She had
learned also that the way to the Jamaican heart was by a full table and a
little flattery.
One incident at dinner had impressed her greatly. Not far away from
her was a young lady, beautiful in face and person, and she had seen a
scorpion suddenly shoot into her sleeve and ruthlessly strike and strike
the arm of the girl, who gave one cry only and then was still. Sheila
saw the man next to the girl--he was a native officer--secure the
scorpion, and then whip from his pocket a little bag of indigo, dip it in
water, and apply the bag to the wounded arm, immediately easing the
wound. This had all been done so quickly that it was over before the
table had been upset, almost.
"That is the kind of thing we have here," said Lord Mallow. "There is a
lady present who has seen in one day a favourite black child bitten by a
congereel, a large centipede in her nursery, a snake crawl from under her
child's pillow, and her son nearly die from a bite of the black spider
with the red spot on its tail. It is a life that has its trials--and its
compensations."
"I saw a man's head on a pole on my way to King's House.
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