Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-08-09

haste to get away.
Don't go. You're Just getting amusing,
that you You're ,ush oneSr
Then. changing the note into one of almost alb
ject entreaty, Il say, you surely aren't gong?"
Where dimes I sleeps. i'll the language OF
to have a look at your coolies tomorrow, if you
don't mind You can give me place to lie
down in, l suppose?"
| The others pleaded the urgency of their sew
eral employs next day, and, saddling up, de-
| parted together, Hummil begging them to come
next Sunday. As they logged off together
| Lowndes unbosomed himself to Mottram:
And l never felt so like kicking a
\ man at his own table IN my life Said cheated
at whist and reminded me was in debt! Told
you you were good as a liar TO your face.
You aren't half indignant enough over it.
| mot l." said Mottram. Poor DEVIL Did
| you ever know old Hummy behave like that
before? Did you ever know him 60 within q
| hundred miles of it2'
| That's excuse. Spurstow was hacking
my shin all the time, SO kept hand on my
| self. Else 1 should have"
| NO you wouldn't. You'd have done as
| Hummy did about Jevins; Judge man this
| weather. By Jove the buckle Of my bride is
hot in my hand Trot out bit and mind the
| rat holes"
Ten minutes trotting jerked out of Lowndes
| one very sage remark when he pulled up,
| sweating from every pore:
Good thing Spurstow's with him tonight"
| "Ye-es Good man, Spurstow. Our road
| turns here. See you again next Sunday, if the
| sun doesn't bowl me over"
| ''S'pOse so, unless old Timbersides finance
minister manages to dress some Of my food.
Goodnight and-God bless your
! What's wrong nOw?"
whip and as he iicked Mottram's mare on the
| flank added " IRE good little chap-thats
/ ALL" And the mare bolted half q mile across
the sand on the word
! AToRRID MONT.
In the assistant engineers bungalow Spurstow
and Hummii smoked the pipe OF silence to-
gether, each narrowly watching the other.
! The capacity of bachelors establishment is
as elastic rs it's 4ngements are simple. ser
| want cleared away the dining room table,
| brought In a couple of rude native bedsteads,
made of tape strung on light wood 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 should just
sweep clear of each sleeper's nose and mouth
and announced that the couches ready.
! The men flung themselves down, adjuring
the punkah coolies by all the powers OF Eblis
| TO pull. Every door and window shut, for
| the outside air was that OF an oven. The At
! mosphere within only 10i degrees as the
! thermometer attested, and heavy with the foul
smell OF badly trimmed kerosene lamps, and
| this stencil. combined with that of native to-
| bacco baked brick and dried earth, sends the
J heart OF many a strong man down to his boots,
| for 1t ID the smell OF the great Indian empire
| when she turns herself for six months into
| house OF torment. SpurstOw packed his pill
| lows craftly, so that he reclined rather than
lay, his head at q safe elevation above his feet
| 1t ls not good TO sleep low pillow in 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 apoplexy.
| Pack your pillows" said the doctor sharply,
as he saw Hummii preparing to lie down at full
| length.
The night light was trimmed; the shadow Of
| the punkah wavered across the room and flick Of
the punkah towel and the soft whine OF the
rope through the wall hole followed It, Then
| the punkah Tagged. almost ceased. The sweat
poured from Spurstows brow. Should he go
| out and harangue the COOLER 1t started forward
! again with savage jerk and a pin came out Of
| the towels. When this was replaced tomtom
i'll 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 no movement OH
Hummil,S part The man had composed him
self rs rlSidy as corpse. his hands clinched
at his sides The respiration was too hurried
| Tor any Suspicion OF sleep. Spurstow looked
| Mt the set face The jaws were ciinched, and
! there was a pucker round the quivering eye
| lids
| He's holding himself as tightly as ever he
can. thought Spurstow. "What a sham it is.
| and what III the world is the matter with him2
| Hum nii,'
Yes"
Can't you get to sleep2"
Head hot2 Throat feeling bu.sy. or how2"
Neither, thanks; l don't sleep much, you
know"
Feel pretty bad?'
pretty bad. thanks There's a tomtom out
side, isn't there? l thought it was my head at
| first Oh Spurstow, for PHYS sake give me-
something that will put me aseep-sound
! asleep-if it's only for six hoursi" He sprang
| up Il haven't been able to sleep naturally
| for days, and | can't stand it can't stand
| itr'
Poor old chap
| THE HORRORS or INSOMNIA.
'Thats use. Give me something to make
| me sleep. tell you I'm nearly mad. l don't
| know what l say hall 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, had TO get my sentences out
| down to the last word for fear of talking drivel
| If didn't. Isn't that enough to drive a man
mad! can't see things correctly now, and
we lost my sense Of touch. Make sleep.
| oh, Spurstow, for the love of God make me
sleep sound. 1t isn't enough merely to let me
| dream. Let Inc Sleep
| ''All right. old man, all right. Go slow. You
| aren't half as bad you think The food
| gates of reserve once broken Hummil WAS
clIngins to hun like frightened child. You're
plnchIng my arm to pieces"
4 IL ptehh your ueCh II you uOn 90 some
| thing for me. No, didn't mean that Don't
| lie angry, old fellow" He wiped the sweat off
| himself he fought to regain composurc
LAS matter of fact. I'm ii bit restless and off
my oats, and perhaps you could recommend
some sort of sleeping mixture-bromide of po-
| tass!ulu.
bromide of skittles Why didn't you tell
me TINS before? Let go OF my arm and I'll see
II there's any thing in my cigarette case to suit
your complaint" He hunted among his day
| clothes, turued up the lamp, opened little
silver cigarette case and advanced on the ex-
pectant Hummil with the daintiest of fairy
/ squirts
The last appeal of civilization" said he,
arm. We'll. your sleeplessness hasn't ruined
your muscle; and what thick hide it is!
! Might as well inject a buffalo simultaneously
| Now. in II few minutes, the morphia will begin
| working. Lie down aud wait"
| smile OF unalloyed and idiotic delight be-
| gan to creep over HummIl's face Il think"
| he whispered, Il think I'm going off now.
| Cad! it's positively heavenly. Spurstow, you
| must give me that case to keep; you =" The
voice ceased the head fell back
| Not for good deal. :" said Spurstow to the
unconscious form. And now. my friend
! sleeplcssncss OF your kind being very apt to
| relax the moral fiber i'll little matters of life
and death. III just take the liberty of spiking
your guns.
He padded into Hummiis saddle room in
| his bare feet and uncased twelve bore an ex-
| press ami a revolver OF the first he unscrewed
| the mir NIL nd fbepn in fh. bot