The Hartford herald., 1875-06-16
HOW THE MATE DIED.
From the St. Louis Times.

years, though not old. His hair was griz~
zly. his face sun-burned and his hand
showed that he had been a hard>worker.
1t was at clearinghouse where river
men find food and rest, and the stranger
would have passed unnoticed, had not his
! wild, strange talk aroused some ofthe men
at midnight. His illness was serious, or
he would not have had such CLASSY eyes,
and such ghastly look.
"uaul in, all hands there; lively lads,
no, she comes!" he called out as the men
tried to quiet him.
The doctor said it was bad case Some
terrible fever which the man had been
| fghting.off for weeks and weeks, but which
had broken him down at last.
"Out with the plank, yip! ha! lively!
lively called the patient, as the doctor
tried TO count his pulse.
'He must have an opiate first" whis-
pered the doctor, and he opened his little
case of medicine. His hand passed from
bottle to bottle until it rested upon the one
desired, and just then the patient shouted:
Hip hi! fly therel Here, you niggers
speed - fly - gallop-rush You over
there-hip, Blast your lazy souls why
don't you rush them barrels Off"
"He ought to have been under the doc
tors care week ago" whispered the ply
sician, as he softly jostled some of the
powder out on the little square sheets of
paper previously prepared.
Four or five brawny men had entered
the dingy room and they looked from doc
tor to patient without speaking.
Lift on 'er-up up! vi! hi! you niggersl
Why in blazes doa't you s,raigh,en your
backs?" called the sick man.
Hes bin mattel" whispered one of the
men.
"And he thinks he's loading up" added
a second
"lf can quiet him tonight I'll learn
something OF his case in the morning"
said the doctor, as he folded the powders
into little square packages. "Such men
never give up until the last hour. See
that chest, that neck, that arml He could
have stood up against cholera and yellow
fever combined, if he'd taken care of him
self"
This way-this way-roll 'em-pile
'em-throw 'em-why cant YOU jerk
lightning right out o them barls" shout
ed tire patient.
Thinks he's taking on whisky and
flour!" whispered one of the men.
''Ill bet he was driver" added sec>
ord.
AT | O'clock said the doctor, ranging
the little packages in a row, give him
one OF these dissolved in a spoonful of wa
ter, and then one every hour until come,
unless he should become quiet"
"lrs purity ser US, amt it ,doctor?" asked
one of the men.
"Well, I've seen hundreds of worse ca
scs, but cant tell how the powders will
work. Hes in for a long run of fever, at
best, and if he's stranger and short>up,
l pity him."
"1lustle-fy-roll that whole wood pile
this way-hip! get out of your hides. mig
gers" exclaimed the patient, his CLASSY
eyes following the doctor to the door.
Thinks he's wooding up now" whis-
pered one of the men. "He was mate all
through-thats plain"
For long time the patient whispered
to himself and the watchers could only
catch word or two now and then, but he
suddenly cried out:
Sharp therel Sharp Out with her
-lif'! up! heave! so she goes! yi!"
"Ile's making landing now" whisper
one OF the men, holding his watch, and
waiting for one o'clock.
There you 60" continued the patient,
after moment-'fling 'em-high-live-
ly-great Heavens! why don't you tear
splinters OGycur heels?-whoop! shool"
He was quiet again for five minutes, and
one of the men mixed the powder with a
spoonful Of water. They were hesi;ating
whether to disturb the sick man, when he
sat up, threw his arms about and yelled:
Crook yer backs, you black fiends-
hup! Xxi! vi! dust fly! snatch 'em-great
snakes. why don't ye tussel that cotton at
mel"
He fell back, and when they bent over
him, he was dead
The men looked at each other in aston>
ishment. They could not believe until
there was no longer room TO doubt.
Il hope he's got plain channel whis>
pered one as be drew the quilt up.
There's no bars on the river" added
second
And as the third pressed the lids down
over the sightless, CLASSY balls, he said:
He was a stranger, and | hone the
Lord II let him make fast alongside of
a wharfboat in Heaven"