McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1885-03-26
A DEAD MANS STORY,

You wonder that my hair is so white
while l am not an old man as years
goP Perhaps your hair would be as
white as mine if you had passed
through the ordeal of death in life that
it was my fate to endure.
Tell you about it !? Ugh! 1 shud-
der to think of it. Everything comes
up before me so wildly when l tell
my strange story, that 1 seem to be
living the terrible hours of terror and
suspense over again. | do not tell it
often, but if you care to hear it, lis
ten, and when / am done tell me if
you wonder my hair is white.
was a soldier in the late war. and
it was my fortune to be wounded in an
engagement in Virginia. A ball
struck ME in the shoulder, and fell
to the ground and knew nothing of
what happened for hours after that.
When came to myself / was in an
ambulance and was being taken to the
hospital. The jolting of the wagon
caused almost unbearable pain in my
wounded shoulder. At times it SEEM
ed as if my suffering would drive me
wild. By the time we reached our
destination was SO weak could hard
ly speak above a whisper. l was ia
ken from the ambulance and carried
into the hospital ward, and a surgeon
was sent for at once.
He came presently-a kindly feat
ured, mild voiced man who won my
confidence at once. He asked me
some questions about my wound be-
fore he proceeded to examine it. See
ing how weak 1 was, he gave me
something that soon quieted nue..
When the drug had taken effect. he
examined my shoulder. [ saw from
his face that he considered amputa-
ton necessary.
81 won't consent to having my arm
taken off, cried. "I'd rather suffer
any amount of pain than the loss of
that
'.But-you might lose your life," he
suggested.
Il might as well, and be done with
it, as to go through life with one
arm," answered. 'I;1 never coz
sent to any operation that will de-
prive me of it.''
He reasoned with me in vain. At
length he left me.
Shortly after, the nurse having
charge of that ward came in. The
surgeon had made out prescription
for me and 1 swallowed the medicine
he sent wondering if life or death was
to be my lot.
/ fell into broken, troubled sleep
from which l woke to the conscious
ness of keen, knife-like pain in my
shoulder, sudden darling pain that
ran through all my nerves and tingled
to the eXtremities of my body.
In this condition the surgeon found
me when he made his next visit.
81 knew how it would be-" he said,
shaking his head. Il tell you what it
is, my boy, you had better submit to
the loss of limb than loss of life.
1t will soon be too late, if this inflam-
nation goes on, to risk an operation.
81 can't consent to it, 1 persisted,
thinking of the disadvantage 1 would
be laboring under in attempting to
fight the battle of life without my
trusty arm. "Besides, the shock OF
amputaticn might kill me. 1t proba-
bly, would. AS well die with my arm
on as to have it taken off and then
die"
at might, it is true" said the sur
geon, ''but the chances of recovery
after an operation would be far greater
than now. However, if you are de-
termined to hang to it, We'll do the
best we can for you"
Then he proceeded to dress my
wound. The pain the operation
caused was terrible. Once l almost
tainted away.
"Grin and bear it, said the surgeon.
latter little you will be more COM
Portable, 1 think. But 1 tell YOU the
truth when l say that you will suffer
far more with your arm, if you live,
than you would In having it taken off. v
cit isn't the dread of the pain OF
amputation that makes me refuse tc
have 1t taken off," l answered, lit is
simply because I can not bear the idea
of going through life with one arm te
! depend on"