King--of the Khyber Rifles: A Romance of AdventureMundy, Talbot
History
King--of the Khyber Rifles: A Romance of Adventure
Mundy, Talbot
British -- India -- Fiction; Historical fiction; India -- History -- Sepoy Rebellion, 1857-1858 -- Fiction; Love stories; War stories
There, though a bunnia's sharp elbow nagged his ribs, and the bunnia's
servant dropped a heavy package on his foot, he smiled so genially that
he melted the wrath of the frantic luggage clerk. But not at once. Even
the sun needs seconds to melt ice.
“Am I God?” the babu wailed. “Can I do all the-e things in all the-e
world at once if not sooner?”
King's smile began to get its work in. The man ceased gesticulating to
wipe sweat from his stubbly jowl with the end of a Punjabi headdress. He
actually smiled back. Who was he, that he should suspect new outrage or
guess he was about to be used in a game he did not understand? He would
have stopped all work to beg for extra pay at the merest suggestion of
such a thing; but as it was he raised both fists and lapsed into his own
tongue to apostrophize the ruffian who dared jostle King. A Northerner
who did not seem to understand Punjabi almost cost King his balance as
he thrust broad shoulders between him and the bunnia.
The bunnia chattered like an outraged ape; but King, the person most
entitled to be angry, actually apologized! That being a miracle, the
babu forthwith wrought another one, and within a minute King's one trunk
was checked through to Delhi.
“Delhi is right, sahib?” he asked, to make doubly sure; for in India
where the milk of human kindness is not hawked in the market-place, men
will pay over-measure for a smile.
“Yes. Delhi is right. Thank you, babuji.”
He made more room for the Hillman, beaming amusement at the man's
impatience; but the Hillman had no luggage and turned away, making an
unexpected effort to hide his face with a turban end. He who had forced
his way to the front with so much violence and haste now burst back
again toward the train like a football forward tearing through the thick
of his opponents. He scattered a swath a yard wide, for he had shoulders
like a bull. King saw him leap into third-class carriage. He saw, too,
that he was not wanted in the carriage. There was a storm of protest
from tight-packed native passengers, but the fellow had his way.
The swath through the crowd closed up like water in a ship's wake, but
it opened again for King. He smiled so humorously that the angry jostled
ones smiled too and were appeased, forgetting haste and bruises and
indignity merely because understanding looked at them through merry
eyes. All crowds are that way, but an Indian crowd more so than all.
Taking his time, and falling foul of nobody, King marked down a native
constable--hot and unhappy, leaning with his back against the train. He
touched him on the shoulder and the fellow jumped.
“Nay, sahib! I am only constabeel--I know nothing--I can do nothing! The
teerain goes when it goes, and then perhaps we will beat these people
from the platform and make room again! But there is no authority--no law
any more--they are all gone mad!”
King wrote on a pad, tore off a sheet, folded it and gave it to him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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