The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-07-20
THE MAN BY THE ROAD
 SIDE.
BY WILL s eIDLEY.

A man suffering from half a dozen gunshot wounds lay dying by a Ken lucky 'roadside-a man grizzled and gaunt, and upon whose lean face was the bronze of fifty summers and many a jagged seam and scar.
 A rabbit poked its nose inquiringly through the bushes as he lay there. and then al a sudden movement from the dying man turned and scuttled swiftly away.
 Then a big blue bottle fly came bug zing around the helpless man. welter- ing in his own life-blood beside the rude mountain trail, and after five minutes of blundering and pumping against his battered features finally settled down on the raw edge of a wound, just below the matted hair on his forehead and began patinetly drill ing into the sensitive flesh.
 The exquisite pain seemed to revive the mortally wounded sufferer and awaken his instinct of self-preserva- tion. His right hand stirred by his side, and then crept slowly-slowly but surely-up toward his blood stained forehead.
 Inch by inch it advanced-that gnarled, claw-like hand-until 1t was on level with the demon fly probing into his wound; and then with a sud- ren movement he brought 1t down, crushing the life out of his tormentor
 "Ha. ha! l got yeh. did he chuckled hoarsely. "Wush I could reach out an mash ole Cy Grandy under my hand same ez I did thet fly! cd die happy then. Yaas, I'd be willin' to go to hell if I cd Send Cy thar, fust-the treacherous, cowardly skunk!"
 The wounded man rolled over and made an effort to rise to sitting posi- ton. but the attempt was failure
 The sneakin' ole divil has got me fixed fer good an all this time. I'll be dead man inside of two hours. |" he went on, huskily. "Yaas, I'll be a dead man, an ole Cy Grandy II be goin' round braggin' bout how he wiped me out. D. him! eff. I had my horse an das ale to ride I'd fol- Ter him up an settle matters with him yet, but l hain't got the stren'th left to do it. I've got lead enough in me to kill an elephant. Ole Cy meant to make a sure thing of 1t. That bullet in my back alone would've fixed me. It must've struck the muscle that works my legs, reckon, 'cuz I hain't had no use of 'em sence 1t hit me. But my mind Is clear an my right arm is still right yet, an'-an' I'd give the rest of my life. sech as 1t is, fer jest one more chance at the man who shot me down an flung me here in the bushes to die like a dog!"
 "Yaas," he resumed, after a pause. "to die like dog an rot by the road side; but by the Eternal, I'll get even with him yeh kin bet! He will find that am more of a snake than a dog. A rattler canstrike back even when it is dyin'. an I'll live long enough to give ole Cy Grandy his death- wound yet! Yaas. I'll do it. if it takes a hun dred years!'i
 Another pause longer than before. and then the man by the roadside went on in a hoarse whisper:
 "l-I'm peterin' out mighty fast; my stren'th Is goin' but I've got jest ez suthin' to brace up my physical powers rd''---- 57{
 He stretched out his right hand and it came into contact with a smooth. obIong- shaped object lying on the blood-soaked grass by his side.
 With an eager cry of joy he clutched 1t and hugged it to his bosom
 Whisky! whisky! I'm good for an hour longer now!" he whisper. eager ly. "It dropped from my pocket when I fell here among the bushes an I thought had lost 1t. Thank God, it will give me stren'th an courage fer the job ahead of me!''
 Still clasping the flask to his breast he fumbled with nervous. eager fingers at the stopper until it. came out, and then prassing the mouth of the flask to his dry lips, he thirstily guIped down the contents.
 ''Ah! that's the stuff! feel more like man now" he muttered thickly. as the last drop went trickling down his throat. like whisky with an edge
 Sunday, THE SNAKE DOCTORS"