The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1906-11-06

dazzling sky pressed down uncloudcd
to the touch Of the parchcd rim-rOck.
Between the hills the shallow basin
lay baked and breathleSs over it the
tense air quivered with heat. Within,
no bird fluttered nor water puzzled nor
green plant raised it's head. Only the
desert children, sagc-bruSh and grease
wood and long spincd cactus. gray but
never dying, lived on there in the
drought, sterile and forbidding as the
land which gave them birth.
Everywhere was silence upon the
place, everywhere was immobility, save
where the man lay and where beside
him the bound snake whrrcd and
writhed and ratified in the impocat
fury of fear.
The man lay stretched on the hot
earth, stark naked, his face turned to
the sky. A buckSllin thong passed
across his throat ana was drawn taut
between two roots of sage-brush. The
moose which held his ankles was Sc
cured about clump of Creasewood
and both arms thonged Mt the wrists.
stretched wide rs in crucifxion.
body so that to the prisoner there was
left but two possible movements. lie
could turn his head from side TO side,
facing on the one hand the snake. on
the other the miniature forest of sage
brush; and he could clcnch ana I'M
clench his pinioned hands
In this last freedom the final in
genuity of savage captors had found
expression. with the left hand tight
clenched, the snakes wild stroke fell
just short Of its aim Should sleep
or inseDsibility relax the fingers, the
reptiles head might overlap him.
Since early morning, through the
increasing heat of the day. the man
had lain there, grim and silent rs the
gray hills around him, save when now
and then he raised his hoarse voice
I'm defiant shouts. The snake. on the
other hand, struggled and fought un
ceasngly against the cord which held
him, striking impartially at It, at the
just removed fingers or at the wooden
stake to which the cord was tied,
grovelling his body i'm tho sandy earth.
writing and Juggling with protruding
tongue, and all the while transating
I'm whirr and hiss the blind fear of
his captivity.
Sometimes the man turned his head
TO watch once or twice when the
snakes movements tagged he slightly
stirred his fingers in the sand, the ruse
each time rewarded by the swift spring
and fruitless stroke. But mostly he
lay still, all his mind bent on cndur-
ancc
The man had been placed there to
die. He knew it and the knowledge
tinged his thoughts with strange
curiosity. There were three ways i'm
which death might reach him; through
the snake. through sunstroke or by the
weary route Of thirst and hunger. The
second and quickest of these ways the
light mountain air. warranty hot
though it might he. rendered iinprob-
able. For the snake. It was part of
the mans torment that at any minute
nc might stretch forth his hand ana
by the movement invite an end, brief
indeed but horrible TO the mind.
doubly horrible to the strained imag.
ination.
There was one other chance An
unexpected rainStorII, heavy night
dew in that barren place, would so
stretch the slender buckskin thong
which held the RATHER that unaided he
might reach and strike his victim.
This was the element Of uncertainty
In the grim problem This it was that
sent the mans eyes searching the bare
horizon with a look half dread, half
longing.
On one of these weary Journeys OF
sight a tiny speclS Of black above tine
western hills attracted nina steady
pin-point I'm the dazzling blue lie
shut his eyes n moment I'm order 60
look again the more iutently, ana when
he opened them, 10 the dark points
Were two. lie watched them uucom-
prehendingly, as slowly and steadily
high I'm air they moved from west To-
east When at last in mid heaven the
suns sheer strength beat down his
gaze, be was the louclier for loss OF
this one sign of movement.
The sense Of heat had by now grown
Into anguish The mans exposed body
drew and quiyered beneath the SUMS
rays as though each iuch of 30 were
endowed with "a separate life Unseen
Insects brushed and nutcrcd upon it,.
leaving beneath their light pressure
trail like fire ou The blistercd surface
The snake iay prone. exhausted al-
most beyond striking The man. not
ing it, smiled grimly ana scrapcd his
fingers noisily in the loose earth AS
the snake whirled TO front the chal
lenge, me curled his hand close with
taunt for its futile effort
He was thus cngrossed when sud
denly across his foce swept sense
OF delicious GOODNESS. Ho turned bis
head close above him almost within
touch Of his free hand. % great black
bird, corrion boz every movement nov