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Soldiers Three - Part 2 by Rudyard Kipling
page 158 of 246 (64%)
Jakin threw out his chest, which Lew smote with all his might.
Jakin turned very pale, gasped, crowed, screwed up his eyes, and
said - "That's all right."

"You'll do," said Lew. "I've 'eard o' men dying when you 'it 'em
fair on the breastbone."

"Don't bring us no nearer goin', though," said Jakin. "Do you know
where we're ordered?"

"Gawd knows, an' 'E won't split on a pal. Somewheres up to the
Front to kill Paythans - hairy big beggars that turn you inside
out if they get 'old o' you. They say their women are good-
looking, too."

"Any loot?" asked the abandoned Jakin.

"Not a bloomin' anna, they say, unless you dig up the ground an'
see what the niggers 'ave 'id. They're a poor lot." Jakin stood
upright on the branch and gazed across the plain.

"Lew," said he, "there's the Colonel coming. 'Colonel's a good old
beggar. Let's go an' talk to 'im."

Lew nearly fell out of the tree at the audacity of the suggestion.
Like Jakin he feared not God, neither regarded he Man, but there
are limits even to the audacity of a drummer-boy, and to speak to
a Colonel was -

But Jakin had slid down the trunk and doubled in the direction of
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