Page:A Comprehensive History of India Vol 1.djvu/600

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56 IIlriTOIiV OF INJ>»IA. [Book IIJ.

J. i-.'.7 me. " He, too, had been dressed already ; and the poor youth, on submitting himself to the surgeon, observed, "Sir, I fear you mast amputate above the joint." Ives replying "I must," he clasped his hands, and, looking upward, solemnly and fervently ejaculated, " Good God, do thou enable me to behave in spekc. my present circumstances worthy of my father's son." After tliis prayer he told the surgeon that he was all submi-ssion, and bore the operation ^ampu- tation above the knee-joint) without speaking a word, or uttering a groan that could be heard at a yard distant. The next day he was removed to the hos- pital at Calcutta. For the first eight or nine days the .s^nnptoms were favour- able. A change then took place, and he died on the thirteenth day after the operation. His father having been removed, not to the hospital, but to the house of a friend, the noble-hearted boy, still suspecting the worst, sent the following note, written by himself in pencil at two o'clock in the morning of the very day on which he died: — "If Mr. Ives wiU consider the disorder a son must be in, when he is told he is dying, and yet is in doubt whether hi.s father is not in as good a state of health. If JVIr. Ives is not too busy to honour this chitt, which nothing but the greatest uneasiness could draw from me. The boy waits an answer." It is scarcely necessary to account for the verbal inac- curacies of the note by mentioning that the heroic sufferer had become delirious. Mr. Ives immediately hastened to his bedside, when the following dialogue took place; — "And is he dead?" "Who?" "My father, sir." " No; nor is he in any danger, I assure you: he is almost well." "Thank God! Then why did they tell me so? I am now satisfied and ready to die." "At this time," says Mr. Ives, "he had a locked jaw, and was in great distress; but I understood every word he so inarticulately uttered. He begged my pardon for having disturbed me at so early an hour; and before the day was ended surrendered up a valuable life." Valuable, indeed ; for who can doubt, after reading the above narrative, that had William Speke been spared he woiJd have earned for him- self a place among the greatest and best of the naval heroes of his country. It ought to be added that Captain Speke was not unworthy of being the father of such a son. His heart was bound up in the bo}''; and the first thing he did when taken below was to teU how dangerously his poor Billy was wounded. For some days the surgeon was able to rejoice him by hopes of a recovery, but at last was obliged by his silence and looks to prepare him for the worst. On the tenth day he for the first time put a direct question on the subject. • How long, my friend, do you think my Billy may remain in a state of imcertainty ? ' The sui'geon answered, "If he lived from the fifteenth day of the operation there would be the greatest hopes of his recovery." On the sixteenth day, looking steadfastly in the surgeon's face, he said, " Well Ives, how fares it with my boy?" Receiving no answer, he could not but know the cause. After crying bitterly, he asked to be left alone for half an hour, and when at the end of that time Mr. Ives returned, " he appeared, as he ever after did. perfectly

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