“AwomanoftheHillsWebeLepchasofDarjiling,butmetheycallanoutlanderbecausemyhairisasthouseest。”
TheThibetanwoman,hiswife,touchedhimonthearmgently。
ThelongparleyoutsidetheforthadlastedfarintothedayItwasnowcloseupontwilight-thehouroftheAngelusVerysolemnlythered-headedbratsrosefromthefloorandformedasemicircle。
NamgayDoolalaidhisgunaside,lightedalittleoil-lamp,andsetitbeforearecessinthewallPullingbackawispofdirtycloth,herevealedawornbrasscrucifixleaningagainstthehelmetbadgeofalong-forgottenEastIndiaCompany’sregiment“Thusdidmyfather。”besaid,crossinghimselfclumsilyThewifeandchildrenfollowedsuitThen,alltogether,theystruckwill,letthismatterstandovertillthemorning。
Onlythegodscandorightinahurry,anditmaybethatyondervillagerhaslied。”
“Nay,forIknowthenatureofNamgayDoola;butsinceaguestasks,letthematterremainWiltthou,formysake,speakharshlytothisred-headedoutlander?Hemaylistentothee。”
Imadeanattemptthatveryevening,butforthelifeofmeIcouldnotkeepmycountenanceNamgayDoolagrinnedsopersuasivelyandbegantotellmeaboutabigbrownbearinapoppyfieldbytheriverWouldIcaretoshootthatbear?Ispokeau~terelyonthesinofdetectedconspiracyandthecertaintyofpunishmentNamgayDoola’sfacecloudedforamomentShortlyafterwardhewithdrewfrommytent,andIheardhimsingingsoftlyamongthepinesThewordswereunintelligibletome,butthetune,likehisliquid,insinuatingspeech,seemedtheghostofsomethingstrangelyfamiliar。
“Dirbanemard-i-yemendirToweereealagee。”
croonedNamgayDoolaagainandagain,andIrackedmybrainforthatlosttuneItwasnottillafterdinnerthatIdiscoveredsomeonehadcutasquarefootofvelvetfromthecentreofmybest。mera-clothThisrAademesoangrythatIwandereddownthevalleyinthehopeofmeetingthebigbrownbearIcouldhearhimgruntinglikeadiscontentedpiginthepoppyfieldasIwaitedshoulderdeepinthedew-drippingIndiancorntocatchhimafterhismealThemoonwasatfullanddrewoutthescentofthetasseledcropThenI
heardtheanguishedbellowofaHimalayancow-oneofthelittleblackcrummiesnobiggerthanNewfoundlanddogsTwoshadowsthatlookedlikeabearandhercubhurriedpastmeIwasintheactoffiringwhenIsawthateachboreabrilliantredheadThelesseranimalwastrailingsomethingrope-likethatleftadarktrackonthepathTheywerewithinsixfeetofme,andtheshadowofthemoonlightlayvelvet-blackontheirfacesVelvet-blackwasexactlytheword,forbyallthepowersofmoonlighttheyweremaskedinthevelvetofmycamera-clothImarveled,andwenttobed。
NextmorningthekingdomwasinanuproarNamgayDoola,mensaid,hadgoneforthinthenightandwithasharpknifehadcutoffthetailofacowbelongingtotherabbit-facedvillagerwhohadbetrayedhimItwassacrilegeunspeakableagainsttheholycow!
