按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
business。 We'll fight for the ten men；' and with that he fires two rifles at
the twenty men； and drops one of them at two hundred yards from the rock
where he was sitting。 The other men began to run； but Carnehan and
18
… Page 19…
STORIES
Dravot sits on the boxes picking them off at all ranges； up and down the
valley。 Then we goes up to the ten men that had run across the snow too；
and they fires a footy little arrow at us。 Dravot he shoots above their heads；
and they all falls down flat。 Then he walks over them and kicks them； and
then he lifts them up and shakes hands all round to make them friendly
like。 He calls them and gives them the boxes to carry； and waves his hand
for all the world as though he was King already。 They takes the boxes and
him across the valley and up the hill into a pine wood on the top； where
there was half a dozen big stone idols。 Dravot he goes to the biggesta
fellow they call Imbraand lays a rifle and a cartridge at his feet； rubbing
his nose respectfuly with his own nose； patting him on the head； and nods
his head； and says； 'That's all right。 I'm in the know too； and these old
jimjams are my friends。' Then he opens his mouth and points down it； and
when the first man brings him food； he says； 'No；' and when the second
man brings him food； he says 'no；' but when one of the old priests and the
boss of the village brings him food； he says； 'Yes；' very haughty； and eats it
slow。 That was how he came to our first village without any trouble； just
as though we had tumbled from the skies。 But we tumbled from one of
those damned rope…bridges； you see； andyou couldn't expect a man to
laugh much after that？〃
〃Take some more whisky and go on；〃 I said。 〃That was the first village
you came into。 How did you get to be King？〃
〃I wasn't King；〃 said Carnehan。 〃Dravot he was the King； and a
handsome man he looked with the gold crown on his head and all。 Him
and the other party stayed in that village； and every morning Dravot sat by
the side of old Imbra； and the people came and worshipped。 That was
Dravot's order。 Then a lot of men came into the valley； and Carnehan
Dravot picks them off with the rifles before they knew where they was；
and runs down into the valley and up again the other side； and finds
another village； same as the first one； and the people all falls down flat on
their faces； and Dravot says； 'Now what is the trouble between you two
villages？' and the people points to a woman； as fair as you or me； that was
carried off； and Dravot takes her back to the first village and counts up the
deadeight there was。 For each dead man Dravot pours a little milk on the
19
… Page 20…
STORIES
ground and waves his arms like a whirligig； and 'That's all right；' says he。
Then he and Carnehan takes the big boss of each village by the arm； and
walks them down the valley； and shows them how to scratch a line with a
spear right down the valley； and gives each a sod of turf from both sides of
the line。 Then all the people comes down and shouts like the devil and all；
and Dravot says； 'Go and dig the land； and be fruitful and multiply；' which
they did； though they didn't understand。 Then we asks the names of things
in their lingobread and water and fire and idols and such； and Dravot
leads the priest of each village up to the idol； and says he must sit there
and judge the people； and if anything goes wrong he is to be shot。
〃Next week they was all turning up the land in the valley as quiet as
bees and much prettier； and the priests heard all the complaints and told
Dravot in dumb…show what it was about。 'That's just the beginning；' says
Dravot。 'They think we're Gods。' He and Carnehan picks out twenty good
men and shows them how to click off a rifle and form fours and advance
in line； and they was very pleased to do so； and clever to see the hang of it。
Then he takes out his pipe and his baccy…pouch； and leaves one at one
village and one at the other； and off we two goes to see what was to be
done in the next valley。 That was all rock； and there was a little village
there； and Carnehan says； 'Send 'em to the old valley to plant；' and takes
'em there and gives 'em some land that wasn't took before。 They were a
poor lot； and we blooded 'em with a kid before letting 'em into the new
Kingdom。 That was to impress the people； and then they settled down
quiet； and Carnehan went back to Dravot； who had got into another valley；
all snow and ice and most mountaineous。 There was no people there； and
the Army got afraid； so Dravot shoots one of them； and goes on till he
finds some people in a village； and the Army explains that unless the
people wants to be killed they had better not shoot their little matchlocks；
for they had matchlocks。 We makes friends with the priest； and I stays
there alone with two of the Army； teaching the men how to drill； and a
thundering big Chief comes across the snow with kettledrums and horns
twanging； because he heard there was a new God kicking about。 Carnehan
sights for the brown of the men half a mile across the snow and wings one
of them。 Then he sends a message to the Chief that； unless he wished to be
20
… Page 21…
STORIES
killed； he must come and shake hands with me and leave his arms behind。
The Chief comes alone first； and Carnehan shakes hands with him and
whirls his arms about； same as Dravot used； and very much surprised that
Chief was； and strokes my eyebrows。 Then Carnehan goes alone to the
Chief； and asks him in dumb… show if he had an enemy he hated。 'I have；'
says the chief。 So Carnehan weeds out the pick of his men； and sets the
two of the Army to show them drill； and at the end of two weeks the men
can manoeuvre about as well as Volunteers。 So he marches with the Chief
to a great big plain on the top of a mountain； and the Chief's men rushes
into a village and takes it； we three Martinis firing into the brown of the
enemy。 So we took that village too； and I gives the Chief a rag from my
coat； and says； 'Occupy till I come；' which was scriptural。 By way of a
reminder； when me and the Army was eighteen hundred yards away； I
drops a bullet near him standing on the snow； and all the people falls flat
on their faces。 Then I sends a letter to Dravot wherever he be by land or by
sea。〃
At the risk of throwing the creature out of train I interrupted： 〃How
could you write a letter up yonder？〃
〃The letter？oh！the letter！ Keep looking at me between the eyes；
please。 It was a string…talk letter； that we'd learned the way of it from a
blind beggar in the Punjab。〃
I remember that there had once come to the office a blind man with a
knotted twig； and a piece of string which he wound round the twig
according to some cipher of his own。 He could； after the lapse of days or
hours； repeat the sentence which he had reeled up。 He had reduced the
alphabet to eleven primitive sounds； and tried to teach me his method； but
I could not understand。
〃I sent that letter to Dravot；〃 said Carnehan； 〃and told him to come
back because this Kingdom was growing too big for me to handle； and
then I struck for the first valley； to see how the priests were working。 They
called the village we took along with the Chief； Bashkai； and the first
village we took； Er…Heb。 The priests at Er…Heb was doing all right； but
they had a lot of pending cases about land to show me； and some men
from another village had been firing arrows at night。 I went out and looked
21
… Page 22…
STORIES
for that village； and fired four rounds at it from a thousand yards。 That
used all the cartridges I cared to spend； and I waited for Dravot； who had
been away two or three months； and I kept my peop