Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-11-19

! penis would put him out of existence
Already the body moved sluggisbly.
| but his fascinated eyes did not leave
the hideous head among the orchids
The fat eyes regarded him with cold
! hatred; the ugly mouth griuned.
! He heard the distant shouts OF his
Indians. Even if they had come TO
! him they could not help him.
His first downward movement would
be the signal for the beginning of the
| end.
he closed his eyes and prayed. He
| thought OF his mother and of Alice
| Blake. the girl he was TO marry
| His grip looSened on the twisted
wine. so dreadfully imbued with life;
| his feet slipped.
The vine moved.
| He looked up and saw that the ugly
head was lowered
Again he slipped down and again
| the vine moved.
Cold sweat broke out on his body and
! his face dripped
Now he bent his body and looked
down at the tail OF the serpent: g
had loosened from the vine and was
moving TO and fro like the pendulum
of a clock
Death above and death below. Well.
he would die fighting.
His hand found his revolver and
he wriggled around until he could see
the head again.
1t had hattened itself among the or
chids and was regarding him coldly
as before. He would wait until il lift
ed again. and when its throat was
tod RI vt hn try 20
blow the head off It would be diff
cult at that distance with a single
shot. and the death agonies OF the rep
tile might involve his own death.
Goodell closed his eyes again and
muttered n prayer as the strongest
men do In moments of danger. The
head was lifting again and resumed its
swaying movement. Higher. higher It
went. until the mottled throat was re-
vealed.
Spatl
The bullet went over fits head. His
arm was unsteady; he must try again.
Again he raised the automatic revolver,
and again it sounded on the heavy jun
gle air
Spat!
The head of the reptile wagged vio
lently and all outlines were lost as the
bullet found its mark. The great body
trembled violently, the tail dashed to
and fro, and the vine slipped down
ward
Charles Gooden slipped down, his I
eyes ever on the horrid specter of the
descending head.
Once he glanced below and saw that
the tail was Iashing the water. He
took courage and slipped farther down.
The great body of the dying reptile
came down with him.
Three feet above the river bank he
could stand the horror no longer, and
he dropped, clutching a young green
vine that swung harmlessly near.
The green vine held and broke his
fall He swung violently to and fro,
and when a favorable opportunity pre-
scented itself he loosened his hold and
fell upon the ground close beside his
heap Of specimen cases. Then he faint
ed away for the first time in his adyen-
turous life.
He recovered consciousness almost
Immediately, for the shots had brought
back his frightened Indians, and they
gathered about him with scared looks
and pointing fingers.
He took out his emergency flask and
restored in n measure his shattered
nerves He sent them to the river to
look at the dead carcass of the boa
but always they came back
and 2azcd at him as though upon
spirit from another world.
Looking at his watch, he found that
three hours had passed since he had
the twisted vine. 1t had Seem
ed like fifteen minutes. No wonder he
felt like an old man under the consum-
ing fear of those three horrible hours.
The continued wonder of his guides
excited his Impotence. and he drew
out a pocket mirror and looked at him
self.
His face peered at him pale and bag
gard. His abundant hair was white
rs snow.
The wondering Indians now climbed
he tree without protest, and the mnuve
orchids which had blanched Goodelrs
lair to obtain were packed away IN
he specimen cases. and the little expe-
iition turned down the river.
Many weeks later Charles Goodell
appeared in Philadelphia and delivered
IFS consignment Of valuable orchids to
lis employer. But the case of mauve
,rchids came last.
How about these:" demanded Mr..
LAY eagerly.
Those" said Goodell slowly. "arc
be price OF ms nerve and "A portion OF
ny youth. ] shall never hunt another
rchid, Mr.. Clay. The price OF the
nauve orchids is S25, 1000"
Il will pay it." said the rich man
uickly. and afterward you may tell
re the reason why you value them so
ighly."
So Charles Goodell told him the sto.
? of the twisted vine as have told IL
} you.