The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1889-11-06
FoR LIFE cs DEATH.
Eow q aci,qicra-ssflei. soldier cobt.ine


~ y --@-a-- .sii yis-t i.NstllftC
Eow . nci.oicrn-stfleisen Soldier rOBtainod \
t ~ i{l N Drtkip Ind "a src3ar
cznot5dHdiI IN, tSJfA us u private In the i
--th regi aehtahdmy tnrnpahy forpled part
Of tho glfrisnibs iArcot, ,sayB1a twriterin
I DlnclSwo0d's Gaga2.Ic. Life In barracks in
\ Indiais very dAk 'ahd II, was with great
satisfaction that we heard an order had
been given FOR our company 10 march 10
Vellore 70 istrengthen tho garrison there, 4
which had beenyery much reduced BY choL-,
era.g 80 Hsls !ti-s sss ,bsst-- /, ,p ,Tl+ !,
II was then about the middle Of March,
and consequently later than Is usual, for
moving troops, as, the dsysbegin to getYery,
hot ON the plains in the Carnatic about that
time Of the year. But ours was special duty,
and, as we should only march In the very
early morning, we did not fear the incon-
venience OF the midday heat ssu bosr 10
It was on the second day after leaving
Arcot that, late Ia tho afternoon, I was
listening to description of Vellore by, one
Of our fellows who had bcen there, when
suddenly lfelt spasms and sickness. ~ ~, ,
"Holloal old fellow, how blue you lookp
remarked q companion sitting next to me,
and as he spoke my comrades shrank ter
ror-striclen from me- II needed no doctor
To tell what was tho matter. The cholera
had seized mel
was hastily conveyed TO the temporary
hospital, where our assistant surgeon al
ready had several cases OF the disease under
treatment, and was laid on.a charpoy. Trap
kidly passed from the hrstto the second stage
/ Of that malady, and by nine clock at night
the incessant vomiting and purging had re-
duced me TO condition Of weakness ap-
preaching insensibility. was consumed
] by burning, raging thirst, but the dresser
/ disregarded all my cntrcaties for drink OF
water. The system Of treatment for chol-
era in those days allowed tho patient moth
ing more than Just to have tho lips moistened
occasionally with weak brandy and water,
and this simply aggravated the torture Of
thirst Nowadays champagne is given, and
the sufferer Is allowed 10 drink pretty freely.
The hospitalwas, Of course, only pandal,
hastily constructed with palmyra-leaves,
with large cuscus-mat at the entrances at
each end. Two large chatties Of water
were placed just outside each entrance.
/ had begged sworn and menaced
at intervals, but no one paid the
slightest heed to me, and / was
sinking into that condition Of torpor
which Is the immediate precursor Of the
third and fatal stage Of cholera, when heard
voiccsin the pandal. The assistant surgeon
was making his last round for the night
accompanied by the ohospital-dresser. With
q violent effort Iroused myself, and eagerly
listened for their approach. l wanted II
hear my atepronounccd.
|, They stopped at length where l lay, ant
the-doctor examined my body.
"Mottled," l heard him remark 10 thu
dresser; the Is insensible already, and vii
not last long. So Wethernll will make six =
snake skip said 10 myself; make 81,
whatp Six corpses, Of course, for burial al
daylight tomorrow morning"
They had gone and the place wns In dark
ness, save for the glimmer Of cocoanut
oil lamp. / heard the scratching Of mu
mooties Just outside, made by the camp
followers, who were digging a common
grave for six Of US.
, / felt utterly stunned and quite indifferen
as to my fate. Ny tongue was like piec
Of dry leather in my mouth, which had lon
since ceased TO yield any saliva to rehev
the agonizing burning OF my throat and pa
ate. could not have made any sound ha
? Iattempted TO do so; but l did not try, fc
the attendants we're all stretched on tt
|, ground fast asleep Ifelt was deserted.
= lett TO die.
!, Twas beginning To wander, think, an
0 was back again In the bright, green, e
5 gllsh meadows, picking daisies with my II
Q lie sister, and SO should have passed ava
b But lust at that moment, the coolies, wi
h had finished digging the grave-my gray
: passed the entrance OF the pandal; an
' one OF them threw pannikiniul OF WaV
on the mating screen.
!, II was like galvanic shock to me. r
u solved TO have q drink at any risk hs
! to die, so what matter II hastened n
: death an hour or two by drinking co
y wateri
= l tried to get up, but was too weak
y stand, and fell down at once. Then Ii
tiected that was more likely 10 be seen
2 Iwalked, and II detected in my attempt
should be brought back and. perhaps
!, strapped down TO die 30 tried to crav
:. was about ten minutes dragging mys'
y y from my cot to the entrance, and Iwrggi
under the screen.
80 There were the chatties before mel
q The first seized was empty, and the d
~ appointment nearly made me swoon; b
,s the second WIS brimful threw my arI
- = around II and dragged myself 70 1t.
:, plunged my head into the delicious, II
10 Did water, anddevoured, rather than drar
- huge mouthfuls Of the cool and HEAVIER
~ fluid. felt my stomach swelling with
~ enormous draughts swallowed; but
"A laughed and drank again and again.
at .N,-', r,s a.,-, - ,ro-. a
o ~ St.ssni,n. assar,ed i,sen 7 knev
suon u'o ~. ~ - -. 49, and 7 ,hou,
n udu no iiBhe W w ouN e4SASt eNN eN