Year: 1878

tween the laurel and very prickly
rose bush, whose long sprays caught her
muslin dress and tore it. I saw her
straw hat amongst the big dark branches
and her little hand searching under
them for moment or two; then she
started up suddenly with a quick cry,
and bounded into the path again.


''What is the matter? Have you
hurt yourself" | asked anxiously.


Her hat fell to the ground, and she
stood before me with the blazing sun on
her pretty head, and wide-eyed horror
in her face. "Wait a minute for me p
she painted breathlessly Il want you to
help me-I have been bitten" Before
] could collect my senses 70 nndnr
stand what she meant, she had sped
like flash of light into the house; and
dashing into the laurel bush, I saw what
had happened. A big black snake was
gliding away from the spot where she
had been kneeling.


What was to be done? I stood still
for moment paralyzed; then | sent
up hurried prayer for help, and SIM
ultaneously .'cooeyed' three or four
times with all the force of a powerful
pair of lungs, for Don at the wool-shed.
Then I hurried after her, and met her
coming through the door of my brothers
dressing room with one Of his razors
in her hand. Her face was white and
set as she seized my hand and hurried
me into the smoking room, which was
near us. and turned the key in the lock.
/ knew what she wanted; and | set my
teeth in an agony that no words could
express, and which can never think Of
now without shudder.


'.Look p she said, piteously, with a
little sob in her throat; and | looked,
and saw one of the fingers of her left
hand tied round tightly with piece Of
string below the first joint, and the end
of it already liyid and swollen and show
ing the unmistakable punctures Of the
snakes fangs. She laid her other hand
on my arm, and looked up at me with a
beseeching face that nearly unnamed


"Help me !" she whispered eagerly ;
''now-now; before the others come u
And she held out the razor, open and
shining. sit is no use to suck tit
only wastes time" as | seized her finger
and put it in my mouth. 'Don't, don't
[ want to be on the safe side. I don't
want to die! 0 pray, pray help me y
now sobbing passionately-"or else |
must try to do it myself. won't cry
out; won't mind it. [ will turn my
head away" She laid her finger on
the edge of the table, and | took the
razor from her, and with all the courage
I could muster, excised the wounded
part. She bore the cruel operation
without murmur.


An hour afterwards the commotion il
the house was over, but the shadow o.
death was on it. Rachel was in heI
bed, white and faint and breathing
heavily, twitehing with weak fingers al
the bedclothes, and staring with dull
eyes into the sad faces around her. !


knelt in my room close by with my head


on my outspread arms, weeping like


child, as if my heart would break, ane


listening to the creaking of the doctor


boots and the whisking of skirts ant


whispering of awed voices on the othe


side of the thin wall. There was moth


ing else that | was privileged to do


now that | had done that dreadful thinI


which they told me might be the savini


of her precious life.


| AS the twilight fell, the voices in th


sick room took a louder and more cheer


ful tone; and presently one of ther


called softly: Jerry, | want you.


Lizzie met me in the passage with


tremulous. tear-stained, smiling fact


..The doctor says she will be all righ


now, and that she has to thank you fc


it" she whispered. Don't stay here an


longer; go and have cigar with Don.


| seized her hand and kissed i


and looked at her with my we


eyes full of foolish emotion, to
glad for speech and the brightenin


intelligence of her countenance wa


curious to note. Il thought you didn
care for each other she said archly
"but, she added dryly, Il suppose
was mistaken.


Don't suppose anything, Lizzi
there's good girl. But let me kno
when | may see her," | replied earnes
ly. 81. as... Ska
i "All right understandable l.
yon know" she said, nodding her hea
vigorously with an air of mystery an
! Importance; and then | went, not
t have cigar with Don, but to wal
. about the dark garden alleys, alone vii
/ my thoughts.


a Our patient improved steadily a
G night. so much SO that the family a
: -sembled at breakfast as usual. The
q great hunt was made for the snail
(at Lizzie's instigation, on the children