Still,
that will not be enough. Keep the fire burning, and an iron plate
heated to redness over it. Bring that into my room from time to time,
and burn tobacco on it. Keep the room full of smoke."
"I will do that," John said, "but you must not have too much of it. I
am an old hand, and have many times sat in a fo'castle so full of
smoke that one could scarce see one's hands, but you are not
accustomed to it, and it may like enough make you sick."
"There will be no harm in that, John, so that one does not push it
too far. Now, how are you going to set about this sweating process?"
"While you undress and get into bed I will get a blanket ready. It is
to be dipped in boiling water, and then wrung out until it is as dry
as we can get it. Then you are wrapped in that, and then rolled in
five or six dry blankets to keep in the heat. You will keep in that
until you feel almost weak with sweating; then I take you out and
sponge you with warmish water, and then wrap you in another dry
blanket."
"You had better sponge me with vinegar, John."
Cyril undressed. When he had done so he carefully examined himself,
and his eye soon fell on a black spot on the inside of his leg, just
above the knee. It was the well-known sign of the Plague.
"I have got it, John," he said, when the latter entered with a pile
of blankets.
"Well, then, we have got to fight it, Master Cyril, and we will beat
it if it is to be beaten. Now, lad, for the hot blanket.
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