Scaring The Thunder

By “South Seas"

Iwas still new to the Island hospital.

My patients were all copper-coloured and my nurses were native girls.

On a night of howling wind and thun der that shook the hospital walls, Pule vaka was brought in with a septic foot.

He was a young albino, neither white nor brown, but an uneven mixture of

both. He spoke little English, but hir made up for It with smiles. i iS ? ad u b J* e ? made comfortable. to ed ..^ o huddle under th«r sheet, listening to the tumult around usj Suddenly, there came a flash of lights nmg that lit up the whole Island, foi l lowed closely by a terrific crash of thun i der, and an agonised yelling from th»r direction of the wards.

The hospital must have been struck!

Falling out of bed, I fought my wayj through the smothering folds of mos-£ S ul t? £ et > gabbed a gown, and made s dash through pelting rain to the main, building.

No shattered walls, no maimed patients c only Pulevaka sitting up in bed, all smilesa and looking in the dim light more like: an animated corpse than a living crea-j ture.

He gibbered at me anxiously, but I knew even fewer native words than hej knew English. We stared at one another; helplessly, and listened to the deluge out-: side.

Three native nurses came tumbling inr wet as drowned cats, and laughing so; much that they could hardly speak.

“Did you hear that screaming, Matron?” gasped Fane, when she could get her; breath.

“Yes!” I answered her, “and some-; one must be hurt. Hurry and find outn who it is.”

At this, they all went off into hysteri cal laughter, and I felt like knocking m few woolly heads together.

“That was Pulevaka,” said Fane atj last, “Pulevaka shouting to the thunderr to go away that no one might be harmed.!

He tried to explain to you, but he says you don’t know much yet.”

Since then I have heard many patients, imploring the thunder to depart, with! blood-curdling yells, but nothing will stirt me from my bed.