The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-21
BY oPIE READ.
THE SNAKE DOCTORS.

 At the window of house among the hills girl was sitting. Into the yard came running a man. waving his hat. shouting. He did not halt to. knock at the door; he fell against 1t and it flew open. The young woman stepped out into the hallway and quietly asked him to explain the cause of his excite ment. Miss" he replied, panting, I've got no time for explanations. have been snake bit and unless you've got whisky there's no hope for me-"
 There is more hope for a man with out whisky than with it. she said.
 But don't give me a temperance lecture. I belong to that club away over wonder on the lake and it's too far to-Miss. have you any whiskey?"
 Let me see the wound? Oh, on the hand-three little holes."
 Yes, and 1t was g rattlesnake. Whiskey!' Ns
 No. it wasn't rattlesnake.," she said, carefully examining the wound. T think it was what we call a spread ing adder. and in that event, milk Is the best remedy"
 There was theory that whiskey was an antidote for the poison of rat tlesnake but it has been exploded. Take my word for it. Milk is the best rem edy. I have never known it to fail"
 Her eye, her smile, her voice con- vinced him. She brought milk in a crock, dripping with coolness" from the spring near by, and eagerly he drank. Don't get such milk as this in town" said he. Tt Is rich enough 10 throw off a blood-impoverishing virus. But are you sure, Miss. that milk is good remedy?"
 "Oh, yes: think 1t saved my broth CTS life many time. We used to keep a crock ready for him."
 And did 1t always do the work?'
 Well. at the last news he was alive, capturing Filipinos."
 Good. know something about that myself"
 ".Oh, did you kill the snake?"
 Miss, the next bite, he bit the dust. It isn't very far from here. Would you mind walking out to look at him?"
 Together they went along the rough pathway. But of his help she had no need; she was as active as a kitten, and in watching her he forgot the snake bite. She was in advance. which carefully he had planned. and from under her bonnet her hair came back like a pour of light Here is the place." he called, halting. She came back to him and pointing at a rock near the pathway he said: There is the reptile lying there but he's not half as big as he was."
 "Oh, milk nearly always reduces the size of a snake" she said.
 Now you are making game of me, but a while ago I would have sworn that he was nearly as big as a boa constructor. What is it?'
 Tt isn't even a spreading adder" she replied, going closer and looking at the snake. "It is one of the nonde- script sort"
 But, Miss, I have read that in the no-name series of snakes we find the most poisonous snakes. And I am be- ginning to get sick. Would you mind giving me little more of that nilk?'
 When they returned to the house he forgot the milk. "Of course. you don't live here all alone," he said.
 'No. not quite. But almost" she added, smiling. My father is a doc- tor and is away good deal of the time. There are So many snake bites this time of the year-but he always prescribes milk"
 He got up to go.
 Wont you stay and meet my fath- CT? think I hear him putting up his horse at the barn."
 ''No, I believe not. The fact Is, Miss, fell as if I have been guyed-and-- well. I'm much obliged to you" The next day he came again. She met him with a smile. Tn her eyes beautiful mischief was playing. Miss, this bite-I don't know what else to call it-began to swell little this morning and the doctor we've got with us thought that in order to be on the safe side I ought to drink a little more of that milk. He complimented your treatment-ssid that it was one of the latest discoveries" She went to the spring, laughing, and brought a crock of milk. And there was another thing the