Show FOR LIFE OR DEATH I 1 came to india in as a private in the th regiment and my company formed part of the garrison at A root life in barracks in india is very dull and I 1 have often wondered that british soldiers out here are on the whole such a steady well behaved lot of lads compare a soldiers soldier life in a small indian station with being quartered even at malta or gibraltar and either of these places will seem like paradise though the rock is by no means popular and is always called a prison on by the troops for the time being in in garrison there well we found alcot terribly dull and it was with great satisfaction that we heard an order had bad been given for our company to march to Nellore to strengthen the garrison there which had been very much reduced by cholera etwas then about the middle of march and COD consequently later than is usual for moving troops as the days be begin in to get very hot on the plaine of of the Oa Carna matic tic about that time of the year but ours was special duty and as we should only march in the very early morning we did not fear the inconvenience of the midday beat atiat but looked upon the whole thing as rather a lark and welcome change from the monotony of garrison duty As to the cholera not one of us gave it a thought not likely it would touch one of us it was on the second day after leaving alcot that private thomas atkins who was on my right file suddenly had to fall out I 1 I 1 expected him to join the ranks before long but did not trouble myself about his absence it was not until we had bad reached camp and had finished breakfast that I 1 heard anything more about him I 1 then learnt that h he was buried I 1 knew cholera was awfully sudden in its attack and effects but I 1 had bad not imagined the possibility of its carry ingoff ing off a healthy baan man quite so rapidly of course immediate interment must take place in case of death on the line of march I 1 had liked atkins much but I 1 fancy his death and burial were so sudden that the rest of us failed to realize the truth of what had bad happened to our comrade and half expected to see him turn up again anyhow we soon forgot the incident late bate in the afternoon I 1 was listening to a description of vellore b by one of our fellows who had bad been ay iy there ere and speculating on the chance of seeing the crocodiles which tippo sultan had placed in the moat round the fort as the best beat possible sentinels to prevent prisoners from escaping c or any of his troops attempting pelt in to 0 desert when suddenly I 1 I 1 relt spasms and sickness hollia Ho Hol lloa loal old fellow how blue you look remarked a companion sitting next to me and as he spoke my comrades shrank terror stricken from me it needed no doctor to tell me what was the matter the cholera had seized mel me I 1 was hastily conveyed to the temporary hospital where our assistant sui surgeon geon already had several cases of the disease under treatment and I 1 was laid on a ebar poy I 1 rapidly passed from the first to the second eta stage e of that malady and by 9 adock at night the incessant vomiting and purging had bad reduced me to a condition of weakness approaching insensibility I 1 was consumed by a burning raging thirst but the dresser disregarded all my entreaties for a drink of water the system of treatment for cholera in those days allowed the patient nothing more than j to have the lips moistened occasionally with weak brandy and water and this simply ag aggravated gra the torture and thirst nowadays champange is given and the sufferer is now allowed to drink pretty freely the hospital was of course only a pandal hastily constructed with palmyra palmy rit leaves with a large cuscus mat at the entrance at each end two large chattier ch atties of water were placed just outside each entrance from which a coolie from time to time threw a full on the cuscus bathis so that the wind blowing through the wet mats might cool the temperature inside the pandal this result certainly was attained but at the cost of intensifying ing the pangs of the patient whose thirst was tantalized by beai ing the splashing of the water I 1 had bad begged swore and menaced at intervals but no one paid the slightest heed to me and I 1 was sinking into that condition of torpor which is the immediate precursor of the third and fatal stage of cholera when I 1 heard voices in the pandal panda the assistant surgeon was making his last round for the night accompanied by the hospital dresser with a violent effort I 1 arouni aroused d myself and eagers listened for their approach I 1 wanted to hear my fate pronounced they stopped at length where I 1 lay and the doctor examined my body mottled I 1 heard him remark to the dresser I 1 was nearly deafened by