The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1889-10-25
vas tantalized by hearing the splash,

mediate precursor of the third and
fatal stage of cholera when | heard
voices in the pandal. The assistant
surgeon was making his last round tor
the night. accompanied by the hospital
dresser. With violent effort reused
myself, and eagerly listened for their
approach. l wanted to hear my fate
pronounced.
They stopped at length where lay,
and the doctor examined my body.
'Mottled," l heard him remark to
the dresser. l was nearly deafened
by the singing or rather drumming in
my ears, so | lay perfectly motionless,
so as not to let a single word OF what
they might say escape me, if possible.
"He is insensible already" the
doctor confined, land will not last
long. So Wetherall will make six!"
"Make Skip l said to myself; make
six what?" six corpses, of course,
for burial at daylight tomorrow morn
ing," voice seemed to laugh out, with
tiendish exultation.
The dresser said something which |
could not distinctly hear, but the an
swer enlightened me as to the subject
they were discussing.
''Oh, yes, there will be room enough;
in fact, for two more. if necessary
They had gone, and the place was in
darkness save for the glimmer of a
cocoanut-oil lamp. ! heard the scratch
ing of mumooties just outside the pam
dal.
It was the noise made by the camp
followers who were digging common
grave for six of us, leaving room for
two more, if necessary!
l felt utterly stunned, and quite in
different as to my fate. which, Of
course, | considered settled, after what
the assistant surgeon had said. My
tongue was like piece of dry leather
in my mouth, which had long since
ceased to yield any saliva to relieve
the agonizing burning of my throat
and palate could not have made any
sound had l attempted to do so; but l
did not try, for the attendants were all
stretched on the ground fast asleep. |
felt | was deserted-ieft 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 mo-
ment the coolies who had finished dig
ging the erave-my grave-passcd the
entrance to the pandnl; and one of
them, with more consideration lnun
his class usually show. threw pan
nikinful of water on the cuscus tathi.
1t was like galvanic shock to me.
I resolved to have drink at any risk.
| had to die, SO what matter if 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.
l tried to get up, but l was too weak
to stand, and fell down at once. Then
! reflected that | was more likely to be
seen if | walked. and if detected in my
attempt should be brought back, and
perhaps be strapped down to die. So
| tried to crawl.
| was about ten minutes dragging
myself the forty feet from my cot tc
the entrance, and | wriggled under the
cuscus tathi like a snake.
There were the chattos before me!
The first | seized was empty, and the
disappointment nearly made me swoon;
but the second was brim-full threw
my arms around it, and dragged my
self to it. plunged my head into the
delicious, limpid water, and devourcd,
rather than drank, huge mouthfuls OF
the cool and heavenly fluid. | felt my
stomach swelling with the enormous
draughts l swallowed; but laughed
and drank again and again. l rocked
life or death then.
At length could drink no more, and
then discipline asserted itself knew
If were missed from my cot should
be reported. So crept back the way
l had come. and shortly after fell into
a profound sleep.
1t was broad daylight when | awoke.
and saw the assistant surgeon and
dresser standing beside me.
'How is this?" asked tho doctor
"Wetherall ought to have been dead"
"Please, sir" said |, II am feeling
much better, and have no wish tt
make the sixth this morning"
He knew l had overheard his re
mark on the preceding night; he smiled
sadly, and said: II am sorry to say
there were six without you. But l can
not understand how 1t is you are alive
Most extraordinarily
l rapidly recovered; and as ] had
never indulged in the pernicious coun-
try arrack sold to soldiers out here. l
was soon quite strong again. was
made sergeant very soon, and | re-
mained upward OF twenty years serv-
ing with different regiments out here;
but it was some time before l told any
one how recovered from my attack
of cholera However, l told the doc
tor one day all about it; and though hs
said the cold water ought to have
killed me, observed the poor fellows
who we're in hospital with cholera go'
an extra allowance Of water.
All my people were dead or scat
tered, and had no wish to return tt
England, SO / took my pension; and
the bounties had obtained, added to
my savings, enabled me to buy this
bit Of land lam doing well, and have
all man can wish for to make him