the uncommercial traveller-第23章

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him　nor　from　any　one　sufferer　of　the　whole　ghastly　number；　did　I

hear　a　complaint。　　Of　thankfulness　for　present　solicitude　and　care；

I　heard　much；　of　complaint；　not　a　word。



I　think　I　could　have　recognised　in　the　dismalest　skeleton　there；

the　ghost　of　a　soldier。　　Something　of　the　old　air　was　still　latent

in　the　palest　shadow　of　life　I　talked　to。　　One　emaciated　creature；

in　the　strictest　literality　worn　to　the　bone；　lay　stretched　on　his

back；　looking　so　like　death　that　I　asked　one　of　the　doctors　if　he

were　not　dying；　or　dead？　　A　few　kind　words　from　the　doctor；　in　his

ear；　and　he　opened　his　eyes；　and　smiled　…　looked；　in　a　moment；　as

if　he　would　have　made　a　salute；　if　he　could。　　'We　shall　pull　him

through；　please　God；'　said　the　Doctor。　　'Plase　God；　surr；　and

thankye；'　said　the　patient。　　'You　are　much　better　to…day；　are　you

not？'　said　the　Doctor。　　'Plase　God；　surr；　'tis　the　slape　I　want；

surr；　'tis　my　breathin'　makes　the　nights　so　long。'　　'He　is　a

careful　fellow　this；　you　must　know；'　said　the　Doctor；　cheerfully；

'it　was　raining　hard　when　they　put　him　in　the　open　cart　to　bring

him　here；　and　he　had　the　presence　of　mind　to　ask　to　have　a

sovereign　taken　out　of　his　pocket　that　he　had　there；　and　a　cab

engaged。　　Probably　it　saved　his　life。'　　The　patient　rattled　out　the

skeleton　of　a　laugh；　and　said；　proud　of　the　story；　''Deed；　surr；　an

open　cairt　was　a　comical　means　o'　bringin'　a　dyin'　man　here；　and　a

clever　way　to　kill　him。'　　You　might　have　sworn　to　him　for　a　soldier

when　he　said　it。



One　thing　had　perplexed　me　very　much　in　going　from　bed　to　bed。　　A

very　significant　and　cruel　thing。　　I　could　find　no　young　man　but

one。　　He　had　attracted　my　notice；　by　having　got　up　and　dressed

himself　in　his　soldier's　jacket　and　trousers；　with　the　intention　of

sitting　by　the　fire；　but　he　had　found　himself　too　weak；　and　had

crept　back　to　his　bed　and　laid　himself　down　on　the　outside　of　it。

I　could　have　pronounced　him；　alone；　to　be　a　young　man　aged　by

famine　and　sickness。　　As　we　were　standing　by　the　Irish　soldier's

bed；　I　mentioned　my　perplexity　to　the　Doctor。　　He　took　a　board　with

an　inscription　on　it　from　the　head　of　the　Irishman's　bed；　and　asked

me　what　age　I　supposed　that　man　to　be？　　I　had　observed　him　with

attention　while　talking　to　him；　and　answered；　confidently；　'Fifty。'

The　Doctor；　with　a　pitying　glance　at　the　patient；　who　had　dropped

into　a　stupor　again；　put　the　board　back；　and　said；　'Twenty…four。'



