"The Empire is a hellish big thing'
A5 Henty parked his cat. Damian, Sir Jeffrey's number one boy, san up to him, salaamed, and began taking his things out.
"Buza sahib is out on the lawn, ur,' he said to Henry. 'Lady sahib has gone out to show the falls to the other saablogs. I will show the sahib to his rooms."
Other saablogs asked Hemy He had no idea there was anyone else staying with Sir Jeffrey. Other manages No sir, guests from hilavat
Oh, from England who are they?
Colonel Waliers and his memsahih
I see.
Also miss saluh Daman and, looking sharph at Henry Jean miss-sahib.
I see. Henry said remembering Cockburn's words Someone with a hopeful on then hands he wondered Was that why he had been invited to stay at the Resident Director's house? They were either keeping you under observation or they were trotting out a filly Cockburn had sand you had been up to something or you were being singled out Henry did not need to he kept under observation thank God no had he been up to any thing. It was the gel, then must be the gul le looked at Damian agam. One neves new just how much these n'en sessants knew Was there a hint of a stie on Dannan's free B. Hemy, would always think twice before employ ng an Lughsh speaking servant in his house I'll go and say "illo" to the hutia sahib, he said breezily On the law, you ?
But Dannan looked uncomfortable 'Please want Buria-sahib has his head watchman with hun. I'll go and see if he is free."
'Head watch.man' What nonsense"
John Trevor sahib. He was buria-ahib's watchman when sahili was manager. Eddie Trevor's father,' the Goan explained with ob vious pride. The hockey star. He often comes to see the burra-sahib." "Oh, does he?' said Henry, frowning. The boy went off to see if Sir Jeffrey were free, leaving Henry in his elegantly furnished suite of rooms opening on to the back verandah. He returned almost immediately. The sahib will be free in ten minutes, sir,' he said. 'Shall I bring you some tea; or a drink?" 'No.' said Henry, trying not to show his irritation. Was he being put in his place? he asked himself. Since when did a manager have to be kept waiting because the Resident Director was busy with a watchman? He sat down and lit a cigarette, realizing that he was feeling just a little nervous.
He had finished his cigarette and was staring vacantly out of the window when he noticed a dark, tubby little man wearing a rumpled brown suit come into the verandah from the side of the house, So that was the head watchman, the man for whom he had been kept waiting. As Heury watched, the man walked up to the hat stand in the verandah and picked up a battered, quilted sola topee. He put on the hat and studied his face in the mirror, swirling his moustaches into shape. Then he walked into the sitting room. still with his sun-hat on, and Henry had to come out into the verandah to see what he was up to. He saw the man go up to the corner table, open the large silver cigar-box kept there, pick up a handful of rigars and put them into his pocket. Then he walked out. pausing before the hat-stand mirror once more to look at himself.
The impudence! Infernal cheek" said Henry to himself. I must speak to the old boy about it.
He was still thinking about the tubby little Eurasian in his rumpled brown suit daring co help himself to Sudden's precious Corona cigars when Damian came te tell him that Sir Jeffrey would see him.
Sir Jeffrey Dan Resident Director of the Brindian Tea Company and the ranking tea man in the North-West Assam highlands, was known as 'Sudden Dart to the very few people who might be in the correct age group and the correct financial and social bracket. If he was aware that behind his back most of the people in the tea dis trict referred to him by this nickname, he took good care not to show it. He was sitting in a deck-cha.: placed under a shady sal tree, but he was sitting bolt upright, peering at the previous day's Statesman held as far away from his face as his arms would stretch. He wore a canary yellow half-sleeved flannel shut, bottle-green shorts, hand-knitted woollen stockings, and heavily studded leather golf shoes. He was a large, thickset, hairy, beetle-browed man in his middle fifties who had resolutely refused to give in to the demands of age. His face, arms, and knees were brick-red in colour, and his thick han was completely white. He gave an impression of rugged strength and power, of uncompromising toughness As it happened. this was exactly the impression he strove to create.
