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

ened again The lesson should be COM
plete Bixby opened his eyes again aft
er a period and beheld his old planta-
tion acquaintance, minus the pinions.
swinging gracefully to and fro. He
tried to follow the motions, with his
head, but quickly gave that up, for the
effect produced was that Of score of
aerial serpents wheeling dizzily around
in the center of spinning universe. and
his head reeled among waving pillows
He buried his face in the bedclo:hes and
the smothered accents of his woe were
barely audible to the listener.
"Oh if | could only get out of this
room But ! suppose there's more OF
EN- waiting for he in the haI Where
am |. anyway? | wonder if this is ward
10? / wouldn't mind if | could only
look up and not see that thing. Oo-oo-
ooh-h-hh. | can see my finish, and it's
worse than thought it would be-"
1t might have been three minutes be-
fore Smith heard the sound of a long
breath. the indrawn spirit of determina-
ton. The face of Bixby emerged from
the clothes and froze with horror.
Above his face and onear that the wind
from il famed his brow the Vi ion of
horror nodded it's deviish head rapidly.
Then began the real thing in a serpen-
tine dance. Up scared the terror to the
ceiling, only to swoop down again like
a hawk. For moment it hung sway
ing, then began to coil and writhe ard
wriggle and waggle and squirm and
dart and glide and glider until the
flesh slid on BiXbys bones and the
fbers of his soul writhed in imitation
of the convolutions of the floating mon
strosity. 1t occurred to Smith that the
thing had gone about far enough and
he let his hideous puppet come to rest
and was thinking what TO do next when
he observed that BiNby was about to do
something himself Keeping his
strained gaze fixed on the rattlesnake.
the guest reached out and grasped his
trousers, which lay on Il chair within
reach. He drew them toward him and
fumbIed in the pockets. Before Smith
had time to comprehend what he was
after there was a succession of dCafen-
ing reports, and amid cloud of smoke
Smith could see the aisintegrating par.
tices of his snake fluttering down upon
an empty bed. BiNby threw himself.
yelling, upon the floor. and. casting his
revolver from him, scrambled on all
fours to the nearest door, which hap
pened to be the one that sheltered
Smith. Grabbing Smith by the knees,
ha al n ,riy , foir
ton of fit of Mysteries. Smith seized
the seltzer bottle and gave him the
stream full in the face. 1t was not with
that intention that he had brought it
upstairs, but it answered admirably.
Gasping and choking, BiXby came to
his senses.
"Tell me it was; tell me il was" he
brokenly besought Smith.
"Of course it was, old man." said
Smith, perfectly comprehending the
somewhat elliptical query. He knew
what was filing Bixby's tortured mind
to the very brim at that moment. at
was stuffed snake that had about the
place"
"Thank Cod" said the other. simply
and fervently. "Whew! 1t was awful"
Shooting the rest Of the seItzer into
the pitcher of ice, Smith handed it to
him, and he drank chokingly, shaking
all over with the reaction of the relief.
Smith wondered why his friend wasn't
furiously angry at the trick that had
been played on him, and felt himself
somewhat conscience-stricken but de-
termined TO make the best of the occa-
sion.
at might not have been real, Blk" he
said.
Bixby groaned.
You'd never have known the differ
enee," said his host.
BiXby groaned again and pressed
some ice against his head.
What are YOU going to do about 70"
asked the persistent Smith.
"Eh?' said Bixby, duly. DO? Oh,
my head. You're sure that thing was
there, Smithy? You aren't fooIing me?
| wouldn't look into that room for a
thousand"
"Oh, il was there" Smith assured
him. 81 fixed it myself while YOU were
dead to the world. But don't you think
it's time you whistled down brakes on
this gay career?"
Smith" said Bixby, after long
pause. III buy you new snake. You
give me that one as soon as feel vel,
enough to stand its company. Did you
teach it to fly yourself? II-I-I-mean-I
guess I'm not very steady yet. want it
as memento to remind me Of what il
can do if man goes too far, you know"
You'll get it as soon as you prove
that YOU are fit company for sober
and decent snake" said Smith
Don't you fear" said Bixby, solemn
ly. This is the end Three drinks
per day after this is my limit. And
that goes, too. That isn't the common
or garden variety Of next-morning-
never-agan. Bring me out my gun, old
boy. don't feel steady enough to 20
in there after il yet"
When Mrs. Smith got home. which
was after Bixby had left. there were
certain matters to be explained TO her
First there was the snake Smith said
the pnt did II Then fbora x,o1 tJa I,,t