Waterbury Democrat., 1902-12-03

cay attention again to fndin' tn
cave of gold BY consultin' my chart
I located it about 200 yards from the
lake. 1t was all covered over with
foliage, SO that you couldn't see tn
mouth unless you got right on top
of it. Well, just as ] had taken my
bearin's and was maxim ready to go
into tn cave out pops fer-de-lance.
1T wasn't less than ten feet long, an
the way it opened it's mouth at me
reminded me of hungry wolf
TIL sudden appearance of tn rep
tile give me such start that /
dropped tn stick I was carrying an
stood almost paralyzed. But I come
to my senses in hurry when this
GRIMM monster took squirm to-
ward me. It had head that was a
heap oigger'n its body, an it popped
on me all at once that it was a
good chance for shot. So ] cuts
loose with my gun, an pulls the trig-
ger. There was snap, but no re-
port.
Mr.. Fer-de-Lance riz up on his tail
still a-grinnin'. / pulled tn trigger
again, but still there was nothin' dom.
The sweat was beginnin' to run down
off my face in shower by this time.
TIL sun was beatin' down on me, an
finally I begun to feel like a statue.
All I could see was tn teeth Of that
fer-de-lance an tn shinin' barrel of tn
gun. A... z.s
After awhile, though, come out of
tn trance an pulled tn trigger again.
That gun of tn descendant of Kidd
had gone back on me. pulled tn trig
ger three more times. but there was
no sign of a report. TIL fer-de-lance
was still GRIMM my way. He hadn't
moved since I pointed TIL gun at him.
There he stood. rooted to TIL ground
like a cactus plant, an there [ was
still pointin' tn gun an afraid to
move. ...
Purity soon I noticed that tn snake
was Iookin' at tn barrel of tn gun an
not atme. Then somethin' entered my
think-chamber. I had charmed that
snake with tn bright barrel of tn gun,
an he was harmless as piece of shrub
berry. When this thought struck me
I commenced to back away. Mr.. Fer
defiance followed me. He wasn't try
ing to creep up on me. He was gain
at tn gun an apparently havin' all
kinds of nice dreams. .
was afraid to lower tn weapon for
fear of startin' somethin' I couldn't
stop, so I kept backin' away toward tn
ranch, with this here giant followin'
me. For five hours backed along tn
trail leading tn hypnotized snake an
figurin' that when got to TIL greasers
they would kill him. But when
reached tn greasers an they saw me
escortin' a fer-de-lance they was
plumb .stampeded. They run in every
direction, 1eavin' me to my fate.
This left me in about TIL worst fix I
ever found myself in. was dead tired
from holdin' that gun, an was ready to
drop just as was preparin' to throw
tn weapon away an take my chances
on runnin' sure 'nough lucky thought
struck me.
There was tn ocean just few steps
away. So / comm enced to back to'rd
tn water, with tn snake following.
/ waded in an he come right along
after me. When he had got in little
piece tn waves washed him over an
purity soon he choked to death on TIL
salt water.
never made no more attempts to
get that gold. cause after the earth
quake tn boilin' lake commenced to
overflow, an it was impossible t. get
into TIL cave No, sir; got so disgust
ed with Martinique that come back
to tn States.-Chicago Inter Ocean.