Hullo, Winton,' he sand taking his own time to look up from his paper. So they've done up the road." Yes, su, answered Henry, thinking that the last time he had seen hin Su Jeffrey had addressed him as 1lenty 'Apparently they worked all might in shafts 'Good said Sudden without enthusiasm The mem's gone our Taken the Walters to show them the waterfall I don't suppose you know (olmel Walters Aumy people, the Punjab Regiment, retued They're friends of lord Haverell, it seems You could have gone with them it von hid turned up lar evening Matter of tart, 1 didn't expect you here quite so carly this morning what is now just past elven I make it Didn t exput you until lunch time, at the earliest, all the way from Silent Hill
Not a word of explanation about being kept waiting for a watch man. Henry noticed In fact, the old man might be ticking him off for turning prather than he had been expected And for the fust time the thought rossed his mind that Sudden might be delibera tely putting him in his place, that his hemg invited to stay for the Chinnan Week had nothing to do with his Resident Duettor's wifes trotting out a filly for his inspection even though admit tedly, a filly seemed to be on hand
I stopped at Tapu for the night, Capt mockburn and I. sand Henry, and even she said it sealized that he had made a mistake Tapur Sudden asked, frowning Inapur My lights weren't too good, and Cockburn seemed to know the station master well He ranged a couple of beds for us in the waiting 100m.
Cockburn is always churaming up with the wrong kind of people, pronounced Sudden with a disapproving look I didn't know you were particularly friendly with Cockburn "He's not a special friend, sir, it just happened "Well, never mund,' Sudden cut in, waving his hand impatiently as though he were wiping at some nvisible insect. There are one o two things I want to talk to you about I would like to get them over before the others come back. What's this trouble you've been having at Silent Hill? Trouble, sir! None at all."
'No, er... trouble with women?"
"No, sir."
Sir Jeffrey leaned back in his chair. What with his yellow-and- green garb and his red hands and face, he looked like an enormous sect, a burnet, or a blue bottle, thought Henry; a yellow-and-red hnet lying on its back and puffing at a black gar. Henry waited for him to speak.
Fost, the schools pecto has written to say that you are under- staffed. Not that school appointments have really much to do with me, but he wants you to take on at least one more teacher."
Hemy had the answer to that one. I was trying to keep the over- heads dow it sir, we do need a couple of teachers, the way the num- ber of the chuldten keeps using, but 'No use putting the Government's back ap. Don't forget they have an Indian now as inspector of schools.
I was only trying to keep the o.ethears down I quite ser that. But you don't know vour Indian official. Give hom a handle and he'll take the it between his teeth,' said Sir Jeffrey, mixing his metaphors recklessly. Education is the favourite grouse of the Indian pubtician and the Englishman his favourite whipping bos As it happens, I am taking on an extra weather. I am already. er trying to find someone suitable Good I know you have to be careful Don't take on any of these Bengali graduates They're all Bolshies damned trouble-mongers every one of them" 'Right-ho, str That was when, just as Hemy had begun to feel comfortable about the interview, that Su Jeffrey had dropped his bombshell. And what is this about your trynig to shoot dan some young woman?' he asked. Shooting down? Oh, no sur Absolute's nothing like that!
'I don't see how you can say there was no incident like that when Arkell, the police superintendent himself, was telling me about it. He has received orders to investigate... A complaint some man made that you were trying to... hmmmm... trying to molest his niece; that you loosed off a shot at her, and then set your dog on her and freed her, and then threatened to flog her...
'Christ' exclaimed Henry, feeling quite shaken. 'Christ' but the woman was a thiel, running away with a whole sackful of leaf; I've been having quite a lot of leaf stolen, these past few weeks... I believe she's an extraordinarily good looking girl.' said Sudden. 'So Arkell tells me. He has questioned the woman, of course, and her complaint seems to have been substantially true." There is a perfectly good explanation, sir, Heury began. 'I swear I fed at a pheasant.
