Seethenewdraf’spourin’infortheoldcampaign;
Ho,youpoorrecruities,butyou’vegottoearnyourpay——
What’sthelastfromLunnon,lads?We’regoin’thereto-day。
Troopin’,troopin’,giveanothercheer——
’Ere’stoEnglishwomenan’aquartofEnglishbeer。
TheColonelan’theregimentan’allwho’vegottostay,Gawd’smercystrike’emgentle——Whoop!we’regoin’’ometo-day。
We’regoin’’ome,we’regoin’’ome,Ourshipisattheshore,An’youmustpackyour’aversack,Forwewon’tcomebacknomore。
Ho,don’tyougrieveforme,MylovelyMary-Ann,ForI’llmarryyouyitonafourp’nybitAsatime-expiredman。
FORDO’KABULRIVER
Kabultown’sbyKabulriver——
Blowthebugle,drawthesword——
ThereIlef’mymateforever,Wetan’drippin’bytheford。
Ford,ford,fordo’Kabulriver,Fordo’Kabulriverinthedark!
There’stheriverupandbrimmin’,an’there’s’arfasquadronswimmin’
’Crossthefordo’Kabulriverinthedark。
Kabultown’sablastedplace——
Blowthebugle,drawthesword——
’StrewthIsha’n’tforget’isfaceWetan’drippin’bytheford!
Ford,ford,fordo’Kabulriver,Fordo’Kabulriverinthedark!
Keepthecrossing-stakesbesideyou,an’theywillsurelyguideyou’Crossthefordo’Kabulriverinthedark。
Kabultownissunanddust——
Blowthebugle,drawthesword——
I’dha’soonerdrowndedfust’Steadof’imbesidetheford。
Ford,ford,fordo’Kabulriver,Fordo’Kabulriverinthedark!
Youcan’earthe’orsesthreshin’,youcan’earthemena-splashin’,’Crossthefordo’Kabulriverinthedark。
Kabultownwasourstotake——
Blowthebugle,drawthesword——
I’dha’leftitfor’issake——
’Imthatleftmebytheford。
Ford,ford,fordo’Kabulriver,Fordo’Kabulriverinthedark!
It’snonesobloomin’drythere;ain’tyounevercomin’nighthere,’Crossthefordo’Kabulriverinthedark?
Kabultown’llgotohell——
Blowthebugle,drawthesword——
’ForeIseehim’livean’well——
’Imthebestbesidetheford。
Ford,ford,fordo’Kabulriver,Fordo’Kabulriverinthedark!
Gawd’elp’emiftheyblunder,fortheirboots’llpull’emunder,Bythefordo’Kabulriverinthedark。
Turnyour’orsefromKabultown——
Blowthebugle,drawthesword——
’Iman’’arfmytroopisdown,Downan’drowndedbytheford。
Ford,ford,fordo’Kabulriver,Fordo’Kabulriverinthedark!
There’stheriverlowan’fallin’,butitain’tnouseo’callin’
’Crossthefordo’Kabulriverinthedark。
ROUTEMARCHIN’
We’remarchin’onreliefoverInjia’ssunnyplains,Alittlefronto’Christmas-timean’justbe’indtheRains;
Ho!getawayyoubullock-man,you’ve’eardthebugleblowed,There’saregimenta-comin’downtheGrandTrunkRoad;
WithitsbestfootfirstAndtheroada-slidingpast,An’everybloomin’campin’-groundexactlylikethelast;
WhiletheBigDrumsays,With’is“rowdy-dowdy-dow!”——
“Kikokissywarstidon’tyouhamsherargyjow?”
