THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH. 81 



membrane over it. The throbbing of the brain was 

 distinctly perceptible under this membrane ; and yet 

 the woman was in perfect health, and seemed quite 

 intelligent. I once saw a Chinaman's skull in a 

 similar state, after he had been beaten by some Tartar 

 troops, but he was quite unconscious and never 

 recovered ; whereas this young woman was not only 

 well but cheerful, and I recommended her to go to 

 Simla and get a metallic plate put in, as that was the 

 only thing which could be done for her, and her case 

 might be interesting to the surgeons there. 



But at Lippe it became clear to me that, while the 

 mountain air had its advantages, the mountain water, 

 or something of the kind, was not always to be relied 

 upon, for I found myself suffering from an attack of 

 acute dysentery of the malignant type. As to the 

 primary origin of this attack I was not without grave 

 suspicions, though far from being sure on the subject. 

 At Pangay one day I congratulated myself on the 

 improved state of my health as I sat down to lunch, 

 which consisted of a stew; and half an hour after- 

 wards I began to suffer severely from symptoms 

 correspondent to those caused by irritant metallic 

 poisoning. I spoke to my servants about this, and 

 have not the remotest suspicion of Silas; but it 

 struck me that another of them showed a certain 

 amount of shamefacedness when he suggested bad 

 water as the cause ; and though Captain and Mrs 

 Henderson had been living for a month at Pangay, 



VOL. m. p 