All　the　arrangements　of　the　wards　were　excellent。　　They　could　not

have　been　more　humane；　sympathising；　gentle；　attentive；　or

wholesome。　　The　owners　of　the　ship；　too；　had　done　all　they　could；

liberally。　　There　were　bright　fires　in　every　room；　and　the

convalescent　men　were　sitting　round　them；　reading　various　papers

and　periodicals。　　I　took　the　liberty　of　inviting　my　official　friend

Pangloss　to　look　at　those　convalescent　men；　and　to　tell　me　whether

their　faces　and　bearing　were　or　were　not；　generally；　the　faces　and

bearing　of　steady　respectable　soldiers？　　The　master　of　the

workhouse；　overhearing　me；　said　he　had　had　a　pretty　large

experience　of　troops；　and　that　better　conducted　men　than　these；　he

had　never　had　to　do　with。　　They　were　always　（he　added）　as　we　saw

them。　　And　of　us　visitors　（I　add）　they　knew　nothing　whatever；

except　that　we　were　there。



It　was　audacious　in　me；　but　I　took　another　liberty　with　Pangloss。

Prefacing　it　with　the　observation　that；　of　course；　I　knew

beforehand　that　there　was　not　the　faintest　desire；　anywhere；　to

hush　up　any　part　of　this　dreadful　business；　and　that　the　Inquest

was　the　fairest　of　all　possible　Inquests；　I　besought　four　things　of

Pangloss。　　Firstly；　to　observe　that　the　Inquest　WAS　NOT　HELD　IN

THAT　PLACE；　but　at　some　distance　off。　　Secondly；　to　look　round　upon

those　helpless　spectres　in　their　beds。　　Thirdly；　to　remember　that

the　witnesses　produced　from　among　them　before　that　Inquest；　could

not　have　been　selected　because　they　were　the　men　who　had　the　most

to　tell　it；　but　because　they　happened　to　be　in　a　state　admitting　of

their　safe　removal。　　Fourthly；　to　say　whether　the　coroner　and　jury

could　have　come　there；　to　those　pillows；　and　taken　a　little

evidence？　　My　official　friend　declined　to　commit　himself　to　a

reply。



There　was　a　sergeant；　reading；　in　one　of　the　fireside　groups。　　As

he　was　a　man　of　very　intelligent　countenance；　and　as　I　have　a　great

respect　for　non…commissioned　officers　as　a　class；　I　sat　down　on　the

nearest　bed；　to　have　some　talk　with　him。　　（It　was　the　bed　of　one　of

the　grisliest　of　the　poor　skeletons；　and　he　died　soon　afterwards。）



'I　was　glad　to　see；　in　the　evidence　of　an　officer　at　the　Inquest；

sergeant；　that　he　never　saw　men　behave　better　on　board　ship　than

these　men。'



'They　did　behave　very　well；　sir。'



'I　was　glad　to　see；　too；　that　every　man　had　a　hammock。'　　The

sergeant　gravely　shook　his　head。　　'There　must　be　some　mistake；　sir。

The　men　of　my　own　mess　had　no　hammocks。　　There　were　not　hammocks

enough　on　board；　and　the　men　of　the　two　next　messes　laid　hold　of

hammocks　for　themselves　as　soon　as　they　got　on　board；　and　squeezed

my　men　out；　as　I　may　say。'



'Had　the　squeezed…out　men　none　then？'



'None；　sir。　　As　men　died；　their　hammocks　were　used　by　other　men；

who　wanted　hammocks；　but　many　men　had　none　at　all。'



'Then　you　don't　agree　with　the　evidence　on　that　point？'



'Certainly　not；　sir。　　A　man　can't；　when　he　knows　to　the　contrary。'



'Did　any　of　the　men　sell　their　bedding　for　drink？'



'There　is　some　mistake　on　that　point　too；　sir。　　Men　were　under　the

impression　…　I　knew　it　for　a　fact　at　the　time　…　that　it　was　not

allowed　to　take　blankets　or　bedding　on　board；　and　so　men　who　had

things　of　that　sort　came　to　sell　them　purposely。'



'Did　any　of　the　men　sell　their　clothes　for　drink？'



'They　did；　sir。'　　（I　believe　there　never　was　a　more　truthful

witness　than　the　sergeant。　　He　had　no　inclination　to　make　out　a

case。）



'Many？'



'Some；　sir'　（considering　the　question）。　　'Soldier…like。　　They　had

been　long　marching　in　the　rainy　season；　by　bad　roads　…　no　roads　at

all；　in　short　…　and　when　they　got　to　Calcutta；　men　turned　to　and

drank；　before　taking　a　last　look　at　it。　　Soldier…like。'



'Do　you　see　any　men　in　this　ward；　for　example；　who　sold　clothes　for

drink　at　that　time？'



The　sergeant's　wan　eye；　happily　just　beginning　to　rekindle　with

health；　travelled　round　the　place　and　came　back　to　me。　　'Certainly；

sir。'



'The　marching　to　Calcutta　in　the　rainy　season　must　have　been

severe？'



'It　was　very　severe；　sir。'



'Yet　what　with　the　rest　and　the　sea　air；　I　should　have　thought　that

the　men　（even　the　men　who　got　drunk）　would　have　soon　begun　to

recover　on　board　ship？'



'So　they　might；　but　the　bad　food　told　upon　them；　and　when　we　got

into　a　cold　latitude；　it　began　to　tell　more；　and　the　men　dropped。'



'The　sick　had　a　general　disinclination　for　food；　I　am　told；

sergeant？'



'Have　you　seen　the　food；　sir？'



'Some　of　it。'



'Have　you　seen　the　state　of　their　mouths；　sir？'



If　the　sergeant；　who　was　a　man　of　a　few　orderly　words；　had　spoken

the　amount　of　this　volume；　he　could　not　have　settled　that　question

better。　　I　believe　the　sick　could　as　soon　have　eaten　the　ship；　as

the　ship's　provisions。



I　took　the　additional　liberty　with　my　friend　Pangloss；　when　I　had

left　the　sergeant　with　good　wishes；　of　asking　Pangloss　whether　he

had　ever　heard　of　biscuit　getting　drunk　and　bartering　its

nutritious　qualities　for　putrefaction　and　vermin；　of　peas　becoming

hardened　in　liquor；　of　hammocks　drinking　themselves　off　the　face　of

the　earth；　of　lime…juice；　vegetables；　vinegar；　cooking

accommodation；　water　supply；　and　beer；　all　taking　to　drinking

together　and　going　to　ruin？　　'If　not　（I　asked　him）；　what　did　he　say

in　defence　of　the　officers　condemned　by　the　Coroner's　jury；　who；　by

signing　the　General　Inspection　report　relative　to　the　ship　Great

Tasmania；　chartered　for　these　troops；　had　deliberately　ass