The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1906-01-19

I
its former cover and all the surround.
ings precisely as they were. 81 that ia
al appearances the trap was I'm it's old
place. Then with infinite pains hid
IL in the new spot. laying back upon il
every tiny leaf that had stirred.
1T was as neat aS nature: but 81 in
tent had | been upon the work that
had utterly forgotten about time. and
looked Up 10 see the dusk falling rapid
ly The other trap still remained TO he
set.
"Hastening back down the ridge.
pulled up the heavy chain. and i'm doing
SO. hit the plate so sharply that the
Jaws came 10 with snap.
Il had Scooped out a place for il in
the path. and was pressing the Stif
spring down with my knee and the
Jaws with my hands. when | felt some
thing touching my foot behind.
The strain upon my arms was so
great thar | dared not risk looSing the
spring with my knee. for fear the long
toothed jaws would close on my hands.
so without pau>iug, Iaprcad the Jaws
on down ana open and held them there.
And | continued To hold them there.
Tor crawling mp slowly between NV
knees came the head ana neck of a
great snake. \ second look was not
needed To show me that il was a wafer.
moccaSin. as vicious ana as deadly a
reptile rs the rattlCSnake.
The thick, heavy -iawed head slid
up along my left wrist and curved out
directly across the open trap. There
II lay. All depended upon my Keeping
ing perfectly quiet. for the beast was
not alarmed. though | could see that
the light i'm its eyes only half.smold.
cred. Its dull wits were aware of
something unusual here. ana so il
had paused. suspicious.
Fortunately. the trap was fully open
now and not hard To hold. But my
body was cramuel into an unnatural
posture with the effort to set the
spring. ana this. together with the ter
fIo.e nervous strain of having that
deadly, scaly head against my hand.
soon began to tell upon my strength.
III | could only get my knee off the
spring without arousing the snake. and
Still hold the trap open with my hands.
| might be able to release the Jaws
quickly enough TO cut the muddy,
horrid head clean of.
Il would risk il while | had the
power: but instantly that power left
me. Whether | had half-conSciouSly
heard twig break. or by some mvS.
teriouS tclepathy felt the gaze of the
panther fixed upon me. | 90 not know:
but without looking mp | knew that
the beast lay i'm the path at the ton
Of the ridge above me.
II had scarcely To move my hcod in
order 10 see him. There i'm the .eor-
ening twilight he stood motionlcSs. his
front paws on the ridge. his head lifted
nigh looking i'm surprise at me-
Then the head was slowly lowered
the bic paws reached down. and the
long body tlattened itself To the ground.
My flesh might have been of stone. so
far as any trace of feeling went. /
was frozen to the spot and To the
open trap. But trap and snake were
forgotten while | glared back into the
blazing eyes that glared down into
mine as the great eat began IFS
stealthy crawl over the ridge for "A
footing TO spring.
Il could see only the blaze Of the
eyes, the huns, of the working Shout
ders and the twitch, twitch Of the slow
ly swaying tail. so quickly had the
darkness settled. But | knew every
motion the brute made.
He had come entirely over the ridge
when the hump of his shoulders sank.
He had fattened. Then it began to
rise slowly, and knew the moment OF
crisis had come. The creature was
gathering himself together for the
leap
suddenly, with scream that was
he sprang. snapped short in
the air. turned heels over. aud was
jerked head down into the path before
me.
II was standing. with the moccasn's
Scaly tail lashng my boots.
The panther had crcpt one step TOO
close. and had planted his paw i'm the
open trap near the top Of the hill.
I'm my excitement and fright I had
entirely forgotten that it was there.
and the brute as he had crawlrd down
upon me had been too eager TO notice it.
THE mOccasin was squirmng in the
trap | had been holding. It's head
nearly severed. But how | did II. how
/ got of the trap to my feet. have
never known at all."-Youth's Com
paniOn.