Adventure stories; England -- Fiction; Romanies -- Fiction
My visitor, after saying that of the money won, Murtagh retained a
considerable portion, that a part went to the hierarchy for what were
called church purposes, and that the--took the remainder, which it
employed in establishing a newspaper, in which the private characters of
the worthiest and most loyal Protestants in Ireland were traduced and
vilified, concluded his account by observing, that it was the common
belief that Murtagh, having by his services, ecclesiastical and
political, acquired the confidence of the priesthood and favour of the
Government, would, on the first vacancy, be appointed to the high office
of Popish Primate of Ireland.
CHAPTER XLVII
Departure from Horncastle--Recruiting Sergeant--Kauloes and Lolloes.
Leaving Horncastle I bent my steps in the direction of the east. I
walked at a brisk rate, and late in the evening reached a large town,
situate at the entrance of an extensive firth, or arm of the sea, which
prevented my farther progress eastward. Sleeping that night in the
suburbs of the town, I departed early next morning in the direction of
the south. A walk of about twenty miles brought me to another large
town, situated on a river, where I again turned towards the east. At the
end of the town I was accosted by a fiery-faced individual, somewhat
under the middle size, dressed as a recruiting sergeant.
"Young man," said the recruiting sergeant, "you are just the kind of
person to serve the Honourable East India Company."
"I had rather the Honourable Company should serve me," said I.
"Of course, young man. Well, the Honourable East India Company shall
serve you--that's reasonable. Here, take this shilling; 'tis service-
money. The Honourable Company engages to serve you, and you the
Honourable Company; both parties shall be thus served; that's just and
reasonable."
"And what must I do for the Company?"
"Only go to India; that's all."
"And what should I do in India?"
"Fight, my brave boy! fight, my youthful hero!"
"What kind of country is India?"
"The finest country in the world! Rivers, bigger than the Ouse. Hills,
higher than anything near Spalding! Trees--you never saw such trees!
Fruits--you never saw such fruits!"
"And the people--what kind of folk are they?"
"Pah! Kauloes--blacks--a set of rascals not worth regarding."
"Kauloes!" said I; "blacks!"
"Yes," said the recruiting sergeant; "and they call us lolloes, which, in
their beastly gibberish, means red."
"Lolloes!" said I; "reds!"
"Yes," said the recruiting sergeant, "kauloes and lolloes; and all the
lolloes have to do is to kick and cut down the kauloes, and take from
them their rupees, which mean silver money. Why do you stare so?"
"Why," said I, "this is the very language of Mr. Petulengro."
"Mr. Pet--?"
"Yes," said I, "and Tawno Chikno."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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