But Sir Jeffrey was obviously in no mood to listen to explana tions. He put up a large, pink, hairy hand, and said. 'And Jug Kishore, the woman's uncle or something, swears that you had fired shot at her and tried to rape her, and it seems this man has quite a lot of influence with some of the ministers Mind you, I don't ever. I have never objected, to any of my young men having their fun with the women on their gardens, but one must draw the line right there vou know, you can t go running ter ir, respectable women, with guns or set dogs upon them So it was Jugal Kishore it would be someone like him Henry thought, to cook up something like this Jugal Kishore had always been a troublesome man, always trying to get the cooles to become group-minded, forming labour committees, getting them into camps and discussing then loving conditions and making them put up thent demands jointly If he didn't mp it in the bud, Henry was sure they would soon be forming labour umons in his garden, and then there would be hell to pay That was the sort of nonsense Wallach, his predecessor, had fostered that he, Henry Winton had put down with a heavy hand after he had taken over Wallach was always a little m- urthodox attempting to introduce the privileges enjoyed by British labour into Assam, forgetting that if the Indian coolies were to be treated as the equals of English labourers, it would wreck the entire tea industry. It was not surprising that Jugal Kishore had been one of Wallach's favourite men. Henry suspected him of being the man behind most of the demands put forward by his coolies. He had sent for him at the office once and wamed him, in no uncertain terms, that unless he refrained from taking part in labour activities, he would stop his increments. Was this Jugal Kishore's way of hitting back?
But this was no time to be telling Sudden that Jugal Kishore was trouble-maker, what Sudden called a 'Bolshy': shifty, facile, cunning, ugly God' he was ugly, with the blunted, puffy round- ness of feature, the opaque, half closed eyes of the low-caste East Indian And for a moment, Henry found himself wondering how anyone as singularly repuluve as Jugal Khore could have any kinship with so good-looking a woman as the one Sudden Dart was alking about It can be easly proved that I had fired the shot at a pheasant Henry begin But Sudden Dart stopped him again, a little impatiently this time 'All this detence will not be necessary, von are not going to be dragged into court, thank God Arkell has promised to see to that. But I wouldn't get into scrapes of this kind, ut I were you: scapes over women There are er, more discreet ways of finding one's fun on a plantation When are you due for home leave?
Henry was startled in the abrupt change of topic, he did not like the reference to his home lease It was quite a serious matter if they were a fualy thinking in terms of packing lum off on leave Sudden must know perfectly well that he was not due for home leave for another eighteen months. Not for quite a while sur, not until 1940, he said
"You don't want to go sooner, do you? It would be damned awkward of course, but I could arrange for you to take your leave now. Y'know, perhaps a spot of home leave would... well, sort of restore the balance after all this, er loneliness on a tea garden. I understand that you were rather overdoing it in the beginning; that you were going rather Christia mission. Bound to affect one.. There's nothing the matter with me, sir,' said Henry very firmly.
And I really would not like to go on leave now, out of tuin. Unaccountably. Sudden's face broke into a smile. 'Good, I'm glad of that he said and his voice was no longer edgy. 'Matter of fact, I can all afford to send any of my managers on leave out of turn, as you very well know. fouls up the whole schedule. But any- thing to avoid a scandal, with the state o politics here."
That was the familiar note, and Henry knew that there was nothing more to worry about Sudden had to have his say when something like this was reported to him, he was only doing his duty, and God knows he was doing it well Henry, on his part. could not bring himself to blame him But now that the air had been cleared, an unpleasant obligation meticulously performed. there was nothing more to worry about.
