The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1930-06-05
Callie's Cobra
Was Thorn
b. LILLIAcE MITCHELL


had both been on one Of those Satur'
day hikes that city people frequently
enjoy-for the day.
Callie, however, had always lived
in the city. With the usual cOntrari.
ness Of human nature she longed to
live in the country. Jim, on the other
hand, had been born on a farm. had
followed his father from one farm to
another and had finally managed to
finish high school at northern Michi-
gan lumber town where linen were
men," as they themselves boosted. Jim
liked to hike, but he had no particular
love for the country as a place in
which to live.
Just after they were engaged Callie
found out that Jim hated the coun-
try. Callie decided to take zone
some" hike over her three-day holiday.
Could she give up all idea of living in
the country in order to marry Jim?
Could she face life In the city for
ever?
A thing like that isn't decided in
moment.
Callle, with a light pack to carry,
took a train that let her out at a
lonely little way-station, a hundred
miles from the city. She dropped
postal card to Jim, telling him where
she had gone.
Swinging into the country road with
no sign of human habitation before
her, Callie threw back her head and
drew in deep breaths joyously. All!
this was the life! Even Jim, darling
Jim could offer nothing to compare
with this. Singing birds, feathery
trees, wild flowers springing up at
the sides.
. BY night she had come to pine
woods where she unrolled her blan-
ket, blew up her air pillow, and took
out the dainty sandwiches she had
packed in the city.
Callie wondered If she could have
good things sent out by parcel post.
By morning she wished that she had
brought frying pan and bacon. The
sandwiches were good but she could
have eaten the three days supply at
once.
By noon her further hiking brought
her to high hill. A few scrub pines
dotted it. Brush and spiny looking
growths making hiking slow. Under
the warm sun snakes glided through
the brush, giving Callie little shivers
along her spine.
She sat down to make sure that her
canvas leggings were well fastened.
A small garter snake slithered near
her ankle. Callie let out a yell for
help before she realized that there
was no one to yell to. She began to
wonder If she had been foolish to
come out alone this way. If she missed
the road and did not come to the town
she was expecting to find-her heart
skipped a beat and she rose to her
feet, pulled down her little scarlet
hat and pressed forward with clinched
teeth.
It seemed now that all of the snakes
in the world had congregated in this
spot and were gliding about i'm the
sun. She tried to pretend that she
could not see them. Then at the side
Of little stream where there were
bulgy stepping stones that rocked as
one stepped upon them, snake
reared and darted towards her.
"a cobra" she moaned as she lost
her footing. stepped wildly on several
stones and fell half in the muddy
stream and half on the coarse brush
bordering it.
When she took off her Logging she
found two tiny marks. A quick tour
niquet, turning, turning, turning until
it seemed that all of the blood in her
body had stopped flowing; cold hands,
blood racing around and around her
head-Callie was fear-stricken.
"Cobra-twenty minutes to live"
she said in low tones.
The sun was going down now and
she thought of herself lying out here
never to be found. BY her red hat, If
she were ever found, Jim would know
that it was she for he had helped her
select that at store on Michigan
boulevard one Saturday afternoon.
Drowsy, her head dropped forward on
her chest.
She was aroused by the sound of a
motor, and then voice. She opened
her eyes.
"You little idiot! Chasing off like
this alone!" said Jim, shaking her.
Callie chung to him, now wide
awake.
I'm going to die-cobra," she whis-
pered. "Oh. don't scold me now, Jim.
Pm-dying-twenty minutes"
He stared at her. He reached over
to the place where she had thrown
her Logging and looked at it.
'"There are no cobras in this neck
O. the woods" he laughed. you've
got a spiny-thorn in your Logging,
grille. Just a thorn-that's all !! Lucky
you wore that red hat. / got your
card in the morning mail and drove
right out. The postmaster told me
you were in last night and he said
you wore red hat. I've searched
for miles!
well, all ready to go back to civili-
cation where snakes are snakes and
flats are flats and all of that? Plenty