\m TEXAS NATURE OBSERVATIONS AND REMINISCENCES. 



remains of Arthur James, who 

 had accompanied him on the jour- 

 ney, and who had died the day be- 

 fore from the bite of a Gila Mon- 

 ster. 



The story as related by Mr. Far- 

 thingay, who seems to be utterly 

 prostrated by the horror of the oc- 

 curence, is indeed a terrible one. 

 It appears that following a black- 

 tailed deer the two hunters found 

 themselves near a small water 

 course emptying itself into the 

 Gila, and at last struck camp for 

 the night on the creek. The weath- 

 er proving rainy they sought 

 shelter in a little cavern formed 

 by a heap of rocks, takin-fr the 

 precaution to close its entrance 

 with coals from their camp fire, 

 for fear of rattlesnakes, but not 

 observing the foe within. 



Just at daylight Mr. Farthingay 

 was awakened by something that 

 had slidden over his postrate body 

 to the floor of the cavern. Open- 

 ing his eyes he saw the reptile- 

 like shape and snake head of one 

 of these venomous creatures. It 

 was traveling rapidly, and before 

 Mr. Farthingay could reach his 

 gun, it had encountered the sleep- 

 ing form of Mr. James, whose 

 breast it attempted to climb. 



Disturbed by the touch of the 

 animal, the unfortunate man, 

 without opening his eyes, threw 

 up one hand to dislodge what- 

 ever it was, and catching it by 

 the tail would have thrown it 

 from, him, but the deadly teeth of 

 the monster fixed immediatelv in 

 his naked wrist, and though Mr. 

 Farthingay hastened at once to 

 his friend's relief and endeavored 

 to pull it off, it held on like the 

 grim death it was. Then, though 

 fearing to strike the man instead 

 of the reptile, he seized his gun . 

 and fired the contents into the 

 creatures body. The monster let 

 go his grip on Mr. James and 

 made an effort to reach this new 

 antagonist, but a second volley 

 tore its head from its body. 



Mr. Farthingay now turned his 

 attention to his friend, and found 

 that he had fainted. On being re- 

 stored to conciousness Mr. James 

 complained greatly of his wrist, 

 which he said felt as if on fire, 

 and which almost immediately be- 

 gan to swell. Immoderate thirst 

 now set up and fever ensued, so 

 becoming very much alarmed 

 about his companion, Mr. Farth- 

 ingay proposed setting off at 

 once to town to procure medical 

 attention for the wound, but Mr. 

 James, fearing to die alone, im- 

 plored his friend not to leave 

 him. 



In answer to his prayer the oth- 

 er agreed to await the course of 

 the trouble, and fetching water 

 from the creek bathed the wound- 

 ed arm, but in less than half an 

 hour the entire member was swol- 

 len to nearly three times its nat- 

 ural size, and from some slight 

 discoloration assumed a deep pur- 

 plish hue, nearly black, in splotch- 

 es about the larger blood vessels. 



Delirium now set in, and while 

 anxious to summon assistance Mr. 

 Farthingay was forced tO' remain 

 to restrain the now raving, shriek- 

 ing man, who again and again at- 

 tempted to throttle his companion 

 when the latter endeavored ; to 

 keep him from coming out of the 

 cavern to the creek. At last, wor- 

 ried out Mr. Farthingay was flung 

 aside T^y the frantic suffere^r, who 

 broke out of his grasp and ran to 

 the stream howling. The .other 

 followed as rapidly as possible, 

 but only arrived in time t,o see 

 James struggling down the shelv- 

 ing bank, then totter forward and 

 fall. 



When he reached him it was to« 

 find life entirely extinct. James 

 lying with his head in the water 

 and his own teeth fixed in the 

 swollen gangrened arm. After ex- 

 hausting such restoratives as he 

 had with him Farthingay drag- 

 ged the body back to the cavern, 

 when he set off to seek assistance. 



