Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1895-02-14
CHAPTER L

CHAPTER /.
In tho year 1878 took my degree O
doctor Of medicine Of the University O
London and proceeded to Netley to q
through the course prescribed for sur
geons in tho army. Having completed
my studies there, was duly attached
to the Fifth Northumberland Fusilier
as assistant surgeon. The regiment wa
stationed in India at tho time, and be
fore ! could join it the second Afghan
war had broken ont On landing Al
Bombay, learned that my corps hat
advanced through the passes and was al
ready deep in the enemy's country.
followed, however, with many Other
officers who were in the same situation
as myself, and succeeded in reaching
Kandahar in safety, where found my
regiment and at once entered upon my
new duties.
The campaign brought honors and pro-
motion to many, but for me it had moth
ing but misfortune and disaster. l was
removed from my brigade and attached
to the Berkshires, with whom 1 served
at the fatal battle Of Maiwand. There
was struck on the shoulder by a Jezail
bullet, which shattered tho bone and
grazed the subolavian artery. 1 should
have fallen into the hands of tne mur-
derous Ghazis had it not been for the
devotion and courage shown by Murray,
my orderly, who threw me across pack
horse and succeeded in bringing me safe
ly to the British lines
Worn with pain and weak from the
prolonged hardships which 1 had under
gone, was removed, with great train
of wounded sufferers, to the base hos
pital at Peshawur. Here l rallied, and
had already improved so far as to be
able to walk about the wards, and even
to bask little on tho veranda, when l
was struck down by enteric fever, that
curse of our Indian possessions For
months my life was despaired of, and
when at last came to myself and be-
came convalescent | was SO weak and
emaciated that medical board deter
mined that not day should be lost in
sending me back to England. Twas dis
patched accordingly in the troopship
Orontes and landed month later on
Portsmouth jetty, with my health ire
trievably ruined, but with permission
from paternal government to spend
the next nine months in attempting to
improve it,
had neither kith nor kin in Eng
land, and was therefore as free as air
or as free as an income of lis. Cd. day
will permit man to be- Under such
circumstances | naturally gravitated to
London, that great cesspool into which
all the loungers and idlers of the entire
empire arc irresistibly drained. There
staid for some time at a private hotel in
the Strand, leading a comfortless, mean
ingless existence and spending such
money as / had considerably moro free
ly than l ought. So alarming did the
state of my finances become that l soon
realized that l must either leave the
metropolis and rusticate somewhere in
the country, or that must mako COM
plete alteration in my style of living.
Choosing the latter alternative, began
by making up my mind to leave the ho-
tel and to take up my quarters in somo
less pretentious and less expensive domi-
cile.
On the very day that I had come to
this conclusion I was standing at the
Criterion bar when some one tapped |
mo on the shoulder, and turning round |
I recognized young Stamford, who had
been a dresser under me at Bart's. The
sight of friendly face in the great will
derness of London is a pleasant thing
indeed to lonely man. In old days
Stamford had never been a particular
crony of mine, but now hailed him
with enthusiasm, and he, in his turn,
to be delighted to see me. In
the exuberance of my joy asked him
to lunch with me at the Holborn, and
we started off together in hanson.
Whatever have you been doing with
yourself, Watson?" he asked, in undis-
guised wonder, as we ratified through
tho crowded London streets. "You are
rs thin as lath and as brown as a nut"
l gave him short sketch of my ad-
and had hardly concluded it
by the time that we reached our desti-
nation.
"Poor devilp' he said commiserat-
lngly after he had listened to my mis-
fortunes. "What are you up to now?"
Looking for lodgings" I answered,
trying to solve the problem as to
whether it is possible to get comfortable
rooms at reasonable price.
"That's strange thing" remarked
my companion "You are the second
man today that has used that expression
to me-"
"And who was the first?" I asked.
"A fellow who is working at the
laboratory up at the hospital.
Flo was bemoaning himself this morn.
ng because he could not get some one
20 60 halves with him in some nice
looms which he had found and which
we're too much for his purse. ;"
"By Jove!' I cried, eff he really
wants some one to share the rooms and
The expense, I am the very man for
him. should prefer having a partner
10 being alone"
Young Stamford looked rather
strangely at me over his wineglass.
"You don't know Sherlock Holmes
yet, he said. perhaps you would not
,are for him as constant companion. ="
"Why, what is there against him?"
"Oh. didn't say there was anything
against him. He is little queer in his
Ideas-an enthusiast in some branches
IT science AS far as know, he is de-
cent fellow enough"
"a medical student, I suppose?" I
,aid.
"No. have no idea what he intends
20 go in for. believe he is well up in
anatomy, and he is first class chemist,
mt as far as 7 know. ho has never taken