How He
Managed To Live For The Eight Days After This
Which Elapsed Before A Doctor Could Be Got
To
Him I cannot imagine; but in the end he
fortunately made a good recovery, the only
sign of his terrible
Experience being the absence
of his right arm, which had to be amputated.
CHAPTER XVI
A WIDOW'S STORY
Very shortly before I left Tsavo I went
(on March 11, 1899) on inspection duty to Voi,
which, as I have already mentioned, is about
thirty miles on the Mombasa side of Tsavo.
At this time it was a miserable, swampy spot,
where fever, guinea-worm, and all kinds of horrible
diseases were rampant; but this state of affairs
has now been completely altered by drainage
and by clearing away the jungle. Dr. Rose
was in medical charge of the place at the time
of my visit, and as it was the good old custom to
put up with any friend one came across towards
nightfall, I made him my host when my day's work
was over. We spent a very pleasant evening
together, and naturally discussed all the local
news. Amongst other things we chatted about
the new road which was being constructed from
Voi to a rather important missionary station called
Taveta, near Mount Kilima N'jaro, and Dr. Rose
mentioned that Mr. O'Hara (the engineer in
charge of the road-making), with his wife and
children, was encamped in the Wa Taita country,
about twelve miles away from Voi.
Early next morning I went out for a stroll
with my shot-gun, but had not gone far from the
doctor's tent when I saw in the distance four
Swahili carrying something which looked like a
stretcher along the newly-made road.
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