, 1915-06-24

He had flung her from him with
such violence that she had fallen side
wise. Now she raised herself. kneel-
ing in the feathery light. both hands
clasped close to her breast. trembling
excessively with loathing and feeling
the dun earth-fioor billow like a can
vas sea in a theater. Little puffs of
dust from the protesting ground were
wreathing about her set face, and she
pressed one hand against her shoulder
to repress her shivers.
The horrible horrible thing!"
she said whisperingly. TT would have
bitten mel"
He came toward her, painting, and
grasping her hand, lifted her to her
feet. He staggered slightly as he did
SO, and she saw his lips twist to-
gether oddly. All" she gasped. lit
bit you! 1t bit you'll"
No" he said. 81 think not"
Look There On your ankle-that
spot!"
81 did feel something, Just that first
moment" He laughed uncertainty.
It's queer. My foot's gone fast
asleep"
Every remnant of color left her
face. She had known a negro child
who had died of 6 water-moccasin's
bite some years before-the child of a
house-servant. 1t had been wading in
the creek in the gorge. The doctor
had said then that If one of the other
children.
She grasped his arm. sit down."
she commanded. here. on this log.
and see."
Her pale fright caught him. He
obeyed, dragged off the low shoe and
barred the tingling spot. The firm
white flesh was putting up around two
tiny blue-rimmed punctures. He
reached into his pocket, then remem-
bered that he had no knife. As the
next best thing he knotted his hand
kerchief quickly above the ankle.
thrust a stick through the loop and
twisted 1t till the ligature cut deeply,
while h knelt beside him, her lips
moving soundlessly, saying ove and
ove to herself words like these: 81
must not be frightened. He doesn't
realize the danger. but l do! must
be quite collected. 1t is a mile to the
Doctors. / might run to the house
anu bthu OuC III BULL pul IL WOuio
take too long. Besides, the doctor
might not be there. There is no one
to do anything but me-"
She crouched beside him, putting
her hands by his on the stick and
wrenching it over with all her
strength. Tighter, tighter" she said.
1T must be tighter" But. to her dis
may, at the last turn the improvised
cord snapped, and the released stick
flew a dozen feet away.
Her heart leaped chokingly, then
dropped into hammer-like thudding.
He leaned back on one arm. trying
to laugh. but she noted that his breath
came shortly as II he had been rum
ming. Absurd" he said. frowning.
How such-a fool thing-can hurt!"
Suddenly she threw herself on the
ground and grasped the DOT with both
hands. He could see her face twitch
with ~shuddering. and her eyes dilating
with some determined purpose.
What are you going to do?"
This" she said, and he felt her
shrinking lips, warm and tremulous.
pressed hard against his instep,
He drew away sharply. with savage
NthAoh nv sNOl thd "
shan't! My lord-yon shan't!" He
dragged his numbing foot from her
desperate grasp. lifting himself. push
ing her from him; but she fought with
him, ~clinging. painting broken SEN
fences:
You must! It's the only way. 1t
was-a moccasin, and it's deadly.
Every minute counts"
Il won't. No. stop! How do you
know? It's not going to-here. listen!
Take your hands away. Listen Ills
ten! l a go to the house and send
Uncle Jefferson for the doctor and he
MOI stop. l say! oh-I'm sorry II
hurt you. How strong you arei"
Let mel"
NC! Your lips are not for that
good God, that damnable thing! You
yourself might be"
Let me! Oh, how cruel you are!
1t was my fault. But for me it would
never have"
No! | would rather"
Let me! Oh, If you died!"
With all the force of lei strong
young body she wrenched away his
protestant hands. A thirst and a sick
ish feeling were upon him. a curious
irresponsible giddiness. and her hair
which that struggle had brought in
tumbled masses about her shoulders.
seemed to have little flames running
all over 1t. His foot had entirely lost
its feeling. There was a strange weak
ness In his limbs.
Moments of half-consciousness, or
consciousness jumbled with strange
imaginings, followed. At times he felt
the pressure upon the wounded foot.
was sensible of the suction of the
young mouth striving desperately to
draw the poison from the wound.
From time to time he was conscious