Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1889-11-15

They had gone. and the place was
in darkness save for the glimmer OF "A
cocoanut-oil lamp. | heard the
scratching of mumooties just outside
the pandal.
IL was the noise made by the camp
followers who were digging common
grave for six OF us, leaving room for
two more II necessary.
1 felt utterly stunned and quite in
different az TO my fate, which. OF
course, | considered settled. after what
the assistant surgeon said. My tongue
was like piece of dry leather in my
mouth. which had long since ceased to
yield any saliva to relieve the agoniz-
ing burning OF my throat and palate.
L could not have made any sound had
| attempted to do so; but l did not try.
for the attendants were all stretched
on the ground fast asleep. | felt |
was deserted to die.
was beginning to wander, | think,
and was back again in the bright
green English meadows, picking
daisies with my little sister, and so |
should have passed away. But just at
that moment the coolies who had fin
ished digging the grave-my grave
passed the entrance to the pandal; and
one of them, with more consideration
than his class usually show, threw a
pannikinful of water on the cuscus
tathi.
1t was like a galvanic shock to me.
/ resolved TO have a drink at any risk.
| had TO die, so what matter if l hast
ened my death an hour or two by
drinking cold water! At least | should
be relieved from the torture of thirst
and die happy.
tried TO get up but was too weak
to stand. and fell down at once. Then
/ reflected that | was more likely To be
seen il | walked, and If detected in
my attempt | should be brought back,
and perhaps be strapped down to die.
SO | tried to crawl.
i was about ten minutes DIR aging
myself the forty feet from my cot to
the entrance, and l wriggled under the
cuscus tathi like snake.
There were the chatties before me-
The first l seized was empty, and
the disappointment nearly made me
swoon; but the second was brimful. /
threw my arms around it, and dragged
myself to it. plunged my head into
the delicious. limpid water, aud de-
voured, rather than drank, huge
mouthfuls OF the cool, heavenly fluid. l
felt my stomach swelling with the
enormous draughts | swallowed; bat
laughed and drank again and again.
/ rocked naught for life or death then.
At length | could drink no more,
and then discipline asserted itself.
knew | had no riget to be out there,
and / thought il / were missed from
my cot l should be reported. So |
crept back the way | had come. and
shortly after fell into profound sleep.
1t was broad daylight when | awoke
and saw the assist mt surgeon and
dresser standing beside me.
"How is this?" asked the Doctor
"Wetherall ought to shave been
dead"
please, SIR" said |, Il am feeling
much better, and have no wish to make
the sixth this morning"
He knew ! had overheard his re.
mark on the preceding night; he
smiled sadly and said, Il am sorry to
say there were six without you. But
cannot understand how it is you are
alive. Most extraordinary
rapidly recovered; and as had never
INDUCED in the pernicious country
arrack sold to soldiers out here, / was
soon quite strong again. | was made
sergeant very soon, and | remained up
ward OF twenty years serving with
different regiments out here; but il
was sometime before | told any one
how | recovered from my attack OF
cholera. However. | told the doctor one
day all about it; and though he said
the cold water ought to have killed
me, | observed the poor fellows who
were in hospital with cholera got an
extra allowance of water.
All my people were dead or scatter
ed, so L took my pensions; and the
bounties had obtained. added to my
savings, enabled me to buy this bit of
land. | am doing well. aud have all
man can wish for to make him happy.
-Blackwood's Magazine.