Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1903-01-29

me feel Ike dlggin. right out OF thai
island.
took tn six-shooter from tn
chest, polished it up till it glistened
fit to spoil your eyesight, an vowed
that would go to that there cave
the next day. Tn natives began say
in prayers when ] told 'em l was
goin' TO the boilin' lake. l didn't let
on anything bout tn gold, an went
on my pilgrimage by myself
or course, KNOWN of the ungen-
tlemanly habits of this fer-de-lance,
/ carried a stick along with me, an
also had the shipowner's six-shooter
for an emergency. That gun was
almost a foot long, an tn way its
barrel radiated in the light of tn
sun was shorely a sight to behold.
hadn't paid much 'tenshun to it
cept to stick some cartridges into
the chambers an admire tn bril-
liancy of tn barrel.
Fin'lly / come in sight of tn boil
in lake. This was the roundup place
for tn fer-de-lances. They were
gathered round it so thick that tn
shore looked like a movin' mass.
Never before in my experience with
reptiles had l beheld such a sight.
/ got TO wonderin' why these
snakes was squirmin' round that
boilin' lake so thick, and so ! pro-
ceeds TO investigate. ! swears by
my reputation as a cowboy that they
was usin' that lake to cook their
breakfast in. They had whole stacks
of little animals piled along tn
shore, an they would throw 'em into
tn water, let 'em simmer for a few
minutes, an then take a branch in
their mouths an haul out their feed. |
Scientists haven't found it out yet,
but it's a pecooliar characteristic of |
tn fer-de-lance that he likes cooked 1
food In this respect, as well as in
many others, he resembles the hui
man family.
Not uantin' TO furnish material for
a fer-de-lance barbecue, didn't get
very near III boilin' lake, but turned
my attention again to findin. tn
cave Of gold BY consultin' my chart
! 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. Wen, just as / had taken my
bearin's and was maxim ready to go
into tn cave out pops a fer-de-lance.
It wasn't less than ten feet long, an
The way it opened its mouth at me
reminded me of hungry wolf.
TIL sudden appearance of tn rep
lie give me such start that [
lropped tn stick / was carrying an !
itood almost paralyzed. But / come
% my senses in n hurry when this
yrinnin' monster took a squirm to-
ward me- 1t had head that was
reap oigger'n its body, an it popped
IN me all at once that it was
rood chance for a shot. So l cuts
Dose with my gun, an pulls the trig-
rer. There was a snap, but no re-
,ort.
Mr.. Fer-de-Lance riz up on his tail
IT'LL a-grinnin' ! pulled tn trigger
again, but still there was nothin' dom.
The sweat was beginnin' to run down
IF my face in a shower by this time 9
NJ sun was beatin' down on me. an !
nally / begun to feel like a statue. J
III I could see was tn teeth Of that j.
er-de-lance an tn shinin' barrel of tn
un
After awhile, though, ] come out of -
h. trance an pulled tn trigger again. !
hat gun of tn descendant of Kidd .
ad gone back on me. pulled tn trig-
er three more times. but there was I,
10 sign Of a report. TIL fer-de-lance !,
vas still GRIMM my way. He hadn't
moved since pointed tn gun at him.
There he stood, rooted to tn ground
Ike cactus plant, an there I was
till pointin' tn gun an afraid to
move.
Purity soon I noticed that tn snake
vas loollin' at tn barrel Of tn gun an "
lot at me. Then somethin' entered my
! had charmed that
make with tn bright barrel of tn gun,
n he was harmless as piece OF shrub
,ery. When this thought struck me
commenced to back away Mr.. Fer
Glance followed me. He wasn't try
ng to creep up on me. He was gain
t tn gun an apparently havin' all
inds of nice dreams.
was afraid to lower tn weapon for
ear Of startin' somethin' I couldn't
top, so l kept backin' away toward tn
anch. with this here giant following
ne. For five hours backed along tn
rail leading tn hypnotized snake an
gurin' that when got to tn greasers
hey would kill him But when I
cached TIL greasers an they saw me
scortin' a fer-de-lance they was
lumb stampeded. They run in every
Erection. leayin' me to my fate
This left me in about tn worst fixI
yer found myself in. was dead tired y
rom holdin' that gun, an was ready to
rop. Just as I was preparin' to throw ],
h. weapon away an take my chances
n runnin' sure 'nough lucky thought
truck me.
There was tn ocean just few steps