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Kipling_TheEndofthePassage.txt
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Kipling_TheEndofthePassage.txt
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title at the end of the passage author rudyard kipling the sky is lead and our faces are red and the gates of hell are opened and riven and the winds of hell are loosened and driven and the dust flies up in the face of heaven and the clouds come down in fiery sheet heavy to raise and hard to be borne and the soul of man is turned from his meat turned from the trifles for which he has striven sick in his body and heavy hearted and his soul flies up like the dust in the sheet breaks from his flesh and is gone and departed as the blasts they blow on the cholera-horn himalayan four men each entitled to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness sat at table playing whist the thermometer marked for them one hundred and one degrees of heat the room was darkened till it was only just possible to distinguish the pips of the cards and the very white faces of the players tattered rotten punkah of whitewashed calico was puddling the hot air and whining dolefully at each stroke outside lay gloom of november day in london there was neither sky sun nor horizon nothing but brown purple haze of heat it was as though the earth were dying of apoplexy from time to time clouds of tawny dust rose from the ground without wind or warning flung themselves tablecloth-wise among the tops of the parched trees and came down again then a-whirling dust-devil would scutter across the plain for couple of miles break and fall outward though there was nothing to check its flight save long low line of piled railway-sleepers white with the dust cluster of huts made of mud condemned rails and canvas and the one squat four-roomed bungalow that belonged to the assistant engineer in charge of section of the gaudhari state line then under construction the four stripped to the thinnest of sleeping-suits played whist crossly with wranglings as to leads and returns it was not the best kind of whist but they had taken some trouble to arrive at it mottram of the indian survey had ridden thirty and railed one hundred miles from his lonely post in the desert since the night before lowndes of the civil service on special duty in the political department had come as far to escape for an instant the miserable intrigues of an impoverished native state whose king alternately fawned and blustered for more money from the pitiful revenues contributed by hard-wrung peasants and despairing camel-breeders spurstow the doctor of the line had left cholera-stricken camp of coolies to look after itself for forty-eight hours while he associated with white men once more hummil the assistant engineer was the host he stood fast and received his friends thus every sunday if they could come in when one of them failed to appear he would send telegram to his last address in order that he might know whether the defaulter were dead or alive there are very many places in the east where it is not good or kind to let your acquaintances drop out of sight even for one short week the players were not conscious of any special regard for each other they squabbled whenever they met but they ardently desired to meet as men without water desire to drink they were lonely folk who understood the dread meaning of loneliness they were all under thirty years of age which is too soon for any man to possess that knowledge pilsener said spurstow after the second rubber mopping his forehead beer's out i'm sorry to say and there's hardly enough soda-water for tonight said hummil what filthy bad management spurstow snarled can't help it i've written and wired but the trains don't come through regularly yet last week the ice ran out as lowndes knows glad didn't come could ha sent you some if had known though phew it's too hot to go on playing bumblepuppy this with savage scowl at lowndes who only laughed he was hardened offender mottram rose from the table and looked out of chink in the shutters what sweet day said he the company yawned all together and betook themselves to an aimless investigation of all hummil's possessions guns tattered novels saddlery spurs and the like they had fingered them score of times before but there was really nothing else to do got anything fresh said lowndes last week's gazette of india and cutting from home paper my father sent it out it's rather amusing one of those vestrymen that call emselves mps again is it said spurstow who read his newspapers when he could get them yes listen to this it's to your address lowndes the man was making speech to his constituents and he piled it on here's sample and assert unhesitatingly that the civil service in india is the preserve the pet preserve of the aristocracy of england what does the democracy what do the masses get from that country which we have step by step fraudulently annexed answer nothing whatever it is farmed with single eye to their own interests by the scions of the aristocracy they take good care to maintain their lavish scale of incomes to avoid or stifle any inquiries into the nature and conduct of their administration while they themselves force the unhappy peasant to pay with the sweat of his brow for all the luxuries in which they are lapped hummil waved the cutting above his head ear ear said his audience then lowndes meditatively i'd give i'd give three months pay to have that gentleman spend one month with me and see how the free and independent native prince works things old timbersides this was his flippant title for an honoured and decorated feudatory prince has been wearing my life out this week past for money by jove his latest performance was to send me one of his women as bribe good for you did you accept it said mottram no rather wish had now she was pretty little person and she yarned away to me about the horrible destitution among the king's women-folk the darlings haven't had any new clothes for nearly month and the old man wants to buy new drag from calcutta solid silver railings and silver lamps and trifles of that kind i've tried to make him understand that he has played the deuce with the revenues for the last twenty years and must go slow he can't see it but he has the ancestral treasure-vaults to draw on there must be three millions at least in jewels and coin under his palace said hummil catch native king disturbing the family treasure the priests forbid it except as the last resort old timbersides has added something like quarter of million to the