Indian Tales"Or ever the knightly years were gone With the old world to the grave, I was a king in Babylon And you were a Christian slave," -W.E. Henley. His name was Charlie Mears; he was the only son of his mother who was a widow, and he lived in the north of London, coming into the City every day to work in a bank. He was twenty years old and suffered from aspirations. I met him in a public billiard-saloon where the marker called him by his given name, and he called the marker "Bullseyes." Charlie explained, a little nervously, that he had only come to the place to look on, and since looking on at games of skill is not a cheap amusement for the young, I suggested that Charlie should go back to his mother. That was our first step toward better acquaintance. He would call on me sometimes in the evenings instead of running about London with his fellow-clerks; and before long, speaking of himself as a young man must, he told me of his aspirations, which were all literary. He desired to make himself an undying name chiefly through verse, though he was not above sending stories of love and death to the drop-a-penny-in-the-slot journals. |
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Page 10
... laughed a good deal , and said it was very pretty and romantic , a perfect idyl of the Himalayas ; but , as he was engaged to a girl at Home , he fancied that nothing would happen . Certainly he would behave with discretion . He did ...
... laughed a good deal , and said it was very pretty and romantic , a perfect idyl of the Himalayas ; but , as he was engaged to a girl at Home , he fancied that nothing would happen . Certainly he would behave with discretion . He did ...
Page 23
... laughed . Next morning one of the Majors came in from short leave , and heard that The Boy had gone out to shoot “ big game . " The Major had taken an interest in The Boy , and had , more than once , tried to check him in the cold ...
... laughed . Next morning one of the Majors came in from short leave , and heard that The Boy had gone out to shoot “ big game . " The Major had taken an interest in The Boy , and had , more than once , tried to check him in the cold ...
Page 26
... laughed at the grotesqueness of the affair , and the laughter mixed itself up with the choke and the Major said that we both wanted drinks . I am afraid to say how much whiskey we drank before the letter was finished . It had not the ...
... laughed at the grotesqueness of the affair , and the laughter mixed itself up with the choke and the Major said that we both wanted drinks . I am afraid to say how much whiskey we drank before the letter was finished . It had not the ...
Page 35
... laughed again , and said that old Youghal was a fool . Strickland let go of the cob's head , and suggested that the General had better help them , if that was his opinion . Strickland knew Youghal's weak- ness for men with titles and ...
... laughed again , and said that old Youghal was a fool . Strickland let go of the cob's head , and suggested that the General had better help them , if that was his opinion . Strickland knew Youghal's weak- ness for men with titles and ...
Page 58
... laughed . What Pluffles had intended to do in the matter of the engagement only Mrs. Reiver knew , and she kept her own counsel to her death . She would have liked it spoiled as a compliment , I fancy . Pluffles enjoyed many talks with ...
... laughed . What Pluffles had intended to do in the matter of the engagement only Mrs. Reiver knew , and she kept her own counsel to her death . She would have liked it spoiled as a compliment , I fancy . Pluffles enjoyed many talks with ...
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Common terms and phrases
Aloud asked Aunty Rosa ayah bhoy Black Sheep bloomin Bobby Bremmil Bronckhorst Buldoo called CAPT Carnehan Colonel Coppy dead dear devil divil Dravot eyes face fool fwhat Gadsby girl give gone Gunga Gurkhas half hand Hauksbee Havildar head heard heart horse India Jakin Janki Judy Kafiristan kape Kitty knew Lalun laughed Learoyd Lispeth look Majesty the King Mamma married Marwar Miss Biddums Mulvaney Nafferton native never night niver once orf'cer Ortheris ould Peshawar Pinecoffin Pluffles Punch Ram Dass Reggie Regiment rickshaw rifle river round rupees Sahib Sargint sick Simla Sorr Subaltern Suddhoo talk tell There's thim things told took trouble turned Twas veranda voice Wali Dad walked Wee Willie Winkie whin wife wint woman Youghal young
Popular passages
Page 506 - Singing and murmuring in her feastful mirth, Joying to feel herself alive, Lord over Nature, Lord of the visible earth, Lord of the senses five ; Communing with herself : ' All these are mine, And let the world have peace or wars, Tis one to me.
Page 676 - Some talk of Alexander, And some of Hercules ; Of Hector and Lysander, And such great names as these...
Page 601 - BAA BAA, BLACK SHEEP. BAA Baa, Black Sheep, Have you any wool ? Yes, Sir, yes, Sir, three bags full.
Page 634 - Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou?
Page 550 - I have been fellow to a beggar again and again under circumstances which prevented either of us finding out whether the other was worthy. I have still to be brother to a Prince, though I once came near to kinship with what might have been a veritable King and was promised the reversion of a Kingdom — army, law-courts, revenue, and policy all complete. But, to-day, I greatly fear that my King is dead, and if I want a crown I must go and hunt it for myself.
Page 760 - If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?
Page 582 - I wished then that we had explained about the loss of the genuine secrets of a Master-Mason at the first go-off; but I said nothing. All that night there was a blowing of horns in a little dark temple half-way down the hill, and I heard a girl crying fit to die. One of the priests told us that she was being prepared to marry the King. " ' I'll have no nonsense of that kind,
Page 723 - For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands ; even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord ; whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.
Page 600 - Up the hill under which Wee Willie Winkie's Bad Men were discussing the wisdom of carrying off the child and the girl, a look-out fired two shots. "What have I said?
Page 155 - A MAN should, whatever happens, keep to his own caste, race and breed. Let the White go to the White and the Black to the Black.