The Indhan National Congress has failed miserably in Assam, Sudden went on They havent been able to collar more than thirty five seats in the Assembly, thnty-five out of a hundred and- eight So no party has a working majority They've had to form a coalition and you know what coalitions are at the best of times. catch as catch can bloody shambles Nu ont tan say how the pattern will shift from day to day You see that old boy don't you?"
It was wonderful to be addressed as old huv again "Yes, sir," said Henry gratefully and marvelling at Suddens might into Indian politics You never know who is going to be a minister when Every one's trying, it catch as catch can and no holds barred and the man they are all gunning for is someone like you and me Bear thar in mind "Yes, I Just as well Arkell is here to quash everything Sudden went on But if we'd had an Indian polsce supermterdent here I should hate to think where this sort of thing would have led us They simply love to get the teeth into a ucy scandal y'know par trulatly it there's an Englishman involved Just as well I have er, I have httle personal influence with the Governor His Excel lency hunself has promised that so long as I m the head man in the tea district he will see that no lo han district officers are posted here But they can't tant always do as much as they would like to. y'know You will be careful m future old boy won t you?
Yes, si sand Henzy
Remember that the Fmpare is a hellish big thing hat in the last analysis it is nothing more than a few thousand ot of hard core men like you and me, doing our jobs and taking care not to let the side down Only a man like Sudden Dart conld have cared off a speech like that thought Henry, not without a little admitation and also not without a touch of pride at being included in the inner cucle of the hard-core men who represented the British Empire Also, now that Sudden had reverted to pattern he was more than ever sure that the incident about the woman, Jugal Kishore's mece had left no seduneut
"Yes, sir,' said Henry again And please don't try to keep things from me. If anything like this happens, it is just as well to come and tell me everything. I can er, always grease the proper wheels nearly always That's what I'm here for But I must know how to play it damn it! If you'd given me your version of the incident, i should have had an easier time with Arkell As it was, you never said a word, and all 1 could do was to get him to try and buy the man off 'Buy him off exclaimed Henry Buy off a man like Jugal Kishore'
"That's night. Arkell brought pressine on the man to withdraw his complamt We has to pay something too, but not nach The police in India have then own methods... They certainly seem to have"
As I was saying,' went on Sudden, all I could do was to get him to let us off on the promise that I would see that it didn t happen agam His job's getting pretty difficult too. y'know Any sugges tion of lavouritism townds an Englishman will raise ab olute hell the Assembly and then press "But there such a thing is the truth s The truth is the first casualty in such aftans Su lettrey pro- nome e pompously Alw Y No ont wures his head about the truth when he can get his teeth to scandal Must say I was sur prised From what I have seen of you I should have thought.. well any trouble with we would have been hummm quite inconceivable Then Sudden went off at a tanpent and ked, 'How our vickd at Silent Hill?
Stendy average between six thousand and seven thon and exits day leaf.' Henry told him Hummm said Su Jeffrey on comnattally although Henry knew that he was deliberately withholding praise as a matter of principle of comes, you won't be able to keep it up when things begin to get dry. Still Now perhips you'd like to go and have a wash and brush up Join me for a drink as som, as you're ready let's see, half an hour from now And Sir Jeffrey Dart picked up his Statesman
Sunday Tiffin
ALTHOUGH It was one of those crisply cold October days, Henry took a cold shower because he thought a cold shower would clear the fuzziness out of his head. He stood in the dressing room for a long while, shivering and naked, trying to make up his mind what to wear. He chose his grey flannel trousers and his blue blazer and his old school tie Somehow, this seemed to have a bracing effect on his spuits For a moment, he toyed with the idea of not joining Sudden on the lawn until he was sent for, but he rejected it at once Whatever had happened was no fault of Sudden's, it was that man Jugal Kishore. Indeed, Sudden had performed his own part with as much dispatch as possible, even somehow leaving the impression that he himself did not feel very strongly about the whole thing. Henry adjusted his tie and handkerchief and looked at his watch. It was time to go It was only after he had rounded the corner of the annexe that he noticed that Sudden had another visitor, Barloe, the district commissioner, was talking to him Henry checked his stride, but there was no need to turn back. for Sudden was waving a large red hand at him.
