Departmental Ditties & Barrack Room Ballads by Rudyard Kipling
page 85 of 149 (57%)
page 85 of 149 (57%)
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And thus in a fashion undignified
The princely pest of the Chindwin died. * * * * * Turn now to Simoorie where, lapped in his ease, The Captain is petting the Bride on his knees, Where the whit of the bullet, the wounded man's scream Are mixed as the mist of some devilish dream-- Forgotten, forgotten the sweat of the shambles Where the hill-daisy blooms and the gray monkey gambols, From the sword-belt set free and released from the steel, The Peace of the Lord is with Captain O'Neil. * * * * * Up the hill to Simoorie--most patient of drudges-- The bags on his shoulder, the mail-runner trudges. "For Captain O'Neil, Sahib. One hundred and ten Rupees to collect on delivery." Then (Their breakfast was stopped while the screw-jack and hammer Tore waxcloth, split teak-wood, and chipped out the dammer;) Open-eyed, open-mouthed, on the napery's snow, With a crash and a thud, rolled--the Head of the Boh! And gummed to the scalp was a letter which ran:-- "IN FIELDING FORCE SERVICE. |
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