The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1893-06-01
ness flashed through nv brain. For Tho

neso flashed through my brain For the
instant j went as cold as ice and was
unable to raise finger. Only for
moment though; and then, acting for
the second time that night on the inn
pulse Of the moment, dashed forward.
my revolver still in my hand, to do
what. / could not tell. But before l
had gone two steps / found myself
seized, disarmed, gagged and pinioned.
/ struggled, or, rather, attempted 20
struggle, for could neither move nor
utter the slightest sound. / gave my
self up for lost. l expected nothing
but death, and remember doing what
i mad not done for years: l offered up
prayer-incoherent and vague; but
never was prayer more fervent. Con-
trary to my expectation / was only
dragged back several PAGES and tied
hand and foot to what 1 suppose was n
small tree. My captors had bound me
with my back towards the leper, appa-
rently determined that / should see
nothing more of what was going on.
However, by screwing my neck round
] could just catch sight of the wretched
creature in the pit that I now felt Ger.
tain was to be his grave.
The horrible sight fascinated me.
had no thought for anything else
Even my own perilous situation caused
me no more fear or anxiety. The
natives, still singing that sad, monoto.
nous refrain, were now quickly throw.
ing the earth round the leper. Quicker
and quicker they shovelled, louder and
louder they sang: "Ohei, Ohei, thy
wish il thine-is thine" The -four
beating the tom-toms threw them down
and joined in. The earth mounted
higher and higher round the
doomed man. 1t reached his breast +; he
waved his poor stumps of arms towards
the sky; he patted the earth with
them, as if he were fondling n loved
one. It reached his shoulders-he
bent and kissed it passionately.
Oh, that scene the natives casting
in the earth with frenzied energy; the
torch-bearers standing like bronze
statues, their torches throwing red
glare on the lcper's head, now fast dis
appearing M if sinking in pool of
blood. Then the earth crept up TO his
mouth. his nostrils. With u
convulsive effort | shut my eyes.
In another moment the noise oi the
shoyeling and singing ceased. My
eyes involuntarily opened, Just in time
to see the torch bearers thrusting their
torches in the earth heaped up over
the grave they gave an angry splutter
and then went out For an instant
there was utter darkness and silence
Then came the crowning horror. A
vivid flash of lightning lit up the scene
II seemed to hang over the spot. And
while the natives were thus en-
veloped with the ghastly hue of death,
/ heard-I vow beard-mufflcd and
faint rs the shrek of q gagged man,
the cry of the leper-the echo of a
Voice--the Echo of a Lifei Louder
and louder grew that terrible voice; il
roared like cataract, like thousand
peals of thunder; it became thing
tangible, palpable-filling the uni
verse. pressing on my rshing
! il till at last something g4epp~d and
knew no more.
Three weeks afterward I woke up.
/ was lying on n bed in my quarters.
Henderson was bending over me; he
raised his hand to prevent my speak.
ing, saying, with n queer little smile
"Yes, yes-keep quiet; touch OF
Jungle fever, my boy, that's ALA
triflc heady; you'll be all right again
in jiffy."
That 'jiffy" was nearly three months
--Chamberss journal.
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