The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1905-06-15

thick rcods wss hot, and had 10 gssp TO
get my lung, full, In q short time VS.
,pl,tlrg out little vsd. u mosquitoes. A..
ter . while l Lao swallowed an,
Id elsani fofgolted about Cobb until
heard him shout reckon be called sev.
ctal tlmes before ! stepped, Then | went
back TO whec he ~A., up TO hs knees In
the mud, ~lghou, the.s,reng,h to pull him.
self out. His big, fat chest Vas besslng
under HE shir,, aud he Vas msking q noise
Ike clogged engine.
I'm blind, he said. Holt, eanf zee q
thleg
pulled him oa, OF the mud aud tried to
encourage him.
say, have the mosquiloss { mel he asked.
Ths, gave me y chill right there.
thought he was losing hi, mi I'd. The hum
mlug Of en- sounded like the singing OF 4
lot ~ telegraph wires IA a gale,
Dbnt you hear 'ems asked.
Why, ! thought that Was the wiod, said
he. csn't feel EN- any m,te,
touched his face with my hand, and IL
tet wet and hard ss stone. ii' syclids
were pudged and closed.
Be game said
Came I'm like that down to the waist,
he said. I'm through esut % another
sep.
He rank down on a nisgerhead, and the
mofquitoes swarmed nb,ut his head and
shoulders like n,es about a pi 'ee Of raw
meat.
An idea came 10 the TO set the reeds Afrc.
The smoke wou d surely drive away the
pests, | thought.
| | felt through my pockets, but there
wssu't match In any one Of them. Then
| overhsuIed Cobb's, but h. hadn't one,
either. Neither Of u, smoked.
There WAS only one thing to do, and that
was to get Cobb to the boat somehow. The
poison In his system had so capped his
Strength and dulled hls brain that he
wouldn' make an effort OF his own accord.
But the trouble WAS didn't know which
way to turn. was twitching all over aud
had lost all ,nse Of direction. 0ne OF my
eyes WAS closing, and was afraid I'd 60
blind any minute, like poor Cobb
stood there trying to think for what
seemed q long time, but couldn't concentrate
my mind on anything. | felt AS II Id been
81 ianed, and had salt sprinklcd on the raw
Il ssh. But somehow didn't mind that so
much 40 did the deep, steady hum OF those
bloodthifsty swarms. That drove me nearly
crazy. 1t went through me like fever and
} | reckon ! got some queer In my he.d.
All of a sudden | heard Cobb speaking.
, Who are you talking toy he asked.
haven't been talking, said
You've been yelling like madman, said
he. And thought ! heard someone 40.
swer. Ah, hear that! Lad me there,
: Holt. Where there's voices, there must be
human beings.
1t was the deep below Of an alligator
Q he'd heard. The sound came rolling over
the swamp In gusty grunts, and mighty
Q glad WAS to hear 1t. knew It must come
I. from Brosdhill Creek, for there WAS no
: other body Of open water--except the sea
7 anywhere near.
ripped OF my suspenders and tied ono
end Of 'em about Cobbs wrist. His hands
we're 80 swollen be couldn't have gripped
!, II. Then led him toward where the old
: bull gator ~as believing.
Thank heaven, IL wasn't far before | SAW
= the black shiue 4 The water Cobb was
like 4 drunkeu mau. don't think be could
3 have gone another hundred yards. When
y told him we were Close W the boat he pitch
j. ed right forward, and would have fallen "
Q hadn't caught him. had to carry HIN ID
II my arms the rest Of the way.
e tell you felt better when ! had the
!, screen doors Of the cabin shut behind us.
u bathed Cobb with kerosene oil,-hls 6est
Il was a. white and hard - marble, And
poured some cold coffee down his throat
% We had to lie there until morning. Then Z
IT breezs sprang up and | sailed the boal
q home. Cobb was too weak to help me, ant
Z 1t was couple Of days before be got back
his strength.
J. Holt, be said to me, I'm going back hom'
g as quick a. the next train will carry me
& It'll be luxury les TO cit on my sessid'
y piazri and let those futile little insects the'
call mosqu,toes 10 the North bite me.