Cheyenne transporter. [volume] (Darlington, Indian Terr.) 1879-1886, 1883-09-13

swept screaming through the air, was
hearing the doleful notes OF military
music rather oftener than usual. The
tune the bands played haunts me yet.
II was the Dead March in Saul No
one, boys, who has ever measured his
PAGES to the grave of comrade by
that majestic, solemn, almost fearful
music can ever foget it SO long rs he
has a heart capable Of beating to the
echoed memories of the past. | asked
the doctors Mt breakfast what it all
meant. They looked at each other in
silence, and then the surgeon major
said the cholera had broken out among
the native troops and lots of men were
dying daily, but that / wasn't to feel
scared. All the hospitals were filled
with cases, and additional medical help
was being tclegraphed for to Bombay
and Ahmedabad, Well, after that
there were over dozen funerals n day,
and the continual weird sound of the
Dead march had such n depressing
effect upon the troops that at last
general order was issued that bodies
should be bEried without music and
only with the usual salute across the
grave. The disease, it seems, had
broken out in the native city, and as
the troops had to drink the water that
flowed past it it was no wonder that
they caught cholera. Why, they must
actually have been drinking in millions
of cholera germs.
"How many hundreds n day were
dying in the city no one could tell
Men, women, and children died, were
burned or thrown into the river and
there was an end of them. The cases
of death among the troops were all,
however, carefully noted. The camps
were shifted repeatedly and an order
was given out to avoid the river water
Although the European soldiers were
camped close to their native brethren,
not more than half q dozen of them
died, and they got the cholera more
through fear an actual contagion.
""he disease gradually died out
among the troops, although it con-
tinued to rage within the walls of
Baroda, which used to have the most
foul-smelling and primitive method of
sanitation it is possible 10 imagine.
Deep open treanches cut along the
sides of the narrow streets received the
scavenging and refuse, and when you
consider that these trenches were
almost all on the dead level and that
they festered in the sun all day long,
you can imagine it was no wonder that
cholera broke out in Baroda or that it
finds foothold in dirty city like
Damietta. Well, the moment the
camps were shifted and well-water
was used only the back of the epidemic
was broken. Now and again it made
its appearance, but only sporadically
and in mild form. Not one of the
officers got the malady, although they
were living actually in the midst of the
so-called epidemic.
81 remember very well those hot
nights when we used to 90 into the
mess-room compound after dinner and
play whist. The native servants would
wiring out the green table and the
lamps, the big Trichinopoly cheroots
and the brandy and soda, and with
only the starlit heavens above us and
the hum of insects in the air, disturbed
occasionally by the neighing of some
impatient steed, we would play our
game in silence that would have de-
lighted the heart of dear old Sarah
Battle. Presently sepoy orderly
would emerge from the shadow of the
banyan tree, draw himself straight up
to 'tention and salute the colonel.
We'll, Hurrilal, what is itP' the colonel
would ask, scarcely lifting his eyes off
his hand. 'Sahib, doorsa admi mirgya
-Sahib, another man dead the sepoy
would reply. 'WhoP' 'Bapoo Prema6-
hoy, sahib.' Let me see, whose trick
is thatp Yours? All right, 90 ahead
the colonel would remark to the play