AN ANESTHETIC CHRISTMAS STORY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2130, 20 December 1894, Page 11

AN ANESTHETIC CHRISTMAS STORY.

(Specially Written for the Witness Christ-

mas Numhcr of ISO4-J

By C. N. BAEYERTZ.

" Well, I could tell you a Christmas story, gentlemen, which you would hardly believe, but which I could prove, because two or three old residents remember the affair quite well."

•' Tell us the story, doctor, and we ahsll do our boat to give credence to it," replied Mr Arthur Kouoßevell, the popular member for Melbourne City, in reply to our firtt speaker, Dr James Brown, of Collins street. " Ah, do, there's a good fellow," was chorused by several other prominent citizens, as they smoked their cigars at the Yorick Club last Christmas Eve.

The doctor readily assented, and if the reader had been present the following is what he would bave heard :—: —

It is over 10 years since I passed my final for the M B , M.Cb., Edinburgh, and as I was of a roving disposition an unole of mine procared for mo the position of ship 6urgeon on the Loch Ness, bound for Melbourne.

Having arrived at our destination I hoard that a doctor was wanted in the Western District of Victoria, and, to make a long story as short as possible, I found myself in Colac just about a fortnight before Christmas.

The minds of the respectable residents at this time were greatly exercised by a gang of bloodthirsty luehrangers, who had already stuck up a bank and two or three stations. The Government had offered a reward of £4t 00 for the capture of the O'Brien gang, quite the most cruel and wanton of all the bushrangers who have at various times iafested Victoria.

In those days I did not suffsr from hypertrophy of the adipose tissue, gentlemen, and I was a great walker, otherwise I should have no story to tell. About 6 o'clock on Christmas Eve, just 41 years ago, I walked out to the Stony Risei — a distance of nine miles — to attend the wife of a farmer who had suddenly found my services necessary. The weather looked somewhat threateoii g, but, nothing daunted, I set out, and after two hours' Bmart walking arrived at the farm. At 9 o'clock I waß free, but in the meantime a terrific fctorm had burst upon the " Rises." My patient's husband wished to detain me for the night, but it was Christmas Eve, and I desired to spend the gladsome eve beside zny own fireside, and enjoy the pleasures of a retrospective reverie.

I had scarcely proceeded two miles, however, before ray folly became apparent. The sky was aa black as Milton's

Uncouth coll, "Where brooding darkness spreads its jealous wings, gave when the dazzling lightning flashed in vivid sheets of flame before my eyee. Blinded and half stunned by the rain, thunder, and lightning, I turned off the main road into a wooded paddock, whence I thought to reach the homestead of a squatter. But unused as I was to the bush I soon lost my way, and when almost in despair stumbled up against a shepherd's hut, which I entered without ceremony. The interior was in darkness, so taking a match from my box I lit a small spirit lamp which I usually carried in my hand-bag on occasions when it might be useful. The hut had recently been tenanted. It contained some blankets, a table, chairs, a peculiar cupboard exactly the height of the but, without shelves, and with hooks depending from, the roof. On the floor were scraps of food and empty bottleß, and in the grate the embers still smouldered. I had barely completed these discoveries when I heard the sound of footsteps and loud cursing outside. . „ , , In half a second the thought flashed across my brain : Perhaps this is the notorious gang of bushrangers. I had just time to snatch \:p lamp and matches, thrast them Into my bag, and conceal myself In the cupboard, Mien my surmise was verified, As soon as they had lit a candle I beheld through an air-hole in the cupboard four as ill-condi-tioned sooundrels as ever waylaid an unwary traveller or stuck up a bank, Whilst they were preparing their sapper an accident bapfiejaed which nearly cost me

ment of creßcendos and »forzandos were all that could be desired. They were very sound asleep, and there eeemed nothing for it but to take the risk and endeavour to chloroform them. No sooner said than attempted. I stepped from the cupboard, the chloroform bottle in my left and my handkerchief in my right hand. After situraliDg the handkerchief I held it over the mouth and nose of the derelict sentry until I had brought about a partial acauthesia, then I possessed myself of the weapon, and, after suffering agonies of suspense such as I have never since experienced in the use of anesthetics, I succeeded in thoroughly chloroforming them all.

Then I tied the hands of each of the bushrangers behind his back with strips of his own blanket, and strapped his arms securely to his side with the straps from his swag, and finally secured his legs. After having carefully collected all their weapons on the tablo, and having pushed the table to the far corner of the hut, I sat down to await their return to consciousness. The astonishment of each may be more easily conceived than depicted as each came to and found himself tied hand and foot, and a pistol staring him in the face in a somewhat obtrusive manner. I briefly explained the situation, and told them that I intended to mount guard until morning, when they would be given into custody.

Just at dawn, when the storm had howled itself hoarse and what might be termed aerial aphony had sup3rvened, a new danger menaced me.

It was known that some of the country people were in sympathy with the gang, and of this I was very soon to have ample proof, for at about 5 o'clock a knock was heard at the door.

