ots, in which I was to wade through the flooded fields; and
with some difficulty I again reached the kraal. I found the worst
cases sinking fast, one of the others had relapsed, while fear had
paralysed the efforts of the rest. At last I restored some order; and,
with the help of the bravest of the women, fixed up rude screens
around the dying men. But no screens could shut out from the others
their awful groans and cries for the aid that no mortal power could
give them. So the long night passed away; first a deathlike stillness
behind one screen, and then a sudden silence behind the other, showing
that the fierce battle with death was over, and who had been the
victor. And, meanwhile, I sat before the flickering fire, with my last
patient in my lap--a poor, little, brown-faced orphan infant, scarce a
year old, was dying in my arms, and I was powerless to save it. It may
seem strange, but it is a fact, that I thought more of that little
child than I did of the men who were struggling for their lives, and
prayed very earnestly and solemnly to God to spare it. But it did not
please Him to grant my prayer, and towards morning the wee spirit
left this sinful world for the home above it had so lately left, and
what was mortal of the little infant lay dead in my arms. Then it was
that I began to think--how the idea first arose in my mind I can
hardly say--that, if it were possible to take this little child and
examine it, I should learn more of the terrible disease which was
sparing neither young nor old, and should know better how to do battle
with it. I was not afraid to use my baby patient thus. I knew its fled
spirit would not reproach me, for I had done all I could for it in
life--had shed tears over it, and prayed for it.

It was cold grey dawn, and the rain had ceased, when I followed the
man who had taken the dead child away to bury it, and bribed him to
carry it by an unfrequented path down to the river-side, and accompany
me to the thick retired bush on the opposite bank. Having persuaded
him thus much, it was not difficult, with the help of silver arguments
to convince him that it would be for the general benefit and his own,
if I could learn from this poor little thing the secret inner workings
of our common foe; and ultimately he stayed by me, and aided me in my
first and last _post mortem_ examination. It seems a strange deed to
accomplish, and I am sure I could not wield the scalpel or the
substitute I then use