The Lamar register., 1892-01-23

MS last round for the night, accom-.
panied by the hospital dresser. With
a violent effort reused myself. and
eagerly listened for their approach
wanted to hear my fate pronounced
They stopped at length where lay,
ana the doctor examined my body.
"Mottled." heard him remark to
the dresser. Twas nearly deafened
by the singing or rather drumming
IN my ears; SO lay perfectly motion.
less, so as not to let n single word OF
what they might sdy escape me. il
possible.
HE is insensible already" the
doctor continued, "and will not last
long. So Wetherall will make ski"
Make six?" | said to myself:
make six what?" "Six corpses, OF
course, for burial ut daylight to.
morrow morning." voice seemed to
laugh out, with tiendish exulation.
The dresser said something which ]
could not distinctly hear, but the
answer enlightened me as to the sub.
iect they were discussing.
"Oh, yes, there will be room enough:
in fact, for two more if necessary.
They had gone, and the place was
in darkness save the glimmer of a
cocoanut-oil lamp. / heard the
scratching OF mumooties just outside
the pandal.
1t was thenoise made by the amp.
followers who were digging common
grave for six OF us, leaving room for
two more, if necessary.
| felt nttarly attInuaJ md 1t,it., In
different as to my fate, which. .oicour.e,
| considered settled, after what the
assistant surgeon had said. Ny
tongue was like piece ofdry leather
in my mouth, which had long since
censed 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 / did not try, for the attendants
were nll stretched on the ground fas :
asleep. | felt was deserted-left to
die.
was beginning to wander, think,
and was back agnin in the bright
green English meadows, picking dais-
les with my little sister, and so |
should have passed away. But just
had finished digging the grave-my
grave-passed the entrance of the
pandal; and one OF them. with moro
consideration than his class usually
show, threw pannikiniul OF water
on the cuscus tathi:
1t was like galvanic shock to me.
| resolved to have a drink at any
risk | had to die. so what matter ii
hastened my denth an hour or two
by drinking cold water. At least
should be relieved from the torture
of thirst and die happy.
tried to get up, but was too week
to stand, and fell down ut once. Then
reflected that | was more likely to
my yattempt should be brought back,
and perhaps be strapped down to
die. So tried TO crawl.
was about ten minutes dragging
my self the forty feet from my cot to
theentrance, and wriggled under the
cuscus tathi like shake.
There were the chnttlrs before mel
The first | seized was empty, and
the disappointment nearly made me
swoon; but the second was brim full
| threw my nrms around it and
dragged myself to it. plunged my
head into the delicious, limpid water,
and deyoured, rather than drank,
huge mouthfuls OF the cooland heav-
emily fluid. | felt my stomach swell
ling with the enormous draughts
swallowed; but laughed and drank
agnin and again. i reclied naught of
life or death then.
At length | could drink no more,
and then discipline asserted itself.
/ knew had no right to be out there,
and | thought il | were missed from
my cot should be reported. So |
crept back the way had come, and
shortly after fell into n profound
sleep.
1t was broad daylight when L
awoke and saw the assistant surgeon
and dresser standing beside me.
How is this2" asked the doctor,
'Wctherall ought to be dead. :"
"Please, sir" said /, 81 am feeling
much better, and have no wish to
mike the sixth this morning"
He knew had overheard his re-
mark on the proceeding night; he
smiled sadly, and suldr am sorry
to say there were six without you.
But cannot understand how it is
YOU are alive. MosteNtraordinaryl'
rapidly recovered; and as | had
never indulged in theperniciouscouu-
try arrack sold to soldiers out here,
| was soon quite strong again. WAS
made sergeant very soon, and l re-
mained upward OF 20 years, serving
with different regiments out here; but
it was some time before | told any
one how | recovered from my attack
of cholera. However | told the doe
tor one day all about it: and though
he said the cold water ought to have
killed me observed the poor fellows
in hospital with cholera got anextra
allowance of water.
All my people were dead scatter
ed, and / had no wish to return to
England. So l took my pension;
and the bounties that obtained, add
ed to my savings, enabled me to
buy this bit of land. | am doing well,
and have all a man can wish for TO
make him happy.
3- . Ezs---