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The Rattlesnake Sayed His Life

The Rattlesnake Sayed His Life image
Parent Issue
Day
19
Month
January
Year
1883
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The Toledo Bee. Game there was none. We could not break camp uow with oar weak men upon our hands, and it only remained for some one to attempt the desperate journey across the San Juan range, bj way of the Devil's pass, to Animas, and return with food or a rescuing party. Failing of that, spring-time would lind our cabin inhabited by corpses. We drew lots among ourselves, therefore, we well men, to decide who should untertakc this perilous trip, and the risk feil upon me. It was best, perhaps, that it should have been so, for of all the party I best knew the trail. Without waste of words or time, I prepared myself for the journey, and, thoroughly armed, early one morning, before the palé moon liad fallen behind , the western moimtains, I bado good-by I to my comrades and started. Turning my back upon the camp, I settled my course by a star, and at a brisk pace steered southward. All day I continued on the trail. ever with a watchful eye for Indian signs - for I believed our old enemies stil] in the vicinity - but all day unmolested, and at last, weary and i worn, as the chili shadows began to I creep across the great white plain behind me, I saw looining up in front the San Juan range, gashèd with a narrow gorge- the Devil's Pass. Once through that horrible grave- for it was little else - and the road to Animas would bo comparatively easy. My spirits rose hopefully. As darkness camo fairly down, I found niyself just at the mouth of the canyon which led up to the pass, and deeming it a most sheltered place for a camping spot, I soon gathered a heap of dead limbs beneath an overhanging rock where the snow had not yet come, built a roaring fire, which warmed and cheeied me, and prepared for thenight. I feit little fear, for the narrow, frowning canyon walls would hide the right of my lire froni all tho plain country. The only disturbance which 1 might look for would bo the howling of the wolves. who threatened, but dared not attack me; and I cared not for them. With theso comforting reflections, therefore, I ate a hearty supper, drank a inflo malled snow-water, lit my pipe, and rolling iur„oif jn mv blanket, crowded close to tho rocK oí inhind me, now well warmed by my fire. And so, in the flickering light, protected upon all sides, I gave myself unhesitatingly up to slumber. How long I slept I cannot say. It was deep in the night when I woke with a sudden chili. I was as if someone had touched me with a cold and clammy hand, but even before I was well awake my f ron tiersman' s caution returned, and I opencd my eyes slowly, and didn't move. The iire was all but outandtheghostly light from its dying ernbers touched tho snow and rocks and trees about with a strange color like thick blood. The air was growing chili and still, too, except for the cry of a coyote fall up the canyon wall opposite, who whined and barkecï incessantly. ¦ There was something almost oppressivo about the silenee to me, when suddenly, from just beyond my smouldei-ing iire the sound of a step startled me, and before I had time even to move there was bonding over mo a hideous, painted face - the face of a savago. And in his hand. already creeping toward ruy neart, was nis neavy scaiping-Kmio To describe my scnsation3 is impossible. Some terrible spell seemed tobind me. Not onlv was I facing the (langer which meant instant death, but 1 was unable to move, even in the attempt to save ruyself, It was as if I wero fascinated. I tried to reason with myself. This was but a single eneiny - if I should spring npon lum I might kill him and so be free, but although the reasoning was all right, the action I was unable to bring about, and all the time the terrible knife drew nearer. The redskin knew that I was awake, and that 1 saw him, but he gloated over my helplessness and delayed liis fatal blow. At last, however, I saw the gleam of his eye, the tightening of his mu seles, and knew that in an instant more all would be over, when a sudden har3h, metallic rattle sounded, as if it were in my very bosom. I feit something glide froni my side - a long, scaly, snaky body shot out to moet the dusky oncoming arm. Thero was a blow, then a cry of horror, and, as the "knifo feil ringing to the earth, a rattlesnake crawled slowly away, and the Uncompahgre, with his now nerveless hand outslretched and the blood dripping slowly from his parted fingers, with a long, wild death shriek turned and disappearod in the darkness. The rattler which my fire bad drawn from his winter quartcrs had saved my lifo and the lives of my companions. A week later, with a party of thirty good tellows I recrossed the San Juan range and rescued my party from starvation and the Indians; and it is because of what that snake did forme in Devil's Pass, nigh on twenty years ago, that 1 let the critters live to-day. "Mrs. Henry," said Johnto his wife the other morning, "if you givo me a Christmas present this year, picase árrange it so that the bilí won't come in till next month. It's just as well to keep up the illusion for a short time." "Women ojight to takc more cxerciso in the open air," says a medical authority. Evidently talking over the back feuce to the woman next door is nol coriRÍdered mwn nir fi"varpifl

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Subjects
Ann Arbor Courier
Old News