He galloped off for assistance, and speedily had them placed
under medical treatment, and under the roof of hospitable
people. A few days' rest and proper attention made them well
enough to be removed to a hospital. It was soon found
necessary to amputate both of the coloured man's legs, and
also some of his fingers. The captain had the soles of his
feet cut off; and he told me that he always regretted not
having the feet taken off altogether, as he had never been
free from suffering during all these years. He said the
doctor advised it, but that he himself was so anxious to
save them that he preferred to have the soles scraped to the
bone, hoping that the diseased parts would heal; "but," said
he with an air of sober melancholy, "they never have."
Long before this story of piercing sadness, and horror, and
heroism, and superb endurance was finished, I felt a big
lump in my throat, and every nerve of me was tingling with
emotion; and as I passed from the presence of this noble old
fellow and pondered over all he had so reluctantly and
modestly told me of himself, it made me conclude that I had
been holding converse with a hero! I have been obliged to
confine myself to a brief outline of this tale of shipwreck.
Pages:
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171