Oh,there’sthemInjiantemplestoadmirewhenyousee,There’sthepeacockroundthecorneran’themonkeyupthetree,An’there’sthatrummysilvergrassa-wavin’inthewind,An’theoldGrandTrunka-trailin’likearifle-slingbe’ind。
Whileit’sbestfootfirst,。
Athalf-pastfive’sRevelly,an’ourtentstheydownmustcome,Likealotofbuttonmushroomswhenyoupick’emupat’ome。
Butit’soverinaminute,an’atsixthecolumnstarts,Whilethewomenandthekiddiessitan’shiverinthecarts。
An’it’sbestfootfirst,。
Oh,thenit’sopenorder,an’welightsourpipesan’sings,An’wetalksaboutourrationsan’alotofotherthings,An’wethinkso’friendsinEngland,an’wewonderswhatthey’reat,An’’owtheywouldadmirefortohearusslingthebat。1
An’it’sbestfootfirst,。
It’snonesobado’Sunday,whenyou’relyin’atyourease,Towatchthekitesa-wheelin’roundthemfeather-’eadedtrees,Foralthoughthereain’tnowomen,yetthereain’tnobarrick-yards,Sotheorficersgoesshootin’an’thementheyplaysatcards。
Tillit’sbestfootfirst,。
So’arkan’’eed,yourookies,whichisalwaysgrumblin’sore,There’sworserthingsthanmarchin’fromUmballatoCawnpore;
An’ifyour’eelsareblisteredan’theyfeelsto’urtlike’ell,Youdropsometallowinyoursocksan’thatwillmake’emwell。
Forit’sbestfootfirst,。
We’remarchin’onreliefoverInjia’scoralstrand,Eight’undredfightin’Englishmen,theColonel,andtheBand;
Ho!getawayyoubullock-man,you’ve’eardthebugleblowed,There’saregimenta-comin’downtheGrandTrunkRoad;
WithitsbestfootfirstAndtheroada-slidingpast,An’everybloomin’campin’-groundexactlylikethelast;
WhiletheBigDrumsays,With’is“rowdy-dowdy-dow!”——
“Kikokissywarstidon’tyouhamsherargyjow?”2
1Thomas’sfirstandfirmestconvictionisthatheisaprofoundOrientalistandafluentspeakerofHindustaniAsamatteroffact,hedependslargelyonthesign-language。
2Whydon’tyougetonTheendVOLUMEIIITHEPHANTOM’RICKSHAWANDOTHER
GHOSTSTORIES
THEPHANTOM’RICKSHAW
Maynoilldreamsdisturbmyrest,NorPowersofDarknessmemolest-
EveningHymn。
ONEofthefewadvantagesthatIndiahasoverEnglandisagreatKnowabilityAfterfiveyears’serviceamanisdirectlyorindirectlyacquaintedwiththetwoorthreehundredCiviliansinhisProvince,alltheMessesoftenortwelveRegimentsandBatteries,andsomefifteenhundredotherpeopleofthenon-officialcasteIntenyearshisknowledgeshouldbedoubled,andattheendoftwentyheknows,orknowssomethingabout,everyEnglishmanintheEmpire,andmaytravelanywhereandeverywherewithoutpayinghotel-bills。
Globe-trotterswhoexpectentertainmentasaright,have,evenwithinmymemory,bluntedthisopen-heartedness,butnonethelessto-day,ifyoubelongtotheInnerCircleandareneitheraBearnoraBlackSheep,allhousesareopentoyou,andoursmallworldisvery,verykindandhelpful。
RickettofKamarthastayedwithPolderofKumaonsomefifteenyearsagoHemeanttostaytwonights,butwasknockeddownbyrheumaticfever,andforsixweeksdisorganizedPolder’sestablishment,stoppedPolder’swork,andnearlydiedinPolder’sbedroomPolderbehavesasthoughhehadbeenplacedundereternalobligationbyRickett,andyearlysendsthelittleRickettsaboxofpresentsandtoysItisthesameeverywhereThemenwhodonottakethetroubletoconcealfromyoutheiropinionthatyouareanincompetentass,andthewomenwhoblackenyourcharacterandmisunderstandyourwife’samusements,willworkthemselvestotheboneinyourbehalfifyoufallsickorintoserioustrouble。
Heatherlegh,theDoctor,kept,inadditiontohisregularpractice,ahospitalonhisprivateaccount-anarrangementoflooseboxesforIncurables,hisfriendcalledit-butitwasreallyasortoffitting-upshedforcraftthathadbeendamagedbystressofweatherTheweatherinIndiaisoftensultry,andsincethetaleofbricksisalwaysafixedquantity,andtheonlylibertyallowedispermissiontoworkovertimeandgetnothanks,menoccasionallybreakdownandbecomeasmixedasthemetaphorsinthissentence。
Heatherleghisthedearestdoctorthateverwas,andhisinvariableprescriptiontoallhispatientsis,“lielow,goslow,andkeepcool。”
