The Disputed V.C.: A Tale of the Indian MutinyGibbon, Frederick P.
History
The Disputed V.C.: A Tale of the Indian Mutiny
Gibbon, Frederick P.
India -- History -- Sepoy Rebellion, 1857-1858 -- Juvenile fiction
The corporal, Thompson, who had carried the wounded Dorricot out of the
fight, stood 6 feet 4-1/2 inches in his stockings, and was perhaps the
biggest man in the Delhi force. The men were sitting about in groups
playing practical jokes, and Thompson caught hold of Karbir Burathoki,
the smallest Gurkha there, a lad under five feet high, and led him to an
open space within sight of the others. He there offered to teach the
Gurkha how to box, and Karbir quickly entered into the joke. Both pulled
off their jackets, and the Gurkha's face was entirely hidden by his
grin. The difference in build between the two men was too much for the
spectators, who shouted and yelled--"Go it, little 'un!" "Jump up and
'it 'im in the face!" "Fetch a step-ladder!" "Now, corpril, go on your
knees and give 'im a chanst!"
After a lot of preliminary feinting and puffing and blowing and striking
high above the Gurkha's head, the giant began to retire backwards,
Karbir following amidst roars of laughter, the Nepalese spectators
being quite as delighted as their English comrades.
At length Thompson caught hold of the little man and held him in the
air, kicking and shrieking in pretended wrath. As the corporal put the
little Himalayan down, he laughingly remarked: "Na, Johnny, tha con haud
me up like if tha wants thee revenge."
The Gurkha examined him from head to foot.
"Hould the spalpeen up, Johnny, ye scutt!" advised an Irish corporal. To
the astonishment of all, the little man calmly proceeded to place the
giant on his back like a sack of potatoes. Thompson offered no
objection, and Karbir was soon staggering from one group of laughing
spectators to another. Suddenly upsetting the rifleman full length on
the ground, he sat on his chest and proceeded to light his pipe,
whereupon the onlookers shrieked. Thompson arose, tossing the Gurkha
from his perch, and the two strolled back arm in arm, attempting to keep
step, and quarrelling every few yards as to whose pace was at fault.
Reid had come behind the ensign, and was looking on with twinkling eyes.
Noting that Ted appeared astonished at Karbir's strength, he observed:
"They're terribly strong are Gurkhas in the back, loins, and legs."
When they had settled down again one of the Nepalese observed:
"This war will soon be over. Jung Bahadur is going to march down to
Lucknow with his army."
"An' 'oo the dickens is young Bardoor?" asked a rifleman.
"He is our prime minister and commander-in-chief in Nepal. He offered to
bring an army down to help you English two months ago, and now the
government has accepted his offer."
"An' so 'e's goin' to wipe out the rebels, eh, all hon 'is own 'ook?"
The Gurkha did not understand all this.
"What chance will those dogs have," said he, "against ten thousand
Gurkhas? Truly, he will slay them all!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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