The National tribune., 1900-05-17
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Cut OFF on snake-Jnfested Island-Chased
by Citizens.
Copyrighted, 1899, by the publishers of THE NATIosA
TRIBUNE.

TRIBUNE.
Cut Of on a Snake-Jnfested Island-Chased
by Citizens.
II was late in the forenoon when the boys
awakened, and they were drenched to the
skin, for it was still raining. 81 and Shorty
Were the first to awaken. and their first
| thought was for a careful survey OF their
surroundings, but before they did this they
had to kill several rattleSnakeS and copper
| heads which the rising waters Were driving
further up on the island to where they had
| been lying. They found themselves on a
| high, sandy point, not low-lylng col
| lection OF the fertility washed down from
| the surrounding country, as had been the
| islands in the swampS farther down, but a
part of the surrounding land cut off from
that on either side by broad channels,
| which We're now running neck-deep with
turbulent, muddy current There were
| largo expresses, SycamoreS and pines
growing on the island, and dense thlckets
of underbrush, enough to make a good
screen for them. A huge cypress had
| fallen down lengthwise of the island. along
| its highest ground in the center, and they
| had lain down by it. The water had risen
| above the banks on the lower parts Of the
| island, and was steadily rising, under the
| influence of the heavy showers. great
| deal of driftWoOd was coming down, show
| ing that 1T was an unusual Hood. rms
| was also indicated by the number OF rabbits
| which hoped out before them whichever
way they went. They saw also many
ground squirrels and even weasel or two,
which seemed so badly frightened as to
have no hunger for their natural prey.
I'VE may live on rabbits, Shorty, If we
can't git away from here" said 81, think
| ing OF their Scanty larder.
Blast the Internal luck" said Shorty,
savagely. I'm afraid we've run our necks
into a moose, and are caught till it stops
| rainin' and the water goes down. Nobody
kin git at us, but we can't git away" :.
Seems to be mostly woods around here
! said ST, scanning the landscape as well as
| he could through rift in the brush. But
| there's a house on that rise there, and
| there's another over to the left about mile
| And there's the road we come on runnln
over that knoll there. There, you kin see
man ridin' along it. We want to keep
out agin. We don't want to do no more
circlin' around"
Better be thinkin' about how we kin git
off O. here" said Shorty, still discouraged
over the flood. "Me and you might make
it. but some O. the boys d be drowned,
sure"
'WeIl. les first go back and see what
| we've got to eat for the boys. They'll be
waking up now, and all as hungry as
young wolves. . I'm afraid the rains put
our Commissary Department in purity bad
shape" Q ln
81 found all the boys awake, and all as
hungry as he had expected, and not little
| depressed by the gloomy skies, the pouring
| rain, and the fiood raging around them.
'Lookin' like = flock of blamed turkeys
roostin' on the barn fence on wet day in
| October" commented Shorty, as lie glanced
at the boys perched on the log. scanning
| with troubled, discouraged eyes the swirllng
waters and the swarming snakes. Cid
had turned the mouth of one of the sacks
back, and was sadly studying the pulp
| into which the rain had reduced its store OF
| hoe-cakeS.
| Shorty relieved his mind by picking up a
club and killing few OF the most obtrusiye
Of the snakes.
Come, come. boys, perk up" said ST
cheerily. Eve might be lots worse off.
we got out o. other things. What's the
matter. Gid? No, your bread amt spilled
A little water don't spile nothin'. It's
| only had the water mixed with 1t before
eatin', instid of after. There's just as
much belly-timber in it now as ever. Scoop
up some of it, Gid, and taste it. You'll find
it ali right"
Gid made wry face, but squeezed some
Of the water out Of a handful, and put it in
his mouth.
Great Scott. that's much better'n we
had in Andersonville, said ST, tasting
some Of the mush. "And we've got meat.
too, which we didn't have there. There's
! a chunk O. bacon in one o them bags.
Here it is. I'll cut off slice for each Of
you, and you'll find it'll go mighty well
with your Cruel. Sit up to the table,
gentlemen, and take hold, all of you. It's
not first-class hotel fare, but it's good what
there is of it, and there's enough of it, sich
| as it is."
Thus encouraged, the boys fell TO, and
made a meal. By the time they had fin
| ished, they had scraped every particle OF
the dough from the sacks, but they had
| gotten at least enough in their Stomachs to
last them through the day. ST did not for
get the two Georglans, but gave each Il
slice of the meat and handful of the
soaked corncake.
ST was looking rather dolefully, in spite
| of his CHEEKY determination, at the emptied
sacks and the rising water when g. low
sound came through the misty air, which
made him prick up his ears.
Did you hear that, Shortly" he asked
with sudden interest.
"Yes," answered Shorty, "and 1 believe
| it was the sound Of a locomotive whistle,
| five or six miles away"
That's just what it was, and it shows
| that we're not so far from the railroad as
| feared. IL we once git across the Macon
| Railroad, I'll begin TO believe that we're
| yit but not near as far as we've come, nor
| as hard country to travel"
"Well, if we once git off this island, Wen
make the railroad all right" said Shorty
| diScOnSOlately, as he studied tle Skies IN
vain for some signs of clearing up. "But
we're likely 10 be drownded if we stay here
| till night. The waters riz more'n a foot
since we walked up, and its jumping up
| faster every minute. Here, you cursed
stars-and-bars seed o. Jeff Davis" he con-
tinued savagely, looking around for a
club, and addressing an immense rattle
snake which had crawled out into the open
ing, with slow dignity, as if the island and
all on it belonged to him by right. He was
not seeking battle, but to get away from
the flood. Still, he never declined a fight
when one was offered him, and promptly
recognized Shorty's snatching up pine
branch as a challenge to battle, coiled and
went into action, thrusting out his forked
tongue, kissing Viciousiy, and sounding
the note of menace with his many-ringed
rattle.
BE careful, Shorty" warned ST. Hes
an old he-terror. He may jump at YOU"
| you'll dare me, you forked-tongued old
| rebel, will you?" shouted Shorty, with the
fever of battle on him, rushing in and de-
livering a blow with lightning-like swift
ness across the, snakes neck. There, "
he continued, beating the serpent's life out,
Il only wish you were old jeff Davis him
self, that could pound the soul out of
| him"
whats the matter" suggested the in
genious-minded Sandy Baker, after the
excitement was over, and the snakes
rattles counted, with catching some o.
4 4 ..r.AI s1..r-