FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163  
164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184   185   186   187   188   >>   >|  
kful I have only taken off my coat and boots. "Can't help that," snaps the lady. "Isn't there any other----" I begin patiently. "I telling the Mem-sahib," begins the guard plaintively, "that there is one with only----" "Don't care if there is! Horace, undo that bundle. I'm going to bed at once," and the newcomer proceeds to remove her coat and hat. The guard hastily lets down the two upper bunks and disappears as the train gets under way again. Appalled at the idea of how much she may think it necessary to remove, and thankful that you are sleeping peacefully through all the turmoil, I get up and grope for my shoes. "If you prefer the lower bunk it is at your service," I say, making the best of a bad job and gathering up my coverlets. She deigns to snap out "Thanks!" "I will go outside until you're ready," I say, retreating to the small platform between the carriages; there is nothing else for it, as there isn't room to turn inside. Just as I leave I add to the man, "Don't wake the boy if you can help it, he has had a hard day." It is intensely cold outside, and after having smoked two cigarettes I think I may venture in again as I hear no sounds, so I knock, and getting no answer enter. By the dim light I make out the form of the lady in my bunk; but that is surely not the brother in the one opposite? It _is_! The impudence of it! They have turned you out and made you go into the upper one. As I climb to my own perch, internally wrathful and debating whether I shall not poke the man up and make him restore you to your place, I hear your sleepy voice in a stage whisper-- "He made me come up here." Then deliberately, leaning over and with mischief in your voice, you add: "I suppose when you are fat like that it would be very difficult to climb." I think you got your own back! I saw the fellow squirm! Bad as they were at night our fellow-travellers are worse in the daytime. They won't get up until ten o'clock, and we have to stay outside until they do, as there is nowhere to sit down. Ramaswamy brings us _chota hazri_, consisting of tea and toast and plantains, and we eat it outside. The Englishman in the next compartment looks out presently and invites us in. He laughs when he hears of our adventure. "Brutes!" he says tersely; "people like that should be hanged at sight. The worst is you meet them travelling more often than elsewhere; they have come into some money probably, and are so proud of
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163  
164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184   185   186   187   188   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

remove

 
fellow
 

suppose

 

mischief

 

leaning

 

restore

 
internally
 
wrathful
 

debating

 

turned


surely

 

brother

 

opposite

 

impudence

 

whisper

 
sleepy
 

difficult

 
deliberately
 

Brutes

 

tersely


people

 

adventure

 

compartment

 
presently
 

invites

 

laughs

 

hanged

 

travelling

 
Englishman
 

daytime


travellers

 

squirm

 
consisting
 

plantains

 

Ramaswamy

 

brings

 
Appalled
 
disappears
 

hastily

 

turmoil


peacefully
 

sleeping

 

thankful

 

proceeds

 

newcomer

 

patiently

 

telling

 
bundle
 

Horace

 
begins