deposit in his reign where the mischief does it all come from said mottram the country the state of the people is enough to make you sick i've known the taxmen wait by milch-camel till the foal was born and then hurry off the mother for arrears and what can do can't get the court clerks to give me any accounts can't raise anything more than fat smile from the commander-in chief when find out the troops are three months in arrears and old timbersides begins to weep when speak to him he has taken to the king's peg heavily liqueur brandy for whisky and heidsieck for soda-water that's what the rao of jubela took to even native can't last long at that said spurstow he'll go out and good thing too then suppose we'll have council of regency and tutor for the young prince and hand him back his kingdom with ten years accumulations whereupon that young prince having been taught all the vices of the english will play ducks and drakes with the money and undo ten years work in eighteen months i've seen that business before said spurstow should tackle the king with light hand if were you lowndes they'll hate you quite enough under any circumstances that's all very well the man who looks on can talk about the light hand but you can't clean pig-sty with pen dipped in rose-water know my risks but nothing has happened yet my servant's an old pathan and he cooks for me they are hardly likely to bribe him and don't accept food from my true friends as they call themselves oh but it's weary work i'd sooner be with you spurstow there's shooting near your camp would you don't think it about fifteen deaths day don't incite man to shoot anything but himself and the worst of it is that the poor devils look at you as though you ought to save them lord knows i've tried everything my last attempt was empirical but it pulled an old man through he was brought to me apparently past hope and gave him gin and worcester sauce with cayenne it cured him but don't recommend it how do the cases run generally said hummil very simply indeed chlorodyne opium pill chlorodyne collapse nitre bricks to the feet and then the burning-ghaut the last seems to be the only thing that stops the trouble it's black cholera you know poor devils but will say little bunsee lal my apothecary works like demon i've recommended him for promotion if he comes through it all alive and what are your chances old man said mottram don't know don't care much but i've sent the letter in what are you doing with yourself generally sitting under table in the tent and spitting on the sextant to keep it cool said the man of the survey washing my eyes to avoid ophthalmia which shall certainly get and trying to make sub-surveyor understand that an error of five degrees in an angle isn't quite so small as it looks i'm altogether alone know and shall be till the end of the hot weather hummil's the lucky man said lowndes flinging himself into long chair he has an actual roof-torn as to the ceiling-cloth but still roof-over his head he sees one train daily he can get beer and soda-water and ice em when god is good he has books pictures they were torn from the graphic and the society of the excellent sub-contractor jevins besides the pleasure of receiving us weekly hummil smiled grimly yes i'm the lucky man suppose jevins is luckier how not yes went out last monday by his own hand said spurstow quickly hinting the suspicion that was in everybody's mind there was no cholera near hummil's section even fever gives man at least week's grace and sudden death generally implied self-slaughter judge no man this weather said hummil he had touch of the sun fancy for last week after you fellows had left he came into the verandah and told me that he was going home to see his wife in market street liverpool that evening got the apothecary in to look at him and we tried to make him lie down after an hour or two he rubbed his eyes and said he believed he had had fit hoped he hadn't said anything rude jevins had great idea of bettering himself socially he was very like chucks in his language well then he went to his own bungalow and began cleaning rifle he told the servant that he was going to shoot buck in the morning naturally he fumbled with the trigger and shot himself through the head accidentally the apothecary sent in report to my chief and jevins is buried somewhere out there i'd have wired to you spurstow if you could have done anything you're queer chap said mottram if you'd killed the man yourself you couldn't have been more quiet about the business good lord what does it matter said hummil calmly i've got to do lot of his overseeing work in addition to my own i'm the only person that suffers jevins is out of it by pure accident of course but out of it the apothecary was going to write long screed on suicide trust babu to drivel when he gets the chance why didn't you let it go in as suicide said lowndes no direct proof man hasn't many privileges in his country but he might at least be allowed to mishandle his own rifle besides some day may need man to smother up an accident to myself live and let live die and let die you take pill said spurstow who had been watching hummil's white face narrowly take pill and don't be an ass that sort of talk is skittles anyhow suicide is shirking your work if were job ten times over should be so interested in what was going to happen next that i'd stay on and watch ah i've lost that curiosity said hummil liver out of order said lowndes feelingly no can't sleep that's worse by jove it is said mottram i'm that way every now and then and the fit has to wear itself out what do you take for it nothing what's the use haven't had ten minutes sleep since friday morning poor chap spurstow you ought to attend to this said mottram now you mention it your eyes are rather gummy and swollen spurstow still watching hummil laughed lightly i'll patch him up later on is it too hot do you think to go for ride where to said lowndes wearily we shall have to go away at eight and there'll be riding enough for us then hate horse when have to use him as necessity oh heavens what is there to do begin whist again at chick points chick is supposed to be eight shillings and gold mohur on the rub said spurstow promptly poker month's pay all round for the pool no limit and fifty-rupee raises somebody would be broken before we got up said lowndes can't say that it would give me any pleasure to break any man in this company said mottram there isn't enough excitement in it and it's foolish he crossed over to the worn and battered little camp-piano wreckage of married household that