ROUGH NURSING. 



335 



his baggy shirt a foot more out of his trousers, and thrust 

 the parrot into his bosom, almost smothering it with his 

 neckcloth. The parrot, indignant at this confinement, 

 was driving his beak constantly into Tom's breast, 

 which was scarified and covered with blood ; and once, 

 when Tom thought it was going too far, he put his hand 

 inside and pinched it, which produced the extraordina- 

 ry sounds we had heard. 



In a little while Tom and Darkey got the Indians to 

 relieve them, and went out to drink the captain's health. 

 On their return they took their places on the ground, 

 one on each side of their commander. I threw myself 

 into the broken hammock ; and Dr. Drivin, charging 

 them, if the captain awoke, not to say anything that 

 could agitate him, went off to another hut. 



It was not long before the captain, raising his head, 

 called out, " What the devil are you doing with my 

 legs ?" which was answered by Tom's steady cry, 



Hold on. Darkey !" Darkey and an Indian were 

 holding the captain's legs, two Indians his arms, and 

 Tom was spread over his body. The captain looked 

 perfectly sensible, and utterly amazed at being pinned 

 to the ground. " Where am I ?" said he. Tom and 

 Darkey had agreed not to tell him what had happened ; 

 but, after the most extraordinary lying on the part of 

 Tom, while the captain was looking at him and us in 

 utter amazement, the poor fellow became so entangled, 

 that, swearing the doctor might stay and tell his own 

 stories, he began where he and Darkey came in, and 

 found the captain kicking in the hammock ; and the 

 captain was given to understand that if it had not been 

 for him and Darkey he would have kicked his own 

 brains out. I relieved Tom's story from some obscu- 

 rity, and a general and noisy conversation followed, 



