Texas Nature Observations and Reminiscenses Page: 160

                                
160 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, taking, 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 immediately 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 MSr. 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, in-
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 by the frantic sufferer, who
broke out of his grasp and ran to
the stream  bowling. The other
followed as rapidly as possible,
but only arrived in time to see
James struggling down the shelv-
ine bank, then totter forward and
fall.
When he reaclled 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 lie
had with him Farthingay drag-
ged the body back to the cavern,
when he set off to seek assistance.