Thestatedesiredhisblood,huthehadretreatedintohishut,barricadedthedoorsandwindowswithbigstones,anddefiedtheworld。
ThekingandIandthepopulaceapproachedthehutcautiously。
Therewasnohopeofcapturingourmanwithoutlossoflife,forfromaholeinthewallprojectedthemuzzleofanextremelywell-cared-forgun-theonlyguninthestatethatcouldshoot。
NamgayDoolahadnarrowlymissedavillagerjustbeforewecameup。
Thestandingarmystood。
Itcoulddonomore,forwhenitadvancedpiecesofsharpshaleflewfromthewindowsTothesewereaddedfromtimetotimeshowersofscaldingwaterWesawredbeadsbobbingupanddownwithinThefamilyofNamgayDoolaWORKSOFRUDYARDKIPLING
wereaidingtheirsireBlood-curdlingyellsofdefianceweretheonlyanswertoourprayers。
“Never。”saidtheking,puffing,“hassuchathingbefallenmystate。
NextyearIwillcertainlybuyalittlecan-non。”Helookedatmeimploringly。
“Isthereanypriestinthekingdomtowhomhewilllisten?”saidI,foralightwasbeginningtobreakuponme。
“Heworshipshisowngod。”saidtheprimeminister“Wecanbutstarvehimout。”
“Letthewhitemanapproach。”saidNamgayDoolafromwithin。
“AllothersIwillkillSendmethewhiteman。”
ThedoorwasthrownopenandIenteredthesmokyinteriorofaThibetanhutcrammedwithchildrenAndeverychildhadflamingredhairAfreshgatheredcow’staillayonthefloor,andbyitssidetwopiecesofblackvelvet-~yblackvelvet-rudelyhackedintothesemblanceofmasks。
“Andwhatisthisshame,NamgayDoola?”Iasked。
Hegrinnedmorecharminglythanever“Thereisnoshame。”saidhe“Ididbutcutoffthetailofthatman’scowHebetrayedmeI
wasmindedtoshoothim,sahib,butnottodeathIndeed,nottodeath;onlyinthelegs。”
“Andwhyatall,sinceitisthecustomtopayrevenuetotheking?
Whyatall?”
“Bythegodofmyfather,Icannottell。”saidNamgayDoola。
“Andwhowasthyfather?”
“Thesamethathadthisgun。”Heshowedmehisweapon,aTowermusket,bearingdate1832andthestampoftheHonorableEastIndiaCompany。
“Andthyfather’sname?”saidI。
“TimlayDoola。”saidhe“Atthefirst,Ibeingthenalittlechild,itisinmymindthatheworearedcoat。”
“OfthatIhavenodoubt;butrepeatthenameofthyfathertwiceorthrice。”
Heobeyed,andIunderstoodwhencethepuzzlingaccentinhisspeechcame“ThimlaDhula!”saidhe,excitedly“TothishourI
worshiphisgod。”
“MayIseethatgod?”
“Inalittlewhile-attwilighttime。”
“Rememberestthouaughtofthyfather’sspeech?”
“ItislongagoButtherewasonewordwhichhesaidoftenThus,’’Shun!’ThenIandmybrethrenstooduponourfeet,ourhandstooursides,thus。”
“EvensoAndwhatwasthymother?”
“AwomanoftheHillsWebeLepchasofDarjiling,butmetheycallanoutlanderbecausemyhairisasthouseest。”
TheThibetanwoman,hiswife,touchedhimonthearmgently。
ThelongparleyoutsidetheforthadlastedfarintothedayItwasnowcloseupontwilight-thehouroftheAngelusVerysolemnlythered-headedbratsroscfromthefloorandformedasemicircle。
NamgayDoolalaidhisgunaside,lightedalittleoil-lamp,andsetitbeforearecessinthewallPullingbackawispofdirtycloth,herevealedawornbrasscrucifixleaningagainstthehelmetbadgeofalong-forgottenEastIndiaCompany’sregiment“Thusdidmyfather。”hesaid,crossinghimselfclumsilyThewifeandchildrenfollowedsuitThen,alltogether,theystruckupthewailingchamthatIheardonthehillside:
“Dirbanemard-i-yemendirToweereealagee。”
IwaspuzzlednolongerAgainandagaintheysung,asiftheirheartswouldbreak,theirversionofthechorusof“TheWearingoftheGreen“:
“They’rehangingmenandwomen,too,Forthewearingofthegreen,。”
AdiabolicalinspirationcametomeOneofthebrats,aboyabouteightyearsold-couldhehavebeeninthefieldslastnight?-waswatchingmeashesungIpulledoutarupee,heldthecoinbetweenfingerandthumb,andlooked-onlylook-atthegunleaningagainstthewallAgrinofbrilliantandperfectcomprehensionoverspreadhisporringer-likefaceNeverforaninstantstoppingthesong,heheldouthishandforthemoney,andthenslidtheguntomyhandImighthaveshotNamgayDooladeadashechanted,butIwassatisfiedTheinevitableblood-instinctheldtrueNamgayDooladrewthecurtainacrosstherecessAngeluswasover。
“ThusmyfathersungTherewasmuchmore,butIhaveforgotten,andIdonotknowthepurportofeventhesewords,butitmaybethatthegodwillunderstandIamnotofthispeople,andIwillnotpayrevenue。”
“Andwhy?”