the singing or rather drumming in my ears so I 1 lay perfectly motion motionless lem so as not to let a single word of what they might say escape me if possible he is insensible already the doctor con continued tinned and will not last long so will make six make six I 1 said to myself make six what six corpses of course fo for burial at daylight day light tomorrow morning a voice seemed to laugh out with fiendish exultation the dresser said something which I 1 could not distinctly hear but the answer enlightened me as to the subject they were discussing oh yes there will be room enough in fact for two more if necessary 11 they had gone and the place was in darkness save for the glimmer of a cocoanut oil lamp I 1 heard the scratching of otles just outside the pandal it was the noise made by the camp followers who were digging a common COMMOD grave for six of us it hav av ing room for two more if necessary I 1 I 1 felt utterly stunned and quite indifferent as to my fate which of course I 1 considered settled after what the assistant surg surgeon e on had said my tongue was like a pi piece ece of dry leather in my mouth which had bad I 1 long since ceased to yield any saliva to relieve the agonizing burning of my throat and palate I 1 could not have made any sound had bad I 1 attempted to do so but I 1 did not try for the attendants were all stretched on the ground fast asleep I 1 felt I 1 was deserted left to die I 1 was wa beginning to wander I 1 think and was back again in the bright green english meadows picking daisies with my little sifter and so I 1 should have parsed away but just at that moment the coolies who had finished d digging the grave my grave passed the entrance to the pandal and one of them with more consideration than his class usually show threw a of water on the cuscus tathi it was like a galvanic shock to me I 1 resolved to have a drink at any risk I 1 had bad to die BO 00 aba matter if I 1 hastened mi my deat death a hour or two by drinking cold W wal at least I 1 should be relieved frolo the torture of thirst and die happy I 1 tried to get up but I 1 was W toa weak to stand and fell down at once one then I 1 reflected that I 1 was dior likely to be seen if I 1 walked sod and if detected in my attempt I 1 should 0 be b brought back and perhaps de to strapped down to die so I 1 tried crawl I 1 was waa about ten minutes draggi dragg myself the forty feet from say my cu I 1 to the entrance and I 1 wriggled under the cuscus tathi like lik snake there were the chatt chattice ch atties iee betor mel me I 1 1 the first I 1 seized was e empty pd the disappointment nearly maae 0 VIM artl swoon but the second was D full i threw my arms around aroUn dit and dragged myself to it 1 I my head into the delicious lip taso p water and devoured rather t drank huge mouthfuls mouth fuls of the w and heavenly fluid I 1 felt iny OLIS ach swelling with the enow r A draughts I 1 swallowed but laughed and drank again and soo I 1 decked naught of life or then a at length I 1 could drink W 10 0 and then discipline asserted I 1 knew I 1 had bad no right to be aeo there and I 1 thought if I 1 e missed from my cot I 1 shou should id DC be ported arted so I 1 crept bac back tile the baj had ad come an aej I 1 shortly after after fell in a profound sleep it t was broad daylight who our awoke and saw the assidy assistant ant aoi ds geon and dresser standing uw me doctor how is this asked the I 1 da pu ought to have deada feel please sir said 1 I T fado abb ing much better and have no 1 I to make the sixth this ag yg he knew I 1 had over overheard besl d 1118 1 be e mark on the preceding aff borry smiled sadly and said 1 I 1 tyoa 00 to say there were six without fit L g pr w but I 1 cannot understand ao uw you are alive most caryll nary I 0 I 1 b I 1 rapidly recovered an and das jotta the pa nut t never indulged in sord lers 90 country arrack sold to 0 0 liere here I 1 was soon quite strong rl od I 1 was made sergeant very so gaia y remained hed upward ward v of ity serving w with aft h different rey reg ho out here but it was some recovered kinle acl fore I 1 boid told anyone how I 1 go froimy from my attack of cholera choler da an ever I 1 told the doctor one iyabo about it and though he abd killed as tbd cold water ought to have ki abo bo I 1 observed the poor billows hol jem t h wi were in the hospital aster ter 0 of f T r got an extra allowance biad d all my people ae were to to re scattered aari and I 1 had ad no wiell wian y pea turn to england so 1 I tool took 10 bid ob sion and t the e bounties enabled ts 1 bained tai ned added to my iny savings saving i 1 im 80 me to buy this bit of lad ald cpr c doing well and have all A faff wish for to make him bapp y wood t 0 in matrimony the pr with their equals |