"Ah, here's Winton You'd better tackle him yourself, Sudden sad to Barloe. 'Henry I think you have met Mr. Barloe, the district commissioner."
Of course I have, Henry said. So Sudden was his old self again. war and expansive, radiating confidence, addressing him as Henry. Hullo su,' he said to Barloe.
'Beer or gimler" asked Sudden 'Beer, thank you."
"Damian-beer-sharap for Winton-sahib,' yelled Sudden 'Juldi!"
'Sir Jeffrey said you were comin' up this mornin', said Batlor 'Barloe wants to know if you will take on the one tusked Tista rogue,' said Sudden Coming out suddenly like that, without any warning, the ques- tion found Henry unprepared Did Barloe want him to take on the one tusker, or was it Sudden himself? Until he found out, it was wise to say nothing
They've got down to declaring him a rogue officially, at last," explained Barloe About tune too They have also ah doubled the reward-five hundred rupees now"
Here's your beer' sud Sudden Cheers!
Henry raned the heavy solid silver tankard, said "Cheers", and took a long draught But he did not say anything else he did not know how Sudden wanted him to react and he was determined not to react in any other way He kept looking at Barloe, narrow- faced and long nosed, the sharp, level eves, the uncompromising fumness of mouth the suggestion of a permanent sneer, the dis tilled embodiment of the British civil sery int in India
It's deuced awkw nd nd Barlo mbbling delicately at a pickled oman Deuced awkward' The 11 ta one tusker has begun to play merry hell in the villages in the district and the minister is makin ah makin' damaed sance of himselt Why can't we put the togue down? last lil that Well it's no use even attemptin to explain til the Indians what shootin' a rogue elephant involves! Then it went and killed a woman last week, down in Satalang it's tust kall in three months that set up a commo tion If himselt sent note down to me I happened to ask Sır Jeffres if he had any suggestions He said you might be, ah... interste! You've heard of 1. Tis a one tasker of course So there was the green light it wis suuldes huself who had said he might be interested
"Oh rather sud Hemv eigeily 'Am I really would like to take him on But you know how this sort of Laing would involve several days trekking well at list a week it a time And I don't know whether it would be fersle to well dash off on a chase like that right in the middle of these son
Do you want to take him on, Henry? asked Sudden, leaning for
ward in his chu I mean, are you really keen? it's dangerous
'Not any more dangerous than shooting other kinds of big game,
A wounded tiger, for instance.. 'Except that the elephant has brains, and uses them, and a rogue clephant is a cunning beast. But if you're really keen, then 1 shouldn't worry about the leave part of it. At the same time, I don't want you to take it on because... er... well, dammit, I don't want you to think I'm pushing you into this Its a dangerous business, as you know....
But Winton's shot elephants before," said Baile Two is it, of three" he asked Hemy
'Four, said Henry.
"Ah. but a sogue is different, they re crafty as hell He's killed how many, three, so far no. four including this woman
'It I can only get the necessary time off, Sn Jeffrey, I should be most grateful for the opportunity. Indeed, I can't think of any. thing I'd rather do just now than kill a togne elephant Henry assured him
That's the spuit," said Rasloe, in his dry, sp, slightly nasal voice. I knew we could depend on the planters The next time the Tista rogue shows up anywhere I'll get them to send you a tele gram."