HesaysthatmoremenarekilledbyoverworkthantheimportanceofthisworldjustifiesHemaintainsthatoverworkslewPansay,whodiedunderhishandsaboutthreeyearsagoHehas,ofcourse,therighttospeakauthoritatively,andhelaughsatmytheorythattherewasacrackinPansay’sheadandalittlebitoftheDarkWorldcamethroughandpressedhimtodeath“Pansaywentoffthehandle。”saysHeatherlegh,“afterthestimulusoflongleaveatHomeHemayorhemaynothavebehavedlikeablackguardtoMrsKeith-WessingtonMynotionisthattheworkoftheKatabundiSettlementranhimoffhislegs,andthathetooktobroodingandmakingmuchofanordinaryP&0flirtationHecertainlywasengagedtoMissMannering,andshecertainlybrokeofftheengagementThenhetookafeverishchillandallthatnonsenseaboutghostsdevelopedOverworkstartedhisillness,keptitalight,andkilledhimpoordevilWritehimofftotheSystem-onemantotaketheworkoftwoandahalfmen。”
IdonotbelievethisIusedtositupwithPansaysometimeswhenHeatherleghwascalledouttopatients,andIhappenedtobewithinclaimThemanwouldmakememostunhappybydescribinginalow,evenvoice,theprocessionthatwasalwayspassingatthebottomofhisbedHehadasickman’scommandoflanguage。
WhenherecoveredIsuggestedthatheshouldwriteoutthewholeaffairfrombeginningtoend,knowingthatinkmightassisthimtoeasehismindWhenlittleboyshavelearnedanewbadwordtheyareneverhappytilltheyhavechalkedituponadoorAndthisalsoisLiterature。
Hewasinahighfeverwhilehewaswriting,andtheblood-and-
thunderMagazinedictionheadopteddidnotcalmhimTwomonthsafterwardhewasreportedfitforduty,but,inspiteofthefactthathewasurgentlyneededtohelpanundermannedCommissionstaggerthroughadeficit,hepreferredtodie;vowingatthelastthathewashag-riddenIgothismanuscriptbeforehedied,andthisishisversionoftheaffair,dated1885:
MydoctortellsmethatIneedrestandchangeofairItisnotimprobablethatIshallgetbotherelong-restthatneitherthered-coatedmessengernorthemiddayguncanbreak,andchangeofairfarbeyondthatwhichanyhomeward-boundsteamercangivemeInthemeantimeIamresolvedtostaywhereIam;and,inflatdefianceofmydoctor’sorders,totakealltheworldintomyconfidenceYoushalllearnforyourselvestheprecisenatureofmymalady;andshall,too,judgeforyourselveswhetheranymanbornofwomanonthiswearyearthwaseversotormentedasI。
Speakingnowasacondemnedcriminalmightspeakerethedrop-boltsaredrawn,mystory,wildandhideouslyimprobableasitmayappear,demandsatleastattentionThatitwilleverreceivecredenceIutterlydisbelieveTwomonthsagoIshouldhavescoutedasmadordrunkthemanwhohaddaredtellmethelike。
TwomonthsagoIwasthehappiestmaninIndiaToday,fromPeshawurtothesea,thereisnoonemorewretchedMydoctorandIaretheonlytwowhoknowthisHisexplanationis,thatmybrain,digestion,andeyesightareallslightlyaffected;givingrisetomyfrequentandpersistent“delusions。”Delusions,indeed!I
callhimafool;butheattendsmestillwiththesameunweariedsmile,thesameblandprofessionalmanner,thesameneatlytrimmedredwhiskers,tillIbegintosuspectthatIamanungrateful,evil-temperedinvalidButyoushalljudgeforyour-selves。
ThreeyearsagoitwasmyfortunemygreatmisfortunetosailfromGravesendtoBombay,onreturnfromlongleave,withoneAgnesKeith-Wessington,wifeofanofficerontheBombaysideItdoesnotintheleastconcernyoutoknowwhatmannerofwomanshewasBecontentwiththeknowledgethat,erethevoyagehadended,bothsheandIweredesperatelyandunreasoninglyinlovewithoneanotherHeavenknowsthatIcanmaketheadmissionnowwithoutoneparticleofvanityInmattersofthissortthereisalwaysonewhogivesandanotherwhoacceptsFromthefirstdayofourill-omenedattachment,IwasconsciousthatAgnes’spassionwasastronger,amoredominant,and-ifImayusetheexpression-apurersentimentthanmineWhethersherecognizedthefactthen,IdonotknowAfterwarditwasbitterlyplaintobothofus。
ArrivedatBombayinthespringoftheyear,wewentourrespectiveways,tomeetnomoreforthenextthreeorfourmonths,whenmyleaveandherlovetookusbothtoSimlaTherewespenttheseasontogether;andtheremyfireofstrawburneditselfouttoapitifulendwiththeclosingyearIattemptnoexcuseImakenoapologyMrsWessingtonhadgivenupmuchformysake,andwaspreparedtogiveupallFrommyownlips,inAugust,1882,shelearnedthatIwassickofherpresence,tiredofhercompany,andwearyofthesoundofhervoiceNinety-ninewomenoutofahundredwouldhaveweariedofmeasIweariedofthem;seventy-fiveofthatnumberwouldhavepromptlyavengedthemselvesbyactiveandobtrusiveflirtation’withothermenMrs。
WessingtonwasthehundredthOnherneithermyopenlyexpressedaversionnorthecuttingbrutalitieswithwhichI
garnishedourinterviewshadtheleasteffect。
“Jack,darling!”washeroneeternalcuckoocry:“I’msureit’sallamistake-ahideousmistake;andwe’llbegoodfriendsagainsomedayPleaseforgiveme,Jack,dear。”