Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-08-16

at latest; and IT he tried MS pest 10
might get TO MS on Friday. We deciaed
that we would not go out OF each other
sight till then.
slept in the same tent. At least, DICK
Silent and tried TO- Once ! did get of,
but only TO endure n most hideous dream
which eliminated In my seeing man
head peer under the bottom edge OF the
tont-cloth at the foot OF my bed. 1t was
but q dream. but the horror Of it-for the
mans face was very hdeous-woke me-
and I sprang out Of bed 10 find-nothing.
I even went outside. 10 discover only the
sentry at his post. and all well.
] got up and dressed and tried TO get
interested In copy OF the Times, three
months old, but to no purpose; and so
smoked, and tried 10 think OF pleasant
things. until daylight came, and DICK
awoke TO laugh at my confessions.
The day passed grimly enough. We
went as far as the burrow once and peered
in: but death was doing its work; and
Il was n gruesome sight. We covered
up the entrance. so as to exclude the air
as much as possible, and then went back
to camp and found the thermometer re-
gistering 100 degrees. That night 1 took
a grain OF morphia, without result. and
with n touch Of fever I'm the morning.
Shortly before noon at the hottest time
In the day. Chuckerbutty came TO me
with the startling announcement that
Tommy was returning in company. It
was true. Tommy was well I'm sight on
the crest of the hill, and there was we'll
mounted stranger alongside him.
In a quarter OF an hour they arrived.
Tommy with his Silks had ridden day
and night. They changed horses twice
on the outward journey by dint Of some
thing more than persuasion, and on hear
ing how urgent things were with US, the
Resident at Bhamo had at once asked
the station doctor 10 ride over, promising
that he would confer with the Sub-Com-
missioner as TO reinforcoments without
delay.
DR.. Mitchell, who had started within
half an hour of receiving his summons
and had ridden. with only two rests Of
under an hour each. over very rough
country for 20 hours. proved himself a
rare acquisition. Clever good-natured.
and experienced, he proved at once
charming companion and skiltui sur
econ. He was, in short, tower OF
strength. and as soon as he had dismount-
Ted and entered the shade OF the mess-teht
he turned 10 me-:
you had better go to bed" he said.
you've got a fevor on YOU"
I knew that perfectly vel. but l could
not rest till had learned something
I'm worried and anxious, docton'
said. and shall be better when i have
heard your report"
"All Fight" he rejoined. Have you
Kept him above groundY'
we explained.
"ITm, A sort OF half-and-half arrange
nent Ell? Wen. wen wait till the sun
goes down. and then we shall soon know
all about IT"
The time passed slowly enough; but at
last the day had sped, and 1t became
possible 20 breathe Then they started
leaving me behind; for l felt weak ana
i'll. and dared not venture in the sun
They were gone a long while. IL seemed
hours to me. And when they returned L
saw that VALLEY appeared deeply aiected
while the doctor was even more cheerIui
than bfore. 49,,
no said I'm reply 10 my look OF inquiry
..Tbe cause Of our friends death was
cerebral hemorrhage or apopleXy-cal IL
which you like"
WAS a natural one?"
quite. 1 opened the Uranium and sat
ished myself" .,ood
"And you found that there WAS p'o0u
on the brain?" ... .~ho,
"Enouqh to fill a pint pot; and wheh
yor remember that single clot the size
Of n pea is sufficient 10 cause death IN u
few minutes. that ought TO satisfy you,
you have no doubt whatever about II!
l asked. vaguely.
Absolutely none" .s
could such death have been causeu
by a blow?" queried VALLEY.
Certainly; but not in this case; for' as
YOU see. the skull is not damaged.
'Then the mischief was probably au-
tomatiC?'
"Unquestionably."
Then the doctor smiled.
Anything else you want TO ask?' he
added, turning to relight his cigar.
There was not, so we spoke Of other
things, and my spirits rose. for ghastly
fear was taken of my mind.
That evening succeeded IN pulling my
self together. Dick, too, was in high
spirits. Our anxieties had all been
groundiess; ana, after dinner | felt mt
10 ioin I'm a game OF cards, which lasted
till midnight. Then We went to bed.
after seeing the doctor deposited In n
hammock, slung in the tent In which
Freddy Martingale passed away.
III.
In the morning rose, as usual, early,
feeling better than / had done since
Wrottcsley died ! reused VALLEY, and
then went TO the doctor 10 wake him; but
he lay so sound asleep that l thought IL
kinder TO let him rest after his long ride.
SO / drew back and went with Dick to
battle. We took our time, and returned
to find the doctor stiT abed whereupon
we entered his tent
AS l passed the opening l noted that he
had not altered his position since / had
looked in two hours before. l happened
to catch Dicks eye as / gazed at the
figure in the hammock. We neither spoke,
but, going TO the sleeper. my COM
panion laid his hand on the doctor $
brow. Then he uttered one word. without
anything OF surprise or comment:
Dead"
SO it was that the third victim OF
fate 90 had passed away. The circum-
stances were an exact repetition OF those
that had accompanied his predecessors
No mark or sign OF violence; no tell-tale
weapon. The man had gone 10 rest in
the prime OF life. hale. hearty. and in
perfect health. Now he lay dead. And
that was all.
II would prolong my story unnecessarily
were I to detail all the incidents Of that
day. We realized that We had beheld a
fresh victim 10 the awful, the inscrutable
vengeance which was being hurled at us
by some unseen hand. We knew that, as
with the others. a medical examination
would point but 10 n natural cause OF
death. We believed In our hearts that the
truth. could we only discover II, would
point very different tale.
How were we to test our theories? How
bury mystery meath the flood of truths?
We drew up the report we knew so well.
and sent II off. And then we held a coun-