The Freemason's Daughter: A Novel — page 296: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE FREEMASONS DAUGHTER. 291 secutor. The wretched man was suffering from hydrophobia. | ‘“ Don’t approach him!” exclaimed Ben to the crowd who gathered round. ‘* He is mad.” “ Tt’s a hie!” shrieked Flin, turning round. ‘I am not mad—I won’t be mad! Ha, ha, ha! Mad witha thousand pounds—with the means of enjoying life, of buying green fields, and calling them my own! Where is the doctor? He can save me—he shallsave me. I can pay for life! JI amrich, rich,” he added. ‘I am sure to recover ; only don’t let me look upon the water —it’s torment to me. Hide me from the water.” ‘‘ You forget,”’ whispered Ben, “that half the money is mine.” ‘‘ Not a penny,” roared the ruffian, “not a‘ penny. If I die, I’ll take it with me, and leave you to starve in the promised land. So look to me, Ben—watch me— don’t leave me an instant—and don’t let me tear my flesh. My throat burns,” he added, with a shudder; “my veins are all dried up. I can’tswallow. The air is thick, thick, and changed to water.” By the time the surgeon arrived, the ravings of the wretch became terrific: he foamed at the mouth, rolled, cursed, shrieked for mercy, and implored death, alter- nately. It required the strength of four of the strongest men in the hold to restrain him. The doctor, like most of the medical men engaged in emigrant ships, was a young man who had just passed his examination. He had read something of Uz | COniiclooecl SS (SO