Show AT n 4 EEL UJ c T BY TALBOT MUNDY 0 0 0 0 TALCOT MUNDY SERVICE I 1 CHAPTER XIV continued 13 by the time oleary reached the tent norwood was in an easy camp chair cutting tite the pages ot of a new book and smoking as if there were nothing thing on earth to be tro troubled about that lamp aint fit to read by said oleary OL oary ruin your eyes the only kind 0 engineer that can look after himself has a couple 0 fingers missing along 0 having learned what engineering is let me turn it out ill fix it later come in sit down oleary blew out the lamp then he sat it was not yet night outside but it was too dark in the tent for them to see each others faces M meaning you said oleary 1 I could have picked you off against that lamplight from a hundred yards away aye and no one know who done it talk said norwood im dry 0 talking ive a throat like a bakers oven you shall have a drink presently said the devil to the sinner that bengali doctors sore at someone hes scared hes roiled boiled hes up to mischief like all them bengal is is hes a mixture of too many different kinds of education hes as full full of of spite as a scalded cat he has imagination like the toothache what he needs is an umbrella to keep worry off with did he talk to you did he time to post the sentries stoddart is doing it now cant you hear him yeh but I 1 know stoddart Stood stoddart art has his orders I 1 will go the rounds presently what did the ae bengali doctor tell you come on now out with it the way I 1 managed him was this said oleary 1 I was looking in on mrs harding cracking on id come to fix the plumbing on account 0 my hearing her raising bell she was doing a better job of that than you or I 1 could I 1 understand ashes a widow I 1 dont blame her husband for takindra a chance on thi the nex world she has her things pretty near packed in about a lorry load 0 trunks on the veranda she was cussing bussing out the servants until the doctor turned up and then she turned hergins her guns on him she demanded her bill and he remarked she owe him nothing so I 1 knew right then there was a cockroach in butter I 1 stuck around umbrageous what she said to that bengali doctor mind you I 1 say to a thief he was trying to persuade her to take some physic tor for her stomach and she he said it ud make her stomach easy and shed be fit to travel he ot of to swallow some of it himself to prove it was harmless but she said he could swallow the bottle tor for all 0 her he said he was trying to speed the parting guest and she said she need no edin 1 I showed up suitable respectful cracking on I 1 heard nothing and I 1 said I 1 was captain No private servant and had the captain left his pipe on the veranda when he called this afternoon you should have heard that female talk and what she said about youl you she said she put it past you to have smoked your pipe on her veranda but it if you had bad done it shed have kicked the stinking thing into the bushes long and short 0 it she dont like you she pitched a hundred rupee note at the doctor for his bis tee fee and he let it lie there I 1 followed the bengali I 1 overtook him where it was quiet and no shrubbery where folks could scratch their noses poking into other peoples business I 1 spoke reproachful ful 1 I asked him doctor sahib did you tell that woman what she said you told her about captain norwood he came back at me with are you genuinely captain nor woods servant and I 1 said if im not genuine theres less than sixteen annas to a rupee and when hed thought a bit he answered yes I 1 told her I 1 repeated rumor I 1 should not have done it he acted nervous and alter after a minute he pulled out five rupees and gave em to me I 1 looked noncommittal so he gave me five more then he said to me will you be seeing captain norwood how soon tell him but dont say who told you that his life is in danger tonight warn him that his enemies have heard about that bribe and they will try to kill him let him look to himself he dont care a damn about you but hes scared stiff 0 what might happen if they killed a british officer in kadur I 1 figured out the meaning 0 that quicker than take a snapshot hes up to something crafty no knowing what but he figures he can get away with it all right if nothing happens like the killing of a british officer that would bring a british investigation on the scene norwood refilled his bis pipe so you think the priests intend to murder me no neither do L I 1 it if they did intend to said oleary that bengali doctor know about it well said norwood youve done nicely you have a hundred and ten rupees tor for an hours work not me im proud I 1 gave him back his ten rupees hes nothing but a babu doctor norwood found the whiskey bottle in the dark he poured a still drink and locked up the bottle gave the drink to oleary and walked off on his rounds to instruct the sentries oleary waited for or him outside the tent he looked as nervous as the shadow of a tree that quivers in the evening wind twice he started to overtake norwood but thought better of it at last when norwood returned he hesitated and if nor I 1 why you yon tell me sooner 9 woo d faced him un he might not have spoken still here said norwood on your mind theres a man im scared of oh who is he hes an old acquaintance 0 yours 1 I asked who is he be A man name 0 gialda Gi gulban alba oh is that devil in kadur why you tell me sooner because I 1 was afraid go after him norwood smiled oleary grinned what I 1 do said norwood and what I 1 dont do are none ot f your busi business fiess yes they arel are gulban ud kill you then what he swore to get you on account 0 that ness when you caught him stealing from the secret flies files yes I 1 remember he was angry you have let him off I 1 warned you then you said a good reason it was a crazy reason remember your manners 1 I any not when you go chancing getting bumped off by a badnash that ud skin bis b is mother tor for the price 0 leather you said catch him later doing something important youre not to touch won him gul baz is mine saith the rule of the game I 1 need him As soon as this little business in kadur is finished weve a survey to run eight hundred miles from here where theres a dark little game going on and your friend gulban is the bell er 1 hes a pig and a snake and a son of a p never mind what he is its what he shall do that matters he shall decoy his friends 21 moses laughed that swine any friends he has three bosom friends and a gang of eleven all told he shall decoy them all into one net says you observed moses dont be theatrical you may