Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-20

HUMMIL's HOSPITALITY.
Throughout that meal Hummil contrive,
laboriously to insult directly and pointed,
all his guests in succession, and at each in
suit Spurstow kicked the aggrieved person
under the table; but he dared not exchang
a glance of intelligence with either of them
Hummil's face was white and pinched
while his eyes were unnaturally large. n,
mau dreamed for a moment of resenting hi
savage personalities, but as soon as tn
meal was over they made haste to get away
Don't go. You're just getting amusing
you fellows. l hope I haven't said any
thing that annoyed you. You're suct
touchy devils" Then, changing the not
into one of almost abject treaty, II say, you
surely aren't going?"
"Where dimes I sleeps, in the language
of the blessed Jorrocks," said Spurstow
81 want to have look ut your coolies to
morrow, if you don't mind. You can give
me place to lie down in, 1 suppose?"
The others pleaded the urgency of theil
several employs next day, and, saddling up,
departed together, Hummil begging them
to come next Sunday. As they logged of
together, Lowndes unbosomed himself to
Mottram: "* And / never felt so like
kicking a man at his own table in my lie.
SdlQ L CuGdlCu dl hulSbt dhN AA1S 4
was in debit Told you you were as good as
a liar to your face. You aren't half In
dignant enough over it. :"
mot L" said Mottram. "Poor devill
Did you ever know old Hummy behave like
that before? Did you ever know him to go
within hundred miles of it,"
"That's no excuse. Spurstow was hack
ing nv shin all the time, so l kept hand
on mvself Else should have"
"No, you wouldn't. You'd have done as
Hummy did about Jevins; judge no man
this weather. By Jovel the buckle OF my
bride is hot in my hand. Trot out bit
and mind the rat holes"
Ten minutes trotting jerked out OF Lown-
des one very sage remark when he pulled up,
sweating from every pore:
''Good thing Spurstow's with him to-
night"
"Ye-es. Good man, Spurstow. Our road
turns here. See you again next Sunday, II
the sun doesn't bowl me over"
"S'pose so, unless old Timbersides'
finance minister manages to dress some OF
my food. Good night and-God bless your
What's wrong now?"
"Oh, nothing" Lowndes gathered up his
whip, and as he ficked Mottram's mare on
the flank, added, you're good little chap
that's all" And the mare bolted half a
mile across the sand on the word.
A ToRRID NIGHT.
In the assistant engineers bungalow Spur
stow and HummiI smoked the pipe of silence
together, each narrowly watching the other.
The capacity of bachelors establishment
is as elastic as its arrangements are simple.
A servant cleared away the dining room ta-
BILE, brought in a couple of rude native bed
steads, made a tape strung on light wood
en- frame, flung a square of cool Calcutta
mating over each, set them side by side,
pinned two towels to the punkah so that
their fringes could just sweep clear of each
sleeper's nose and mouth and announced
that the couches were ready,
The men flung themselves down, adjur-
ing the punkah coolies by all the powers of
Eblis to pull. Every door and window was
shut, for the outside air was that of an oven.
The atmosphere within was only 104 degrees,
as the thermometer attested, and heavy with
the foul smell of badly trimmed kerosene
lamps, aud this stencil, combined with that
of native tobacco, baked brick and dried
earth, sends the heart of many strong man
down to his boots, for it is the smell of the
great Indian empire when she turns herself
for six months into a house of torment.
Spurstow packed his pillows craftily, so
that he reclined rather than lay, his head at
a safe elevation above his feet. 1t is not
good to sleep on low pillow jim the hot
weather if you happen to be Of thick necked
build, for you may pass with lively snores
and gurglings from natural sleep into the
deep slumber of heat apople1y.
"Pack your pillows" said the doctor,
sharply, as he saw Hummil preparing to
lie down at full length.
The night light was trimmed; the shadow
of the punkah wavered across the room and
the flick of the pupkah towel and the soft
whine of the rope through the wall hole fol-
lowed it. Then the punkah tagged, almost
ceased. The sweat poured from Spurstow's
brow Should he go out and harangue the
coolie? 1t started forward again with a
savage jerk and the pin came out OF the
towels. When this was replaced a tomtom
in the coolie lines began to beat with the
steady throb of swollen artery inside some
brain fevered skull. Spurstow turned on
his side and swore gently. There was no
movement on Rummils part The man
had composed himself as rigidly as a corpse,
his hands clinched at his sides. The respi-
ration was too hurried for any suspicion of
sleep. Spurstow looked at the set face. The
laws were clinched, and there was pucker
round the quivering eyelids.
''He's holding himself as tightly as ever
he can" thought Spurstow. "What q sham
it is, and what in the world is the matter
with him?-Hummil!'
"Yes."
Cant you get to sleep9"
s'No."
"Head hot? Throat feeling bulgy7 or
how?"
Neither, thanks. I don't sleep much,
you know"
Feel pretty bad?"
fPretty bad, thanks. There's a tomtom
outside, isn't there? thought it was my
head at first. Oh, Spurstow, for PHYS sake
give me something that will put me asleep
sound asleep-if it's only for six hoursP'
He sprang up. "I haven't been able to
sleep naturally for days, and can't stand
it-I can't stand itp'
''Poor old chapP'
THE HORRORS OF INSOMNIA.
"That's no use. Give me something to
make me sleep. 1 tell you I'm nearly mad.
1 don't know what I say half my time. For
three weeks I've had to think and spell out
every word that has come through my lips
before dared say it I had to get my
sentences out down to the last word for fear
of talking driveI If 1 didn't. Isn't that
enough to drive a man mad? Ican't see
things correctly now, and I've lost my sense
of touch. Make me sleep. Oh, Spurstow,
for the love OF God make me sleep sound. 1t
isn't enough merely to let me dream. Let
me sleepr'
"All right, old man, all right. Go slow.
You aren't half as bad as you think The
flood gates of reserve once broken, Hummil
was clinging to him like frightened child.
you're pinching my arm to pieces"
"I'Il break your neck if you don't do
for me. No. didn't mean that.
Don't be angry, old fellow" He wiped the
sweat off himself as he fought to regain
composure. Gas matter of fact, I'm bit