And, still again, I would feel that I was shipwrecked
upon a barren island, and was slowly dying for the want of food and
water. Sometimes I fancied that I could see ships all about me, and I
would yell, and roar at the top of my voice to attract attention, but
without results, as they would pass beyond view without taking any
notice of me. At other times it seemed that ships would cast their
anchors right in front of my eyes, and apparently remain stationed there
for weeks and months at a time, and yet no one would come to my
assistance. At last there appeared to be ten thousand ships all of the
same pattern lowering small boats into the water, and these boats manned
by stalwart oarsmen started to race with each other in my direction.
What an evenly matched contest. On, on, on they came, bunched closely
together, each using the same uniform stroke as if all were guided by
the same coxswain. Now they were right upon me. "Great race," I shouted,
as they came within hearing distance. "Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah!" "The
poor devil is mad," I fancied I heard someone exclaim, and my mind
became a blank.
CHAPTER XXIII
FIRST VOICE: "This is a most peculiar case of enteric fever, in which
the patient baffles all medical aid towards a cure. The fellow has been
out of his head ever since he was brought here, two months ago, and
fancies that he has been in a trance since the time of Noah and the Ark.
He has a strange hallucination that he can be awakened from his
protracted nap by a kiss from a certain female, whom he describes as
Arletta the Beautiful.
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