Mad Shepherds, and Other Human StudiesJacks, L. P. (Lawrence Pearsall)
General
Mad Shepherds, and Other Human Studies
Jacks, L. P. (Lawrence Pearsall)
Manners and customs -- Fiction
"Well, I was just goin' upstairs when all of a sudden he give a scream
as a'most made me drop the warmin' pan. 'What's up?' I sez. 'I've burnt
my hand awful,' he sez. 'Burnt your hand?' I sez. 'How did you manage to
do that? Have you been tumblin' into the fire?' 'I don't know,' he sez;
'but the funny thing is there's no mark of burnin' as I can see.' 'Why,'
I sez, 'it must be the rheumatiz in yer knuckles. I'll get a drop o'
turpentine, and rub 'em,' So I gets the turpentine, and begins rubbin'
his hand, and his arm as well. He sez, 'It's just like a red-hot nail
driven slap through the palm o' my hand.' Well, it got better after a
bit, and I made him go to bed, though he were that hot and excited I
knowed we were going to have a wild night.
"The minute he lay down he went to sleep and slep' quietly for about
half an hour. Then he starts groanin' and tossin'. 'It's beginnin',' I
sez to myself; 'I'd better light the candle so as to be ready.' The
minute I struck the match he jumps out o' bed like a madman, catches
hold of the bedpost, and begins pullin' the bed across the room. 'What
are you doin'?' I sez. 'I'm pullin' the bed out o' the fire,' he sez.
'Don't you see the room's burnin'?' 'Come, master,' I sez, 'you've got
the nightmare. Get back into bed again, and keep quiet.'
"He let go o' the bedpost and began starin' in front of him with the
most awful eyes you ever see. 'Are you blind?' he sez. 'Don't you see
what's 'appenin'?' 'Nothing's 'appenin',' I sez; 'get back into bed.'
'Look! he sez, 'look at the top o' that hill! Can't you see they're
crucifying Shepherd Toller on a red-hot cross? I can hear him screamin'
wi' pain.' 'Get out,' I sez; 'Shepherd Toller's all right. Now just you
lie down, and think no more about it.' But, oh dear, you might as well
ha' talked to thunder and lightnin'. He kep' on as how he could hear
Shepherd Toller screamin' and callin' for him, until I thought I should
ha' gone out o' my mind.
"Just then a' idea come to me. We'd got a bottle o' stuff as the doctor
give him to make him sleep when the rheumatiz come on bad. So I pours
out half a cupful, and I sez, 'Here, you drink that, and it'll stop 'em
crucifying Shepherd Toller.' He drinks it down at a gulp, and then he
sez, 'They've took him down. But I'm afraid he's terrible burnt.' He
soon got quiet and lay down and went to sleep.
"He must ha' slep' till six in the mornin', when he got up. 'My head's
achin' awful,' he sez. 'I've been dreamin' about Shepherd Toller all
night. I believe as summat's gone wrong wi' him. Make me a cup o' strong
tea, and I'll go and see what's up.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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