The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1905-05-05

his task, to wave his bluntly triangular
head in the direction where the moving
shadow indicated to his blurred vision
the position Of his enemy. But on the
resumption of active hostilities he
would begin again his painful ascent.
"Ow-w-w-chw sounded a howl from
above.
Looking up at the cry, Anna dis
cerned among the clustering leaves of
the black oak a huddled figure. with
raccoon-like eyes, peering down at the
mounting snake, to escape from which
he had, in fact, climped the tree.
willie" she shouted Jump! The
snakes coming Jumpw
"Ow-w-W-chw he continued to wall.
The snake stopped, confused, craning
its head upward at the new complica-
| ton, then downward at its known adj
versary. It's hesitation would make
| Willie's escape practicable, if he could
| conquer his crazy fear.
Willie, break off a limb-beat it
back! l can rum
The snake undulated a few inches
farther The reiterated cry was Will
lies only response. Annals quick eye
saw another chance.
There's that big limb on the red
wood. You can reach it. Swing across.
It's easy. You mustr' stamping. 80
Willie, do it! Do it!'
Her sailor father had often reproved
Anna for her delight in climbing and
swinging from tree to tree, by means
o. her long arms and practiced hands.
1T is 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
sailor. Be only brave kindchen, and
help our goodt mother wit the Dishes"
His admonition would dissolve in an
unrestrained roar of laughter as she
wickedly Skinned" up the porch post
to coign of vantage on the vine-cov-
cred roof.
But she could not climb the tree
where the snake still chung. There
was the neighboring redwood, huge
girthed, smooth-boled with limbs out
of reach, yet with the lowest bough
almost touching the limb on which
Willie crouched, mechanically clutch
ing the body of the tree, but dumb and
stupefied with the horror of his situa-
ton.
Anna hurriedly piled large rocks I'M
der thick-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 heaped
them with broader base for her fifth
attempt. The snake rested, waving
his head downward, as if in query.
Fortunately, he was full and sluggish.
Once more Anna crouched 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 it, she took
out her acknowledgements COM
Enthusiastically 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
ing out her right hand, she was able
to catch the big limb, at the base of
which Willie, almost insensible, still
huddled. Then she swung, pendulum
like, by her hands, increasing her mo-
mentum. At the right moment she re-
leased the redwood bough and flung
her light body full upon the young oak
Grasping the limb with both hands, she
hauled herself up beside the terrified
boy.
The snake, shaken by the tumult
above, wavered and stopped. AS q
rule, rattlesnake, conscious of his de-
tense, makes q good fight; but here
the conditions were unusual and con-
fusing. On level ground. where he
could have coiled, and where his sensi-
tive under surface could have slid COM
over smooth earth, he would |
not have shirked combat when cor
nered. Now, with his enemy myster-
iously above, his one idea seemed to be |
to escape.
Willie jabbered an idiotic welcome
"He can't strike until he gets clear |
here" Anna treasured him. HE can't |
coil"
Her rapid blows still further dis
mayed her antagonist. He bit vicious