutes. and he worked with
perfect security that nothing could
awake his guest, who didn't so much as
stir or groan when Smith stepped on his
chest. A few minutes work with the
rattlesnake and needle followed. and
then the reptile, fastened head and toll,
rose and scared above the bed of the
sleeper Smith ran the thread into the
washroom. made the snake fast to the
ceiling and went to bed, knowing that
he would wake up before his guest. The
last thing he heard that night was the
snoring of Bixby; it was still going on,
though in higher key when he awoke
in the morning.
All the probabilities were that the
guest would sleep heavily for an hour
more at least. so Smith had breakfast
alone and leisurely and then went up
stairs with large pitcher of ice and
siphon of seltzer To call Bixby. 1t was
something of job to arouse that gen.
tleman. but he finally responded to
Smiths knocks in drawling snarl. 1t
would take him some time. Smith knew
to get his eyes open, so the host slipped
around to his tackle and waited. To
his great disappointment Bixby suoozed
again. There was an alarm clock in the
room. Smith went quietly in and set it.,
and in three minutes its buzz was whir-
ring in the sleeper's ears. Paving the
air and with his features twisted into
an expression of extreme disgust, he
! fought against it for moment; then
he opened his eyes and looked straight
up at flying serpent which gently
wiggle6 its tail at him. What Smith
rather expected was that he would then
leap from the bed with shrek and
rush out. but it didn't happen so. For
a second BiNby contemplated the prod
igy with checked breath, then shut his
eyes slowly and tubled them gently in
ward. Watching him from the crack of
the door. SrGith could see what a strug-
gle Il was for him to open his eyes
again, but he did it. and this time his
head gave a jerk. Smith trembled a
little with excitement and the snake
! iigeled. There was catch in Bixby's
throat both visible and audible. and he
swallowed painfully. Then came his
voice in whisper:
81 know what you are. ! saw you
that last night before left the planta-
tion, only you had wings then and now
you fly without them. But know you;
you're nothing; you're not there at all,
and when | wake up and get my head
into cold water it'll be all right"
He shut his eyes again determinedly
and lay quite still. but he was not asleep