emarkable turn of speed. At the brow of the hill was
a twenty-yard dip, at the base of which was a pond.

Down, down, down we went, and, despite my full strength (with the left
arm) at its mouth, the pony plunged in with a dull splash, only to find
that his feet gave way under him in a clay bottom. He could not free
himself to swim. Farther and farther we sank together, every second
deeper into the mire, when just at the moment I felt the mud clinging
about my waist, and I had visions of a horrible death away from all who
knew me, I plunged madly to reach the side.

With one arm useless, it is still to me the one great wonder of my life
how I escaped. Nothing short of miraculous; one of the times when one
feels a special protection of Providence surrounding him.

Pulling the beast's head, after I had given myself a momentary shake, I
succeeded in making him give a mighty lurch--then another--then another,
and in a few seconds, after terrible struggling, he reached the bank. We
made a sorry spectacle as we walked shamefacedly back to the inn, under
the gaze of half a dozen grinning rustics, where my man was preparing
the evening meal.

In the evening, on the advice of my general confidential companion, I
submitted to a poultice being applied to my arm. It was bruised, so we
put on the old-fashioned, hard-to-be-beaten poultice of bread. Whilst it
was hot it was comfortable; when it was cold, I unrolled the bandage,
threw the poultice to the floor, and in two minutes saw glistening in
the moonlight the eyes of the rats which ate it.

Then I bade sweet Morpheus take me; but, although the pain prevented me
from sleeping, I remember fainting. How long I lay I know not.
Shuddering in every limb with pain and chilly fear, I at length awoke
from a long swoon. Something had happened, but what? There was still the
paper window, the same greasy saucer of thick oil and light being given
by the same rush, the same rickety table, the same chair on which we had
made the poultice--but what had happened? I rubbed my aching eyes and
lifted myself in a half-sitting posture--a dream had dazzled me and
scared my senses. And then I knew that it was malaria coming on again,
and that I was once more her luckless victim.

Malignant malaria, mistress of men who court thee under tropic skies,
and who, like me, are turned from thee bodily shattered and whimpering
like a child, how much, how very much hast thou laid up for thyself in
Hades!