Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1894-07-12

have given . great deal to see it
with Stanley
oh, there isn't much to tell, only
! nearly starved to death there
Starved Why, were Mt there
any tropical fruits or edible roots
or anything you could gather in the
forest 2
No. dryly. Il reckon we were
not in q forest where such things
were found. There were eight Of
us started ont with supplies for two
years to survey the land for rail-
road to be built by an English COM
pany; they gave as plenty Of time,
for they knew we would hare many
drawbacks, and Of course we would
have to go over a considerable tract
Of ground to select the best route.
We started out with large number
of natives to carry our stores. as We
expected to pass through such dense
forests that no horse or mule, If we
could have got them, would be able
to follow.
cat first we enjoyed ourselves very
much; we were all studious, and af-
ter supper we sat around our FIRE,
each with a book in hand.
when we had decided on the
best route for the proposed railway,
we built a house, and lived quite
comfortably; many of the natives
had died of some sickness prevalent
among them, two or three were
killed in quarrels among themselves,
and some dropped of on the line of
march. Finally we woke up one
morning to find that the last half
dozen had decamped in the night,
carrying some OF our provisions.
We were expecting party with
more stores every day, SO we didn't
mind much, and / think were oil
pleased to be well rid of these thieyish
ssvages.
'But our supplies did not arrive,
and still we waited for them: the
dry season had commenced, and
the heat was terrible; we could not
travel, we could not wait. At night
we could hear the African lion about
our house, which was but frail
protection for us We ate the smallest
quantity possible to keep us alive,
and then the water gave out. One
of our number became delirous, and
would talk constantly of home.
There was spring not quite dry
about two miles away from our hut,
and we took turns in crawling there
on our hands and knees to obtain
green stagnant water. It was full
of living creatures, but it was all
we could get, and we drank it as it
were the richest mine. The sick
man became quiet one night, and
some one drew a blanket over him:
the rest seems like a dream. saw
two die quietly without sign, and
the others / found dead outside i'm
the forest and worked with all nv
weak might to drag them within
the hut. BY that time it was too
terrible to tell you, and / used to
long for death to end my misery.
My bones protruded from the skin.
l don't know how long l had been
without food and drink, when
heard q sound way off in the dist
ance that | knew was a horses tread.
1t seemed to me / listened to it for
hours when French priest rode
into sight. lie addressed me at
once in his own language, but
was beyond speaking. Then he
came closer, saw that ! was not
quite dead, and in q moment had
my head ON his knee and was pour
ing brandy down my throat. He
wasn't very large man, but he
took me up in his arms as if l were
an infant and laid me across his
horse.
Seven months afterwards, came
back to consciousness in the French
hospital at Algiers. Twas even then
perfect skeleton. | had lost nv
hair, whiskers, eyebrows and eye.
lashes, but / soon gained flesh and
strength when l was in my right
mind again.
We all drew a long breath as he
finished. Mamma and Aunt Nix
were as white as ghosts.
How did the priest happen along
that way?' asked Will.
lie was u missionary among some
tribes, and a great botanist. He had
started out for weeks tramp, lost
his way the first thing, and came
directly toward us. The day he
found me he closed the door of our