AT e WY

A NIGH TV IR OF

“Oh, my God, I hope not ! he ex- claimed. % How could it be cholua 2 How could cholera come aboard ?

YA friend of mine died of cholera at Rango-m when I was there,” said I. Y1 recognise the looks, and will swear to the symptoms.”

~“But how could it have come aboard ? he exclaimed, 1in a voice low but agitated.

My cves, as he asked the question, were upon the raft. 1 started and cried, “Is that thing still there ? "

“ Ay, said the mate, “we haven't budged a foot all nieht.”

The suspicion rushed upon me whilst 1 looked at the raft, and ran my eves over the bright hot mor ning sky and the bur- nished surface of sca, shcetmg imnto dim- ness 1 the misty junction of heaven and water.

“I shouldn't be surprised,” said I, ** to discover that we brought the cholera aboard with us yesterday from that dead man's raft yonder.”

- “Tlow is cholera to be caught in that fashion 7" exclaimed Mr. Per pale and a bit wild 10 his way of staring at me.

“We may have Dbr OUOht the poison aboard in the parcel of books."”

‘*“Is cholera to be caught so 2’

“ Undoubtedly. The diseasc mav bo propagated by hunnn intercourse. Why not then by books which have been handled by cholera-poisoned people, or by the atmo- sphere of a body dead of the plaguc? ' 1 added, pointing at the raft.

““No man amongst us 15 safe, then, now ? " cricd the mate.

“I'm no doctor,” said I; “but I know this, that contagious poisons such as scarlet fever, glanders, and so on may retain their propertics in a dormant state for years, I've heard tell of scores of instances of cholera being propagated through articles of dress. D(,puul upon 1t,"” said T ‘“that we brought the poison '11)(md w1th us ycstu day hom that accursed death-raft yonder.”

“Aren’t the books in the cahin ? 7 said the mate.

“Arc they 2

“ e took them below yesterday, sis

“The sooner they're overboard the better,” T exclaimed, and rceturned to the cabin,

[ went to the captain, and found the steward rubbing him. The discase appeared to be doing its work with horrible rapidity ; the eyes were deeply sunk and red 5 every fcature had grown sharp and pinched as

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THL DOLDRUILS. 103

after along wasting discase; the complexion was thick and mud(ly Those who have watched beside cholera know that terrific changes may take place in a few minutes. I cast my eyes about for the parcel of books, and, spying it, took a stick from a corner of the berth, hooked up the parcel, and, pass-

mg it tthwh the open porthole, shook it overboard.

The captain followed my movements with a languid rolling of his eyes but spoke not, th(nmh he 01oanul often, and fre- quently cried out. I could not in the least nnagine what was proper to be done. IHis was the most important life on board the ship, and yet I could only look on and help: Iessly watch him expire.

He Tived till the cvening, and scldom spoke save to call upon God to release him. I had found an opportunity to tell him that he was ill of the cholera, and explained how 1t happened that the horrible dis. tcmpm was on board, for I was absolutely sure we had b1outh it with us in that parca.l of books ; but his anguish was so keen, his death so close then, that 1 cannot be sure he understood me. He died s shortly atter seven o'clock, and I have since learnt that that time is onc of the critical hours in cholera.

When the captain was dead T went to the mate, and advised him to cast the body overboard at once. He called to some of the hands. They brought the body out just as the poor fellow had dlcd, and, securing a weight to the feet, they lifted the corpse over the rail, and dloppul it. No burial service was read. We were all too panic- stricken for reverence. We got rid of the body quickly, the men h:mdlmrv the thing as though they felt the death in it sualmflf into them through their fingcm—hopmg and praying that “with it the cholera would go. It was almost dark when this hurried funcral was ended. I stood beside the mate, looking round the sca for the shadow of wind in any quarter. The boatswain, who had been one of the men that handled the body, came up to us.

“Am’'t there nothing to be done with that corpus out there?” he exclaimed, pomting with a square hand to the raft. “The men arc agreed that there'll come no wind whilst that there dead blackie keeps afloat. And ain't he cnough to make a dizcase of the hatmosphere itself, from horizon to horizon ? "

I waited for the mate to answer. He sald gloomily, “I'm of the poor captain's

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