And as soon as you receive the khabbat, ad Sudden 'you take off after him, without worrying about any er time off We won't call it leave Duty in fact very much's Only just send me a message,
Thank you, eft,' said Henry
"Well, it certainly takes a weight off my mind,' said Barloe The muster was begin to get quite awkward. He even suggested we send word to Jam Coils tt and others, you know hunters from other provinces. That wouldn't have done at all
"No. Sudden cut in Not so long as you have the unfortunate planters to fall hark upon, what" But he was laughing as he said it, and it was clear that he knew Barloe well enough to chaff lumi. Well, you can depend on the planters to pick up any of your awk- ward jobs in the jungle, even if they do happen to be you favourite whipping boys. The Government comes screaming down un them every tune there's the slightest regularity
"Now, now, Sudden," said Barloe, his face breaking into a plea int grim. "You know very well how... er... how our hands are ted these days with our Indian ministers runnin' the Government.
All of them are convinced that the planters are far too pampered.
But you look after the one-tasker, Mr. Winton, and I'll straighten out Sir Jeffrey's business of the Lamlung bridge. You ll get your budge within a year. I promise; but of course, we can't afford to have the ministers ranged against us. You'll have to excuse me now, Sudden, I must dash off. Got to catch the express from Tinapur. Here's luck to you. Mr. Winton,' and Barloc drained his gumlet and rose to his feet You do want to go after the rogue, dont vou, Henry? Sudden aked, after he had seen Barloe to his cas
I cent mnly do.
I was hoping you would Mind you I didn't want to give the impression that I was shoving you into this oh no! That's why I got Barlow here to come and talk to you himself But it was the suit of thing I would have longed to do my elf, ar your age. Also, you see, we've who lot of ather tricky bits of business with the Government just now. That Lamlung hiidge for instance There's a right of way involved, and unless the Government set aside the villagers clump to compensation and gives a decision in our favour, it Il cost us thousands of rupees every year Barloe's promised to have it all straightened out Tine chap, Baloe but we must stand by him as far as possible A thing like this this getting ud of the ogne clephant will strengthen his hand considerably. I only hope I can get the elephant str
I'm pretty cert in you will There's nothing to shooting a rogue Just a matter of guts All you have to do is to keep your head. Matic of fact with rogue elephants as with women, one just has to learn to keep one's head. As I said, I'd have loved to take him on myself, bu Katty would have seamed her head off. I'm rather past the stage of taking off after ingue elephants what-chasing oque elephants and women both I teel it. ha, ha oh, long past Bees again? or gilet Ill stick to her, said Henry Damian Damian Sudden yelled Commene Juldi bee- shatap for Heniy sahib Juldi"
Even as Daman was pouring out Henry's beer, Sudden's steel- grey Daimler came crunching over the long, urving, black drive and stopped in the porch.
Ah, here's Kitty and the Walters, said Sudden.
Lady Dart, the high-priestess of Chinnar, fat and tropical and childless, Red Cross worker and SPCA President and Chief Girl Guide rolled into one, inveterate mah-jongg player and shopper by mail, was wearing an Army and Navy Stores dress and an Army and Navy Stores hat, and looking anxiously at her husband to see what kind of mood he was in. Behind her were the Walters; first the Colonel's lady and then the Colonel himself: both tall, thin, tweedy, sola-topced; erect, steel-grey, brittle, weathered but not dried up. They looked more like brother and sister than husband and wife; so exactly like a magazine illustration of a cantonment Colonel and his memsahib. Henry thought. And some distance behind the others, carrying a strawberry-coloured sweater in one hand and a floppy grass hat in the other, and wearing a pleated, flowered, knee-length dress, came Jean Walters; slender and goldenlimbed, long-legged, cherry-lipped, blue-eved and golden-haired. Henry caught his breath and stared at her, almost unbelievingly. It was difficult to imagine anything like Jean Walters on Sudden's lawn; to connect her with a story-book Colonel and his wife; it was difficult not to go on staring at her.
Damian had pulled out more muda chairs, placing them on both sides of Sudden, and another white-coated boy came out bringing little trays of cashew nuts and olives and pickled onions and began to mix the gimlets.
"So you're the hunter, said Mrs. Walters after Sudden had made the introductions, I must say you don't look like one."
They don't all grow beards, y'know.' said the Colonel, 'not these days.