Againthatsoul-compellinggrin“Whatoccupationwouldbetomebetweencropandcrop?ItisbetterthanscaringbearsButthesepeopledonotunderstand。”
Hepickedthemasksoffthefloorandlookedinmyfaceassimplyasachild。
“Bywhatroaddidstthouattainknowledgetomakethosedeviltries?”Isaid,pointing。
“IcannottellIambutaLepchaofDarjiling,andyetthestuff“-
“Whichthouhaststolen。”saidI“Nay,surelyDidIsteal?I
desireditsoThestuff-thestuffWhatelseshouldIhavedonewiththestuff?”Hetwistedthevelvetbetweenhisfingers。
“Butthesinofmaimingthecow-considerthat。”
“Oh,sahib,themanbetrayedme;theheifer’stailwavedinthemoonlight,andIhadmyknifeWhatelseshouldIhavedone?ThetailcameoffereIwasawareSahib,thouknowestmorethanI。”
“Thatistrue。”saidI“StaywithinthedoorIgotospeaktotheking。”ThepopulationofthestatewererangedonthehillsideI
wentforthandspoke。
“Oking。”saidI,“touchingthisman,therebetwocoursesopentothywisdomThoucansteitherhanghimfromatree-heandhisbrood-tillthereremainsnohairthatisredwithinthyland。”
“Nay。”saidtheking“WhyshouldIhurtthelittlechildren?”
Theyhadpouredoutofthehutandweremakingplumpobeisancestoevery-bodyNamgayDoolawaitedatthedoorwithhisgunacrosshisarm。
“Orthoucanst,discardingtheirimpietyofthecow-maiming,raisehimtohonorinthyarmyHecomesofaracethatwillnotpayrevenueAredflameisinhisbloodwhichcomesoutatthetopofhisbeadinthatglowinghairMakehimchiefofthyarmyGivehimhonorasmaybefallandfullallowanceofwork,butlooktoit,oh,king,thatneitherhenorhisholdafootofearthfromtheehenceforwardFeedhimwithwordsandfavor,andalsoliquorfromcertainbottlesthatthouknowestof,andhewillbeabulwarkofdefenseButdenyhimevenatuft-letofgrassforhisownThisisthenaturethatGodhasgivenhimMoreover,hehasbrethren“-
Thestategroanedunanimously。
“Butifhisbrethrencometheywillsurelyfightwitheachothertilltheydie;orelsetheonewillalwaysgiveinformationconcerningtheotherShallhebeofthyarmy,oh,king?Choose“
Thekingbowedhishead,andIsaid:
“Comeforth,NamgayDoola,andcommandtheking’sarmyThynameshallnomorebeNamgayinthemouthsofmen,butPatsayDoola,for,asthouhasttrulysaid,Iknow。”
ThenNamgayDoola,never-christenedPatsayDoola,sonofTimlayDoola-whichisTimDoolan-claspedtheking’sfeet,cuffedthestandingarmy,andhurriedinanagonyofcontritionfromtempletotemplemakingofferingsforthesinofthecattle-maiming。
Andthekingwassopleasedwithmyperspicacitythatheofferedtosellmeavillagefor20poundssterlingButIbuynovillageintheHimalayassolongasoneredheadflaresbetweenthetailoftheheaven-climbingglacierandthedarkbirchforest。
Iknowthatbreed。