The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-03-11
CHAPTER

11tAf lEft MINI
When Ransome had gone, Miss
MacDaid and the major set to
work once more organizing sup
plies and making lists of stuff 10
be sent for in Bombay when the
plane returned with Gopal Rao.
And as they worked the sense of
victory faded and slowly fear and
despair began to threaten them
again, for now, for the first time
since the disaster, there was time
To succumb to these things. As
they checked supplies they diseov-
cred that there WA little of any
thing and of some things nothing
at all. To treat each case of chol-
era, each case of typhoid. of the
ever-present smallpox was beyond
human possibility,
"Dr. Pindar must have sleep"
said the major suddenly. He faint
ed this afternoon at the music
school,"
There was no more sodium BIZ
carbonate, no more calcium chlor-
Idle. only q hundred or SO perman-
ganate pills what were a hun
dred when they would be needed
for a single patient in forty-eight
hoursY) No more kaolin. No more
aspirin. Not ever any more ehlor-
Inc compound for the infected
wells. The plane would bring a
supply of most of those things to-
morrow. but what the plane could
bring would be nothing. And even
II the supply was sufficient. there
was only the major and Miss Mac
Daid and DR.. Pindar to administer
the palliatives.
Tomorrow we shall have to
teach Fern Simon, Lady Esketh,
Mrs. Gupta and Bauer how to give
the necessary treatment. Miss
Hodge won't be of any use"
These were small means of help
ing all those who were already
stricken. The only hope was to
~sterilize and prevent, and for that
Ransome and Raschid and Colonel
Ranjit Singh were the ones. They
themselves had no time.
The plague, luckily. had kept its
distance. There were no new cases.
While they sat there. each bend
ing over his paper, without looking
at each other because they dared
not risk II, terror began to take
possession of them, not the fear
and horror which had afflicted
them in the midst of disaster-that
was a simple. primitive, natural
fear-but q slow horror which Miss
AacDaid had not known since the
cholera year when poor Miss Ed
ridge. who came with her from
Bombay, had died. This thing they
were fighting WAS insidious and
horrible, stronger than themselves,
or their once splendid hospital. or
the organization they had built up.
II crept up behind your back; it
attacked you from the side, from
ambush. II struck everywhere.
Miss MacDaid said, suddenly,
Her Highness should have gone
away in the plane"
There was never any question
of 1t. I suggested it and was
turned down. II was the first time
the old lady ever lost her temper
with me. She said: These r my
people. This il where l belong
Perhaps they'll send other
planes with supplies-the Indian
government, / mean"
Yes. ] should think 1t likely.
Raschid thinks the railroad will be
passable in two or three days
The major opened a drawer in his
desk and thrust his pile of papers
into it. You'd better go and sleep
for a time now. Whose turn is it
to watch"
Lady Esketh's.'
She looked away from him. but
she heard him say. I'm make a
round before turning in. to make
sur everything is all right"
She started TO speak. and then,
as If thinking better of ii. was
silent. Gathering up her papers,
she rose and asked. What time do
YOU think the plane will return p"