"Barloe's been and gone. Sudden told his wife. 'He's got Henry
to agree to shoot his rogue elephant." "Don't tell me you let Mr. Barlor push you into it, Henry,' said Lady Dait.
"Oh, no, protested Sudden with emphasis. It seems Henry's just dying to shoot a rogue elephant."
Poor rogue elephant,' said Jean Walters. 'Why does anyone have to go and kill him. Why can't he be left alone in the jungle?" Because he's a togue, m'dear.' Colonel Walters explained in a very patient tone. The Government has...er, proscribed him. The
DC, Mr. Barloe, has been ordered to have him destroyed.'
Then why doesn't Mr. Barloe go and do his own killing, instead of... instead of bringing pressure upon other people?"
There was a noticeable break in the conversation, and then Henry said, 'I assure you, Miss Walters, I didn't need any pressure to be brought upon me when I'm given an opportunity to kill a declared rogue.
I should hope not. Sudden grunted. No hunter worth his salt should."
Think of the glamour... the izzat, what?" said the Colonel brightly, if Mr. Winton should happen to kill the rogue, as I have no doubt he will. A letter of thanks from the Governor himself; perhaps an MBE.
And what happens if the rogue should kill Mr. Wiston?" Jean asked. 'Does he get an MBF tun?"
There was another awkward pause They were all staring at Jean. She said, 'Have I said anything wrong? Have I dropped a brick?
You certainly have. Sudden told her. Hunters are superstitious about this kind of thing. I am." "Oh. please don't give it a thought. Henry assured her. Please.
I'm not in the least superstitious." Nonsense All big game hunters are, sand Sudden, All. Even Jim Corbett."
I am sony, said Jean to Henry, and looked at him.
Shall I order nffin, dear? Lady Dart asked her husband, ob- viously trying to change the conversation.
You must be careful not to refer to it as tiffin, Kitty," said Sudden to his wife sulkily. Everyone calls it "lunch". Or is it "luncheon" these days? Let's have another drink! Damian! Damian that damned boy is forever disappearing.
Ah. a real Sunday tiffin; just like the old Punjab mess," said Colonel Walters.
"Only it is not a Sunday, deas. his wife pointed out.
"And "luncheon. Daddy, not "tiffin". Jean reminded him.
They had grape-frut first, and then what the Colonel called the desi-khana: two kinds of curry, daal, curds, papars, three kinds of pickles, and both chicken pallao and punes.
You must use both spoon and fork. Sudden was telling them.
"That's the correct way to cat curry and rice,"
"Of course the proper way to enjoy curry and rice is with your fingers," said Jean. "They say curries always taste different that way -tastier. 'I've never tried it.' said Sudden. 'You must ask Mr. Winton. He's more likely to have tried eating curry and rice native-style. He... er, he seems to know so many interesting people. He was no longer churkish, it was exti ordinary how quickly he regained his inherent good humou "Can you Mr Wantor. Jean asked Henry.
Hardly Henry said I've tried, of course, once or twice when we had a burn khana on the garden I'm afraid it wasn't a success."
Mi Winton has tried everything, said Sudden jovially 'Mr. Winton believes m trying everything once even shooting elephants
In the old paltan we hid to taikle the burra khanas with our fingers, said the t'olonel seminiscently Ile had a habit of injecting halt remembered Hindi winds into his conversation a habit left over no doubt from his Indian Army days And does it asked Jean I mean does curry and ine really taste my different when siten with your fingers?
Why dont you try Hemy suggested Find out for yourselt I'd like to well some diy
"Don't be dispusting my dea, admonished he mother making I say si Hey said to Sir Jetties I meant to tell you belore You know that old head watchman of years sow him helping himselt to a handful of youm cigarst What's that? snapped Lady Dart 'Who did you say Sit Jeffrey old watchman John Irevor of some such And what did he win? Lal Dirt asked her husband Oh best dropped in for a minute, cand Sudden What was the chowkidar doing letting hum tom right in muttered Ids Dait to he sell Bid hat what? Color Waltes put in Bit of a badmash what?