Pointing my pistol at O'Brien's head, I bade him ask who was there.

" Pat Finnigan, and half a dozen of the bhoys. Faith, we've brought you your Christmas dinner. Opan the door, will you?" Virgil's " Timeo Danaoa et dona f erentes " flashed feaforo my mind, bat I JBi«nj>t!y ■aids

my life. My bsp, which I had been holding ia my hand, slipped from my grasp, although I stopped it with my foot before it reaohed the floor of the cupboard.

11 What's that, boys 1 " exclaimed Dan O'Brien, the leader of the Rang.

" A rat in the cupboard," oried a villainouslooking wretch with but one restless, huntedlooking optio.

11 Go and see," replied O'Brien.

For answer, " One-eyed Steeve," as he was called, fired a shot into the cupboard which actually passed between my legs, grazing the left shin-bone, but as there was no further stir Steve's conjecture was taken for granted.

After supper, washed down by copious libations of whisky, the door was barricaded, one of their number appointed sentry, and the remainder wrapped themselves in their blankets and wooed the drowsy god. Moreover, the aentry, no doubt thinking that a watch on such a night as this was unnecessary, very soon followed thair example. Here was I, gentlemen, alone with these four snoring rascals, whose heads weie valued at £1000 apiece. Could I but win this money I should be able to write home for a certain little lady whom I had left behind in England. But bow ? Each man bad his pistol beside him, and even if I secured a gun and shot one of them the ethers would be aroueed, and, in the language of Herbert Spenoer, I should cease to correspond with my environment. My bag contained some lancets, the spirit lamp, forceps, a stethoscope, a hypodermic syringe, a 3oz phial of morphia, and a 12oz stoppered bottle of chloroform. Ah, the chloroform 1 Why not 1 At first the idea seemed utterly hopelesp, but the more I thought of it the more feasible did it appear to me. The ou'lawß were joining in a vigorous quartet; c .Tiainly the quality of the voices was somewhat nasal, but their attack and manage-

11 Ask them if it's raining or I'll blow your brains out." 11 Is it raining out there ? " " No, It's going to be a beautiful Christmas day entolrely."

" Well, we can't open the door co early. We're all dead shleepy from the effects of the chloro" — my pistol was advanced to within an inch of his forehead — " whisky, I mane. Lave the things outside; we'll get 'em by-and-bye, and a merry Christmas to yez all " — this in rather a melancholy tone.

Now another dilemma confronted me. How was I to leave them to obtain the assistance of the police ? While I was away one of them might free himself, or these country people might return and set them free, and thus they might epcape me after all. Then I thought of the morphia, and the resolution was immediately formed to inject into each of them a stiff dose, so that if their sympathisers did return they would find it difficult work to remove the bushrangers. I informed them of my intention, and they were obliged to submit with the best possible grace.

Well, the police found them all sleeping soundly, and we all got our deserts — they a life sentence and I the £1000 with which I bought my practice in Collins street.

Surgery owes much to the discovery of my old professor, gentlemen, but few owe to chloroform as great a debt as I, and you can easily imagine that I have never used it since in my practice without being reminded of that terrible night, when I acted as arnesthetist in ordinary to the O'BrieQ gang.

*** Christmas was celebrated some years before 200 a.d. The date varied in different parts, some celebrating in May, some in April, while others observed a day in January,

work done, there was nothing to do but to look out o£ the window at the dull dropping of the rain, which blotted out all Bight ot her one neighbour's home. Finally, in despair, Annie stole up to the loft, where a number of old newspapers were kept, and amused herself with these till bedtime. It was far into the night ere she got to sleep. Through her window, as the blind moved aside, she gazed out into the inky blackness, across which every now and again was flung the shadow of a tree moved by the wind. For the first time she was frightened of her solitude. She thought of the stories she had been reading that afternoon in the papers, and shuddered. For the first time it struck her that they must be true, and sudden fear overcame her. How could Mrs Pearson have left her here alone 1 Never again would she undergo such an experience 1 At last she slept, but was awakened at 12 o'clock by the sound of a footfall outside her window. ,

Up Bhe started 1 The back door she knew was fastened only by a snib, and eveu this was easily manipulated from the outbid* by a hole in the boards. Any night prowler might enter at his will, and there, sure enough, was the creaking of the door and the loud sound of heavy feet in the kitchen I The man, whoever he might be, evidently thought the house uninhabited, so little trouble did he take to hide his presence.

In those brief moments of helpless fear Annie suffered what was like a lifetime of agony. If he entered her room, what could she do ? There was no place for hiding in her bare little room, and to leap out of the window into the rain-swept darkness was not to be thought of, even iE the opening of the window did not bring the unknown to her all the more quickly. In this terrible dilemma her mind wandered for a few minutes as Bhe lay with her gaze fixed vacantly on the bunch of white roses which she had placed on her mantelpiece that