go and talk to gulban if you want to but youre not to touch him if you get yourself killed ill pay that priest of yours to say no masses tor for you you shall stay in hell bell forever I 1 have just one crack at him I 1 could make him a hospital job where know where he is an and 1 I have given you a definite order that youre not to touch him yes but suppose he takes a crack at me in that case youre to run away stoddart cant run rum Hesto hes too tat id like to borrow stoddart what for IU ill need him 1 I said what tor for for a witness if I 1 dont have a witness therell be nothing gul baz wont do or wont swear to how long do you expect to be gone about twenty minutes maybe less it dont take long to get gul baz goat 1 I cant afford to lose stoddart ill bring that big baby back as safe as it if he rode a bath chair very well I 1 will tell stoddart to go with you CHAPTER XV it had been an army lorry once but it had fallen on evil days and was now a contractors truck so it looked suitably unofficial the indian driver had been commandeered by moses and for one rupee eight annas in lawful money had agreed to go anywhere lawful or not inside beneath the rotting and ragged canvas cover moses sat on the floor facing sergeant stoddart 1 I thought this was all about a diamond mine said stoddart you keep your fat head out 0 mischief and let problems alone said moses To nights no problem its easy excel the consequences were going to lose a good officer one way or the other and the question is which you halt breeds are all alike said stoddart you barent say wha wha t you think he stuck his thumb in the bowl of his pipe and struck another match his eyes were inquisitive you dont mean 11 1 I mean youre a fathead plain talk it now its your turn you tell me what youre thinking about plain words and no this t that hat and the other come clean everyone in camp has heard it said stoddart first I 1 heard of it was from a coolie down by the river heard what So been bribed and you believe it long ago said stoddart 1 I gave up believing anything in india except payday pay day and where theres smoke theres fire ive blown known of officers burning their fingers if the officer were thinking about took a bribe hell be broke for it as sure as you and I 1 sit in this truck one way we can lose him the other he take no bribe said moses mose me ale oi or bod you might take one you special but not him they may have framed him said stoddart frame your picture in a museum one 0 these days as the champion fathead that ever came even from england to look popeyed at a puzzle theres three men in india who cant be framed successful to say unless they frame each other ones me An others captain high cockalorum norwood and the third is gulban want to irame frame you asked stoddart youre not worth it the other way we can lose the captain woman hes no womanizer said stoddart you ought to bi be a reporter tor for the papers you get all your facts right I 1 said woman A woman you fathead one woman half 0 two w women omen can you figure that one well then what woman are you talking about naming no names ashes at the palace you mean miss lynn harding its all over the camp that prince has her number you seen her asked moses yes said stoddart 1 I saw her on horseback riding with the prince ashes a good looker how close did you look oh a couple of hundred yards are you blind ive better sight than you you drunkard and you tell from two hundred yards away that that girls a good un you want to bet ayou want to bet your months pay against mine that norwood made up his mind that he wants her stoddart refilled his pipe with almost supernatural patience what are wo we up to tonight he demanded why are we here in this bloody truck where are we going he tell you no he be told me to look alter after y you ou what I 1 told him to tell you all right general moses where are we going to the promised land were going hunting a bribe who from gulban Gul baz how much you may keep all you get how much do you reckon well get twice halt half 0 what he thinks its worth we split it fifty fifty on account 0 your puritan nature and your good looks and your gilt gift for or not letting your head know what your brains are doing what are we going to be bribed for for our virtue what else could he buy mine aint for sale but yours is he wants it tor for the travel ling waxworks wax works 0 curiosities jaes hes taking along to tour india AU all right then put it this way why are we worth bribing we aint said moses speak for yourself whose money is he chucking away you may bet your boots it I 1 sn t his money considering the kind 01 0 badnash crook he is that has to pay out money by the bucketful to keep his skin on his back and and his his line 0 retreat open gulban is close hes so mean that a scotch flea get a living off him moses raised the cover of the truck and took a quick glance at the narrow street then he be 10 lowered w the cover and spoke well be there in a minute I 1 want you to get this stoddart try to understand it its important gulban has it in tor for captain norwood how big a sucker he be is hes crafty but he sense enough to know that theres two men in india can beat him ones me the others cockalorum norwood catch em alive o norwood one 0 these days gulban is going to sit in No net alive and nasty but not yet why not none 0 your business youre only a fathead sergeant you know nothing 0 the inside workings 0 things but gulban here in kadur tor for his health or for yours and mine either hes here to get captain norwood and make a profit at the same time hes got a game on and hes got it all timed to a minute why youre here there you go again said stoddart it I 1 understand you speak plain ill say it slow said moses words 0 one syllable it if I 1 was alone and if gulban was ready hed stick a knife into me but seeing that youre along and you a soldier that has cost the taxpayer a heap 0 money for upholding the blooming dignity ot of his majesty the king he hell 11 think twice about it it if I 1 was stuck in the back it ud be a loss to the human race and a bulls eye for gulban but they even write it up in the paper not to in the society column asked stoddart but if it happened to you halt half the sweating countryside ud have to turn out for your funeral marching slow arms reversed dead march in saul and after that be an investigation two courts of enquiry military and civil plus a headache tor for the maharajah Mah arajah and at least a column in the bombay times embellishing the record of a faithful tommy atkins TO BE CONTINUED |