Nesther Sir Jeffres n his wife took any note of what the Colonel was saying "Such impudence" and I dy Dart, addressing her husband once mose And what did you say he took Henry?
Fleury must have been mistaken dear said Sudden plaratingly Trevor wasn t with me for more th m a few minutes And he went straight out, I mean without going into the house Henry must be making a mistake 'Well, said Henry with a nervous laugh. I soit of got the im pression, didn't actually see, of course. Could have been one of the servants, now I come to think of it."
"That's it Must have been one of the servants said Sudden eagerly I shall have to go into that I must warn Damian to see that that man never steps into this bungalow agun. said I ady Dait in a querulous tone 1'll see to it, dear. Sudden said 'Til handle this Warm Damian about him.
After lunch, Su Jeffrey had taken Colonel Walters for a game of golf, he played golt regularly in spite of a slight stiffness in his left leg Lady Dart and Mrs. Walters cured to then rooms, Henry and Jean Waliers strolled hik to their chairs on the lawt So we are even, Jean said to Henry as soon as they had sat down
Even
"We both dropped bricks
I ccitantly seemed to drop a colossal one.' said Henry Didn know Lady Dait was going to feel so strongly about the man
She catamly did Did you see how Sndlen was like a packed balloon
It's not a nice feeling, Miss Walters.
"You may call me Jean,' she said. "What were you saying? I was saying that it's not a very nice feeling to have made your chief feel like a pricked balloon. Didn't know his wife would get
all her up Did the man really take us cigare Of course he did I saw hum
"Well, what do you know You seem to have dug out some soit of old family quarrel, some kind of skeleton."
Henry shook his head 'Not likely, not with people like Sudden Dart and his wife."
You know what I think I think that the old watchman or what ever he is has got some sort of a hold over Su Jeffrey, that's why Iady Dart can't stand the sight of him."
"You certainly jump to conclusions, don't you Miss Walters I mean, Jean Somewhat imagmative core lusions So he sees him only when his wife is out of the house
"Now what d von think of that? said Henry laughing "He does too, y'know. She didn't want to go to the falls, this morning. He absolutely pushed her, the bully.... Did you notice how he was sulking, taking it out of her over tiffin? It was good to see him squirming for a change, oh, so meek, saying "Henry must be making a mistake. dear". And you, of course, backed him up..
I always would. He's my chief, y'know; and he's a decent man."
He's everyone's chief round here, and he never lets you forget it. does he, always getting his way. What about the way he shoved you into agreeing to kill the poor elephant?'
Well, Jean; first, he's not a poor elephant, he's already killed four people. And secondly. Sudden rertainly didn't have to push me into it. I do really and truly want to try and get a shot at that elephant."
You may want to kill him, but vou know something? You know something, mister smart-aler elephant-killer Winton: Three dave ago when that man Bailoe came to him to see what could be done about the elephant. Sudden promised he'd get you to go after him. It was all fixed up at the dinner table, three days ago, when they were drinking port, just the men, and we were in the sitting 100m, each with a game of patience I heard Sudden confirming it just as Burloe was going away
I must say I feel quite flattered that Sudden should think he can depend on me like that, that he was so sure of me. I only trust 1 have not spoilt that measure of confidence, making a damned nuisance of myself, making him feel small before everyone."
"Some day, Jean Walters said, looking directly at Henry, some day you will stop being a boy scout, Henry Winton, and grow up. I mean really grow up And then muster Winton, you are going to get a nasty shock."
Really?
Really. But just now you are a nice boy s out. I didn't expect they would dig up something like you when he promised that man Baile to get one of his managers to shoot the elephant."
I didn't expect anything like you here, either,' said Hemy.
