seed his way through t' business in a minute. An' he went to work
a-practisin' 'air-dyes the very next day, beginnin' on some white
rabbits he had, an' then he drored all Rip's markin's on t' back of
a white Commissariat bullock, so as to get his 'and in an' be sure of
his colours; shadin' off brown into black as nateral as life. If Rip
_hed_ a fault it was too mich markin', but it was straingely reg'lar
an' Orth'ris settled himself to make a fost-rate job on it when he got
haud o' t' Canteen Sargint's dog. Theer niver was sich a dog as thot
for bad timper, an' it did nut get no better when his tail hed to be
fettled an inch an' a half shorter. But they may talk o' theer Royal
Academies as they like. _I_ niver seed a bit o' animal paintin' to
beat t' copy as Orth'ris made of Rip's marks, wal t' picter itself was
snarlin' all t' time an' tryin' to get at Rip standin' theer to be
copied as good as goold.

Orth'ris allus hed as mich conceit on himsen as would lift a balloon,
an' he wor so pleeased wi' his sham Rip he wor for tekking him to Mrs.
DeSussa before she went away. But Mulvaney an' me stopped thot, knowin'
Orth'ris's work, though niver so cliver, was nobut skin-deep.

An' at last Mrs. DeSussa fixed t' day for startin' to Munsooree Pahar.
We was to tek Rip to t' stayshun i' a basket an' hand him ovver just
when they was ready to start, an' then she'd give us t' brass--as was
agreed upon.

An' my wod! It were high time she were off, for them 'air-dyes upon
t' cur's back took a vast of paintin' to keep t' reet culler, tho'
Orth'ris spent a matter o' seven rupees six annas i' t' best drooggist
shops i' Calcutta.