The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1905-03-17

Hes only response. AnDa's quick eye
saw another chance
There's that big limb on the red
} wood. You can reach il. swing across
! It's easy. You must" stamping. 20
Willie, do Il! DO it,
Her sailor father had often reproyed
Anna for her delight In climbing and
hswinging from tree 10 tree, by means
OF her long arms and practlced hands.
1T Is not gOOdt Tor you to be a
monkey, mine Anna" be would say.
Little girls need ncfer 10 go TO the
masthead. Thou hast no call to be a
sailor BE only brave kindchen. and
help our gOodt mother Wit the dishes"
His admOnitiOn would dissolve In an
unrestralned roar Of laughter a. she
wickedIy Skinned" up the porch post
90 a coign Of vantage on the yine-cOv.
i2red roof
But she could not climb the tree
where the snake still clung. There
was the neighboriug redwood. huge.
sirthed, smOoth.bolcd, with limbs out
| OF reach, yet with the lowest bOugh
| almost touching tho limb on which
Willie crouched, mechanically clutch.
ing the body OF the tree, but dumb and
Stupefed with the horror Of his situa.
tlon.
Anna hurrledly piled large rocks un.
der thick l-brOken branch stump Of the
redwood, which was at least eight feet
from the ground. -Four times she
leaped upward and fell back, wound.
ing her tough little feet She noticed
blood-stains on the rocks as she heapcd
them with broader base for her fifth
attempt The snake rested. waving
his head downward, as If i'm query.
Fortunately. he was full and sluggish.
Once more Anna crouchcd and shot
upward. Her right hand caught the
projecting stump, her left easily fol.
lowed. Clasping the decreasing trunk
OF the tree with her slim. muscular legs,
hanging also by her hands, she dropped |
her head backward TO take Observa.
ton. The snake hung out. also, TO. |
ward her, from his tree, then resumed
his deliberate climbing. Evidently the !
task was neither easy nor to his liking /
Anna hitched breathlessly up toward ,
the coveted limb. Reaching il, she took /
out her ack-knife-inseparab com
scientifically cut a wedge from
a short limb above her, and broke OFF
the weakened branch. Recovering her
balance, she reached out with this
flexible club. but could not touch the
snake, now reused to accelerated ac-
tivity.
Holding her weapon between her
teeth, Anna worked her way nearly to
the end Of her tough support. Throw
ng out her right hand, she was aide
To catch the big limb, at the base OF
which Willie, almost insensible, still
luddled. Then she swung, pendulum.
Ike, by her hands increasing her mo-
nentum., At the right moment she re-
eased the redwood bough and flung
Ter light body full upon the young oak
irasping the limb with both hands. she
rauled herself up beside the terrified
10Y
The snake, shaken by the tumult
hove, wavered and stopped. As a
ule, a rattlesnake, conscious Of his de-
ense makes good fight; but here
Nv NplihltlphH VII uIusllil anu tOIl- ]
using On level ground. where he
ould have coiled, and where his sensi-
i've under surface could have slid com
ortably over smooth earth, he would
lot have shirkcd combat when cor.
ered. Now, with his enemy myster-
Dusly above, hi, one idea seemed to be
o escape.
t,, f...
"Ie can't strike until he gets clear
ere Anna reassured him. He can't
OIL"
Her rapid blows still further dis
mayed her antagonist. He bit vicious
= at the stick, touching it more than
nee; for the rattler's strike is deadly
wifi, despite his languid locomotion.
At last Anna, settling herself firmly
n the limb. raised her club with both
lands and delivered a Slashing blow
n the neck of her foe, breaking. as
hey afterward found, his vertebral
olumn.
The darting head hung limp; a pro-
ressiye loosening ran through the
nottlcd coils; there was a slight rasp. -,
u- Nuuuu, Il luuus anu tntH WllllSu A.,
cap on the ground. which Anna ..
leared when swinging down by her
lands to safe distance, she leaped
lightly to the ground 7,
Willie followed, dlzed and fearful. ..
Ie helped round up the cows, casting a.,
urtive glances ahead and on each side
{ every footstcp. Before entering the !.
ouSe he skunk. although still agonized ,,
With fear, through the golden twilight :
o the abhorred bathing pool and the :
lnguidly futtering bars of the
epudiated gingh9m shirt. |,
But Anna, too i'll for supper, crept
nto her fathers arms, where be sat on :
he vinc-darkened veranda, and fell :,
sleep on his shoulder
"Ach. mine Anna" the captain said.
enderly, 1t isS sometimes goodt for F,
title girls to make themselves TO be
ailors" Companion.
His Greatest Work.