St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1889-12-07
vas tantalized BY hearing the splash.
ing Of the water.

heed TO me; and / was sinking into tn;
condition OF torpOr which is the i'm
mediate precursor Of the third an
fatal stage of cholera when l hear
voices in the pandal. The assistar
surgeon was making his last round 10
the night. accompanied by the hospit;
dresser. With violent effort rouse
myself. and eagerly listened for thei
approach. / wanted to hear my fat
pronounced.
They stopped at length where Lay
and the doctor examined my body.
'.Mottlcd." l heard him remark I,
the dresser. / was nearly deafene,
by the singing or rather drumming il
my ears. SO lay perfectly motionless
SO as not to let single word OF wha
they might say escape me. if possible
"He is insensible already" tn,
doctor confined, ''and will not las
long. So Wetherall will make six.''
"Make six?'' l said to myself; "mak,
six what?" .'Six corpses. of course
for burial at daylight Tomorrow morn
ing" a voice seemed to laugh out, with
fiendish exultation.
The dresser said something which
could not distinctly hear. but the an
swer enlightened me as to the subjec,
they were discussing.
'Oh, yes. there will be room enough
in fact, for two more. il necessary"
They had gone. and the place was in
darkness save for the glimmer of q
cOcOanut-oil lamp. lheard the scratch.
ing Of mumoOties just outside the pam
dal.
II was the noise made by the camp
followers who were digging q 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. l considered settled. after what
the assistant surgeon had said. My
tongue was like a 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 attempted to do so; but l
did not try. for the attendants were all
stretched on the ground fast asleep. /
felt l was desertcd-left to die.
l 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 grave-my grave-passed the
entrance to the pandal; and one of
them. with more consideration than
his class usually show. threw a pam
OF water on the cuscus tathi.
1t was like a galvanic shock to me.
resolved to have drink at any risk.
had to die, SO what matter il hast.
ened my death an hour or two b.
drinking cold water! At least l 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
l 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 te
the entrance. and l wriggled under the
,,,ccns toshi lilo o sraL.>
There were the chatties before me!
The first seized was empty, and the
nearly made me swoon;
but the second was brim-full. / threw
my arms around it. and dragged my
'elf to it Iplungcd my head into the
delicious, limpid water. and dcvoured,
rather than drank. huge mouthfuls OF
he cool and heavenly fluid. l felt my |
swelling with the enormous
lraughts swallowed; but laughed |
md drank again and again. Irecked
taught of life or death then.
At length / could drink no more. and |
hen discipline asserted ITSELF knew
{ l were missed from my cot should |
,e reported. So crept back the way
had come. and shortly after fell into
profound sleep.
1t was broad daylight when awoke.
nd saw the assistant surgeon and
resser standing beside me.
"HOw is this?" asked the doctor
'Wetherall ought to have been dead!'
'Please. SIR" said !. II am feeling
,uch better. and have no wish tc
lake the sixth this morning."
He knew / had overheard his re
lark on the preceding night; he smiled
adly, and said: Il am sorry to say
here were six without you. But lear
OF understand how it is you are alive
lost extraordinarily
] rapidly recovered; and as l had
ever indulged in the pernicious coun.
y arrack sold to soldiers out here. I
'as soon quite strong again. Twas
lade sergeant very soon. and / re-
NAMED upward Of twenty years serv-
lg with different regiments out hcre;
ut it was some time before told any
ne how l recovered from my attack
I cholera However. l told the doc
or one day all about it; and though hs
lid the cold water ought to have
illed me. observed the poor fellows
no were in hospital with cholera gos
q extra allowance OF water. l.
AL my people. we're dead or scat
red, and had no wish to return t.
ngland, so l took my pension; and
le borntiesI had obtained. added t.
Y savings enabled me to buy this I
{ OF laad.' Tam doing well. and have
man can wish for to MAKE him
,rrv ,Rlack~ood,s MaUayino -