astonished me by requesting that I would not treat the matter lightly, and assured me that if I did not do something for him the man would die.

Though I used every argument I could think of, I was unable to shake their belief. The sergeant, however, came back and begged me to take things seriously, as the man was valuable and we could not afford to lose him. I explained that I could do nothing, and told them both to come up and talk it over in a couple of days. The following evening I was called to the man, who was in a very weak condition and apparently dying. He was convinced that he would have to die, and the next day was dead. When the average black man makes up his mind to die, die he will, and it is almost impossible to do anything for him.

I mention this as one out of many