"He was a curious-looking gentleman, too, that Russian--just the sort of
face that you would never forget after once seeing it, with skin that
was dried and yellow like parchment; black hair that was trained into a
heavy curl on the top of his forehead, and a big hooked nose.

"Well, your ladyship and miss, away we went with our elephants and train
of servants, and very pleasantly we spent our two months' leave of
absence. The Captain he shot tigers, and the Russian he did his best at
pig-sticking. Our last week had come, and in three more days we were to
set off on our return, when that terrible misfortune happened which
deprived me of the best of masters, and your ladyship of the best of
sons.

"Early one morning I was roused by Rung Budruck, the Captain's favourite
sycee or groom. 'Get up at once,' he said, shaking me by the shoulder.
'The sahib Captain is very ill. The black devil has seized him. He must
have opium or he will die.' I ran at once to the Captain's tent, and as
soon as I set eyes on him I saw that he had been seized with cholera. I
went off at once and fetched M. Platzoff. We had nothing in the way of
medicine with us except brandy and opium. Under the Russian's directions
these were given to my poor master in large quantities, but he grew
gradually worse. Rung and I in everything obeyed M. Platzoff, who seemed
to know quite well what ought to be done in such cases; and to tell the
truth, your ladyship, he seemed as much put about as if the Captain had
been his own brother. Well, the Captain grew weaker as the day went on,
and towards evening it grew quite clear that he could not last much
longer. The pain had left him by this time, but he was so frightfully
reduced that we could not bring him round. He was lying in every respect
like one already dead, except for his faint breathing, when the Russian
left the tent for a moment, and I took his place at the head of the bed.