The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1908-02-20

hish uun6 Hiuiboii hAihSk HIS Douub,
STRUGGLING and strainins at them for
esoepo from this new horror. On
his body, dry TIL now. sweat poured
forth la streams. Blood xushed
from his nostrils. With shrieks, with
oeths. with stumbling words OF pray
OF, he fought against the fate which
held him.
Not onoo bat many times the
struggle was ropestsd. When ut
last, exhausted. his oonvulsed body
fell back to quiet. the bird was gone.
Shudderinsly the man raised his
eyes. Far up. half lost In blue. but
ready, tireless. It hung above him.
Turning his blanched check to tho
sand, he fell into a sort Of sleep All
through tho waning day he slept,
through the approach OF night and
the swift desert change from heat
to cold. When he awoke the first
pale amethyst OF dawn was In the
sky. The snake was sleeping, not rs
snakes are wont to sleep in freedom,
head tucked to tail and seinuous fold
Tipping on fold. but with his swollen
body bach-thrown and stffened
against the stake which held him.
caught mid-struggle by iDsensibility.
The man turned his head to face
him.
Hey. rattler!" no called checrily,
and scraped some grains OF sand to-
word the recumbent body.
But when he saw the start and
shuddcr with which the creature
woke, the anguish of returning con-
sciousness, suddenly he was sorry for
his act. When the snake, writhing
round, struck at its cord Quivering
from head to tail. no would have Civ
en- nm hour OF his own rest to have
restored the sleep which he had
broken.
The sun rose presently. Again tho
weary panorama OF the day unrolled
before the eyes OF the two victims.
The snake was quiet, weakened by
his long struggle. The man.
strengthened by sleep. restored by
tho nights cold. held himself strong
ly In hand.
Watching the Indifference of the
reptile, the man feared less Fixing
his eyes upon it. he could hold hard
to sanity and TO endurance. though
around him perched and hovered the
culture ministers Of death
But as the morning passed a new
anxiety came upon him. Suppose
the snake should die first. It SEEM
ed to weaken with every hour and
the man trembled. He spoke to 1t
soothingly at times and had. or be-
lieved he had, the power OF quiet.ng
Its paroxysms. In his fevered mind
he searched haltlnsly for some know
ledge of its needs. Would 1t live
longer for the taking OF his life?
And II b. stretching out his hand he
could delay Its end. what then of tho
lengthening OF its paini
Before his dimming eyes the snake
doomed. now refuge. now a menace.
! A dosen times he half relaxed his
hand. only to draw It close again.
| Once, when the snake fell In it's
spring, seemingly dead, he thrust
the fingers wide with a cry of utter
! deprivation. When 1t moved again
/ he drew them IN, instructive love Of
life still upon him.
! He closed his eyes after this and
for long time lay still. only rolling
his head from side to side that the
vultures might not light upon his
body.
At last, when the sun lay low on
the horizon, he ceased the movement
and again looked about him. Over
head a cloud OF birds, scared by the
sudden quiet. hung high in air; the
sagebrush all around rustled with
pungent dryness and to the west the
sky burned hard and bright as bur-
nished copper.
For a long time he waited. Then
with a sobbing breath, he flung
round, straining his body against the
cords which held him.
The snake. too, had moved. The
thong that bound 1t WAS drawn taut,
and painfully 1t had thrust its swol-
len head across the fingers. 1t lay
thus, outstretched. not striking. It's
glazing eyes on the mans face.
And while they lay so suddenly
there came to pass the impossible.
the one uncounted chance. From far
across the desolate sagebrush desert
sounded the barking OF dog.
1t came nearer and with it the
creak and grinding of heavy wheels.
The man strove to cry out and, fail
ing, gnawed desperately at his baked
lips and tongue. When the feeble
trickle of blood which paid his efforts
had moistened his dry throat, he
raised his voice In shrill and terrible
cries. Above him at the sound the
startled birds swirled to the west.
The snake, too weak to spring. had
yet dragged himself to coil. his
fat head raised In air.
Between his cries the man could
hear the abrupt stopping OF the wag-