Cut Bank pioneer press. [volume] (Cut Bank, Mont.) 1909-current, 1913-01-03
Describes Sensations When He
Nearly Lost His Life.
Writer Was Almost Drowned, Was
Wounded by an Arabs Spear and
Attacked With Deadly Cholera
and Still Lives.

London.-In the purse of an adj
venturous life l have been face to face
with death many times, but l recall
no more than three occasions when
/ lost hope and resigned myself to
leave the warm precincts OF the
cheerful day." says a London writer.
My actual thoughts and feelings at
these times were so different from the
generally accepted ideas on the sub
ject that I venture to think that a
description of them may possibly be
considered of interest to many.
1t was my luck to be drowned once
upon a time-as far as senation went.
It did not happen when l walked over.
a wharf in New York on a dark night,
nor when / found myself under on
overturned surfboat on the west coast
of Africa, but it occurred in a pubic
swimming bath in London, n TWO
friends looked on and laughed while
/ was drowning.
We had gone into the bath early
one morning after a firing nights
work, and we three were h only oe-
cupants. | was frolickinG about at
the deep end, when | was suddenly
seized with cramps and let out a
strangled shout of distress. MY
friends knew that l was a good swim
mer and thinking that l was acting
the drowning man, as had often done
before in their company, laughed at
my comical %1ounderings and my
agonized appeals for help.
Indeed, as long as I retained con-
seriousness, my thoughts seemed to
concentrate of their W volition, up
on the asininity of my companions IN
not being able to see that really was
drowning. At no time during my
struggles was there any thought of my
past life, nor did it occur to me to
think { prayer, although was a religi-
Gus man and knew that l was very
near death. ~
My last sensation was the fancy
that / heard soft, tinkling music, an
Illusion that has been explained to me
as having been caused by the water
trickling into my ears.
Then, again, l was once unlucky
enough to get a couple of inches OF
so Of a broad bladed Arab spear pokec
between two of my ribs, and the
doctor told me frankly that if I hat
any dying messages to leave had bet
ter speak them while | could, as
would soon be beyond speech.
The chaplain thought that l was II
extremis. He was not of my faith
but he was no narrow ~sectarian, ant
he offered me the consultations of my
own religion as we'll as he could. Blu
his voice sounded as If it came from
afar, and couldn't follow what he wal
saying. l only wished he would come
nearer, so that l could make anothe,
attempt to finish that message. ]
was !. message I had always intended
to send before the curtain was rum
down, and it seemed to be the on1!
thing that mattered. 81.
The blood that welled up into IN.
mouth was choking me, and it wa
painful-oh, SO painful!-to breathe
but, after all, l thought, dying was no
SO bad, and l could be glad to go !
l could only finish that message.
The scene shifts nov to a choler.
camp. All the seizures up to min
had ended fatally, and had no hop
whatever of any other issue. But
wasn't thinking of the hereafter. M
mind was entirely taken up to the e1
clusion of everything else, with tn
terrible physical agony l was undel
going, and 1 was longing for deaf
to come to put ar end to it. 1t SCENE
to me that there was no boon lik
death, and I craved and longed for
to come with all my soul.