The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1905-04-22
willie she shouted, 'jump! The

Tile &SIah6 EsluppGN. .GpAlaaGA. u dl1uE
its head upward at the new complica-
ton, then downward at its known ad.
versary. Its hesitation would make
WiI1ie's escape practicable, If he could
conquer his crazy fear.
Willie, break off a limb D beat Il
back. I can run!''
| The snake undulated a few inches far
Their. The reiterated cry was Willie's
only response. Annals quick eye saw
another chance.
There's that big limb Of redwood
You can reach it. Swing across. It's
easy. You must!" stamping. 90 Will
| lie, do it, Do it"
Her sailor father had often re-
| proved Anna for her delight in climb
ing and swinging from tree to tree, by
means Of her long arms and practiced
/ hands.
1T iss not goodt for you to be a
! monkey, mine Anna" he would say.
/ Little girls need nefer to go to the
masthead Thou hast no call to be a
sailor. Be only a grave kindchen, and
/
His admonition would dissofse in an
unrestrained roar of laughter as she
wickedIy Skinned" up the porch post
/ to eoign of vantage on the yine-coV-
cred roof.
But she could not climb the tree
| where the snake still elung. There was
the neighboring redwood, huge-girthed,
smooth boiled, with limbs out Of reach,
yet the lowest bough almost touching
the limb on which Willie crouched, me-
chanically clutching the body of the
tree, but dumb with the horror of his
situation.
Anna hurriedly piled uplarge rocks I'M
der a thick, broken branch-stump of the
redwood, which was at least eight feet
from the ground Four times she leaped
upward and fell back, wounding her
tough little feet. She noticed blood
stains on the rocks as she heaped them
with g broader base for her fifth at
tempt. The snake rested, waving his
head downward as if in query. Fortu-
nately he was full and sluggish.
Once more Anna croEched and shot
upward. Her right hand caught the
projecting stump, her left easily fol-
lowed. Clasping the deceased trunk OF
the tree in her slim, muscular legs, hang
ing also by her hands, she dropped her
head backward to take observation.
The snake hung out, also, toward her,
from his tree, then resumed his Gelib-
crate climbing. Evidently the task
was neither easy nor to his liking.
Anna hitched breathlessly up toward
the coveted limb. Reachingit, she took
out her jack-knife-insepar COM
panion-seientifcall cut a wedge from
a short limb above her. and broke off
the weakened branch. Recovering her
balance, she reached out with this flex-
ible club, but could not touch the snake,
now reused to accelerated activity.
Holding her weapon between her
teeth, Anna worked her way nearly to
the end of her tough support. Throw
ing out her right hand, she was able to
catch the big limb, at the base Of which
Willie, almost insensible, still hud-
died. Then she swung, pendulum-like,
by her hands, increasing her momen-
tum. At the right moment she released
the redwood bough and flung her light
body full upon the young oak. Grasp
ing the limb with both hands. she hauled
herself up beside the terrified boy.
The snake, shaken by the Iumult
above, wavered and stopped. AS rule,
a rattlesnake, conscious of defense,
makes a good fight; but here the condi-
tons were unusual and confusing. On
level ground, where he could have coiled,
and where his sensitive under surface
could have slid comfortably over smooth
earth, he would not have shirked
combat when cornered. Now, with his
enemy mysteriously above, his one idea
seemed to be escape.
Willie jabbered an idiotic welcome
He can't strike until he gets clear
here" Anna treasured him. HE can't |
COLL
Her rapid blows still further dis. |
mayed her antagonist He bit vicious |
ly at the stick, touching it more than |
once; for the rattler's strike is deadly |
swift, despite his 1anguid locomotion.
At last Anna, settling herself firmly |
on the limb, raised her club with both
hands and delivered slashing blow on
the neck of her foe breaking. as they
afterward found, his yertebral column.
The darting head hung limp. a pro
gressive loosening ran through the mot
led coils: there was a slight rasping
sound, thud, and then a Whitish hean
On the ground, which Anna cleared
when, swinging downward by her hands
% a safe distance. she leaped lightly
% the ground.
Willie followed. dazed and fearful.
He helped round up the cows, casting
5urtive glances ahead and on each side
1t every footstep. Before entering the
house, he skunk, although still agonized
With fear, through the golden twilight
o the abhorred bathing pool and the
anguidly futterinC cross bars of the
epudiated Bingham shirt.
But Anna, too i'll for supper. crept
nto her fathers arms, where he sat
N the vine-darkened veranda, and fe,..
sleep on his shoulder.
"Ach, mine Anna, the captain said.
enderly, ''it ISIS sometimes goodt for
title girls to make themselves to be
ailors! ''-Youth's Companion. |
4ATcHED IN POLAR WINTER
bird ~ +ho a,4o4.