The St. Johns herald., 1891-07-02
HEROIC TREATMENT.
How Two Squaws Cured White Man of
 Fever and Ague.

Fever and Ague.
 After week or ten days the fever somewhat abated, says a writer in Forest and Stream, and Peter, taking my double-barreled rife by way of arma- ment and half a dozen hard biscuit by way of grub, gave notice of two days i absence, and, buckling his blanket about him, went off up t!Se trail.
 Late in the evening of the second day while I was lying on the bearslzin with swimming brain and a fevered brow he came back, but not alone. Two strong, athletic squaws, each tot ing large pack, were his companions. He introduced them as ''Ole Blackbird squaws and he gal; booty young squaw great medicine
 The elder of the two was about as tough, leathery-looking a specimen of aboriginal ugliness as have ever fallen in with, and making due allowances for difference in age the daughter was the perfect model of her. They both cast their loads unceremoniously aside and the elder proceeded at once to business. Watching me closely as she did so she rolled a large handful of leaves in her hand until they were partially pulver- ized, then passing them over to the younger squaw, who soon made pint of very bitter tea from them which I was told to drink managed to gulpit down, hot and bitter as it was, and the old squaw then seized me without cere- mony, packed me snugly in bear-slzin and blankets, after which she and her daughter, wrapping their own blankets around them, lay down on either side of me, crowding me in a manner more close than pleasant.
 I trust King David's medicine, which answered the purpose so well, was not squaw-or, if she were, that she was young and good-looking.
 My leathery belles answered, howev- CT, to help get up copious perspiration, which was just what they intended, and when awolze from the first sound re- freshing sleep had enjoyed for weeks it was with cool, clear head and limbs free from pain.
 With the rise of the sun the confound- ed ague began to threaten me, and Mrs. Blaclxbird, with the help of her inter- esting daughter, proceeded to take measures for expelling it in manner quite as novel and original as her treat ment of fever. First she undid bun dle of dirty blue cloth and took there from several bundles of neatly bound, minute twigs. 1 had heard some hard stories of ''whippin' out the ager," and smelled a pretty extensive mice imme- diately, but on the whole concluded to go through, so I suffered them to divest me of my clothing and seize me firmly by the wrists, and made no objection even when Mrs. Blackbird began to ap- ply the switchings gently to the bare skin. Gradually the blows increased in rapidity and severity. Old Peter, who had stood by as spectator at first, stepped forward and seized wrist firmly in each hand, so suddenly that I had no time to object; and the whip ping immediately became energetic and general. Each of the squaws with a switch in each hand vied with the oth- CT in rapidity of hitting, and as the slug giSh, torpid blood strove to dash with answering speed through the tingling veins the pain became uncomfortable. 1 had resolved to bear all that was asked of me in hope of a radical cure, but the torture was too severe, and I ordered them to desist, trying at the same time towrench myself loose from Peter. They only laughed and laid on the harder. I became mad with pain and went in on my muscle, biting and putting furi- ously at old Peter and giving the leath- cry females ungallant kicks about the ribs and abdomen-a proceeding that made them laugh all the more and brought down the switches with in- creased vigor. I entreated and cursed by turns, tried bribery and flattery, begged for resting spell, and threat ened death to the party of conspirators immediately got loose, but all in vain. They logged ne for time that seemed an age, and only let mo off when was too exhausted to stand alone. Then was again enveloped in skins and blan- l1ets, when, strange as it may seem, almost immediately fell into a deep slumber. from which I did not awake until evening. When did awake it was with a general sense of soreness all over the outer man; but where was the ague? Gone. Completely cured. as well as the fever.