nth. Didn't you ever hear of my snake-mine--it was one
of the marvels of Arizona--a two-foot stratum of snakes. I used to hook
'em out as fast as I needed them and try out the oil to cure rheumatism;
but one day I dropped one and he bit me on the leg, and it's been bad
that same month ever since. Would you like to see the bite? There's the
pattern of a diamond-back just as plain as anything, so I know it must
have been a rattler."

He reached resolutely for the demijohn and took a hearty drink whereat
Virginia sat down with a sigh.

"I'll tell you something," went on Charley confidentially. "Do you know
why a snake shakes its tail? It's generating electricity to shoot in the
pisen, and the longer a rattlesnake rattles----"

"Oh, now, Charley," she begged, "can't you see I'm in trouble? Well,
stop drinking and listen to what I say. You can help me a lot, if you
will."

"Who--me?" demanded Charley, and then he roused himself up and motioned
for a dipper of water. "Well, all right," he said, "I hate to kill this
whiskey----" He drank in great gulps and made a wry face as he rose up
and looked around.

"Where's Heine?" he demanded. "Here Heine, Heine!"

"You drove him under the house," answered Virginia petulantly, "playing
all three phonographs at once. Really, it's awful, Charley, and you'd
better look out or mother will give you the bounce."

"Scolding women--talking women," mused Charley drunkenly. "Well; what do
you want me to do?"

"I'm _not_ scolding!" denied Virginia, and then as he leered at her
she gave way weakly to tears. "Well, I can't help it," she wailed, "she
scolds me all the time and--she simply drives me to it."

"They'll drive you crazy," murmured Charley philosophically. "There's
nothing to do but hide out. But I must save the rest of that whiskey for
the Colonel."

He reached for the demijohn and corked it stoutly, after which he turned
to Virginia.

"Do you want some money?" he asked more kindly, bringing forth his roll
as he spoke. "Well here, Virginny, there's one hundred dollars--it's
nothing to your Uncle Charley. No, I got plenty more; and I'm going up
the Ube-Hebes just as soon as I find my burros. They must be over to
Cottonwood--there's lots of sand over there and Jinny, she's hell for
rolling. No, take the money; I got it from Wiley Holman and he's got
plenty more."

He dropped it in her lap, but she jumped up hastily and put it back in
his hands.

"No, not that money," she