had once held the bungalow and opened the case it's used up long ago said hummil the servants have picked it to pieces the piano was indeed hopelessly out of order but mottram managed to bring the rebellious notes into sort of agreement and there rose from the ragged keyboard something that might once have been the ghost of popular music-hall song the men in the long chairs turned with evident interest as mottram banged the more lustily that's good said lowndes by jove the last time heard that song was in or thereabouts just before came out ah said spurstow with pride was home in and he mentioned song of the streets popular at that date mottram executed it roughly lowndes criticized and volunteered emendations mottram dashed into another ditty not of the music-hall character and made as if to rise sit down said hummil didn't know that you had any music in your composition go on playing until you can't think of anything more i'll have that piano tuned up before you come again play something festive very simple indeed were the tunes to which mottram's art and the limitations of the piano could give effect but the men listened with pleasure and in the pauses talked all together of what they had seen or heard when they were last at home dense dust-storm sprung up outside and swept roaring over the house enveloping it in the choking darkness of midnight but mottram continued unheeding and the crazy tinkle reached the ears of the listeners above the flapping of the tattered ceiling-cloth in the silence after the storm he glided from the more directly personal songs of scotland half humming them as he played into the evening hymn sunday said he nodding his head go on don't apologize for it said spurstow hummil laughed long and riotously play it by all means you're full of surprises today didn't know you had such gift of finished sarcasm how does that thing go mottram took up the tune too slow by half you miss the note of gratitude said hummil it ought to go to the grasshopper's polka this way and he chanted prestissimo glory to thee my god this night for all the blessings of the light that shows we really feel our blessings how does it go on if in the night sleepless lie my soul with sacred thoughts supply may no ill dreams disturb my rest quicker mottram or powers of darkness me molest bah what an old hypocrite you are don't be an ass said lowndes you are at full liberty to make fun of anything else you like but leave that hymn alone it's associated in my mind with the most sacred recollections summer evenings in the country stained-glass window light going out and you and she jamming your heads together over one hymnbook said mottram yes and fat old cockchafer hitting you in the eye when you walked home smell of hay and moon as big as bandbox sitting on the top of haycock bats roses milk and midges said lowndes also mothers can just recollect my mother singing me to sleep with that when was little chap said spurstow the darkness had fallen on the room they could hear hummil squirming in his chair consequently said he testily you sing it when you are seven fathom deep in hell it's an insult to the intelligence of the deity to pretend we're anything but tortured rebels take two pills said spurstow that's tortured liver the usually placid hummil is in vile bad temper i'm sorry for his coolies tomorrow said lowndes as the servants brought in the lights and prepared the table for dinner as they were settling into their places about the miserable goat-chops and the smoked tapioca pudding spurstow took occasion to whisper to mottram well done david look after saul then was the reply what are you two whispering about said hummil suspiciously only saying that you are damned poor host this fowl can't be cut returned spurstow with sweet smile call this dinner can't help it you don't expect banquet do you throughout that meal hummil contrived laboriously to insult directly and pointedly all his guests in succession and at each insult spurstow kicked the aggrieved persons under the table but he dared not exchange glance of intelligence with either of them hummil's face was white and pinched while his eyes were unnaturally large no man dreamed for moment of resenting his savage personalities but as soon as the meal was over they made haste to get away don't go you're just getting amusing you fellows hope haven't said anything that annoyed you you're such touchy devils then changing the note into one of almost abject entreaty hummil added say you surely aren't going in the language of the blessed jorrocks where dines sleeps said spurstow want to have look at your coolies tomorrow if you don't mind you can give me place to lie down in suppose the others pleaded the urgency of their several duties next day and saddling up departed together hummil begging them to come next sunday as they jogged off lowndes unbosomed himself to mottram and never felt so like kicking man at his own table in my life he said cheated at whist and reminded me was in debt told you you were as good as liar to your face you aren't half indignant enough over it not said mottram poor devil did you ever know old hummy behave like that before or within hundred miles of it that's no excuse spurstow was hacking my shin all the time so kept hand on myself else should have no you wouldn't you'd have done as hummy did about jevins judge no man this weather by jove the buckle of my bridle is hot in my hand trot out bit and ware rat-holes ten minutes trotting jerked out of lowndes one very sage remark when he pulled up sweating from every pore good thing spurstow's with him tonight ye-es good man spurstow our roads turn here see you again next sunday if the sun doesn't bowl me over s'pose so unless old timbersides finance minister manages to dress some of my food goodnight and god bless you what's wrong now oh nothing lowndes gathered up his whip and as he flicked mottram's mare on the flank added you're not bad little chap that's all and the mare bolted half mile across the sand on the word in the assistant engineer's bungalow spurstow and hummil smoked the pipe of silence together each narrowly watching the other the capacity of bachelor's establishment is as elastic as its arrangements are simple servant cleared away the dining-room table brought in couple of rude native bedsteads made of tape strung on light wood frame flung square of cool calcutta matting over each set them side by side pinned two towels to the punkah so that their fringes should just sweep clear of the sleeper's nose and mouth and announced that the couches were ready the men flung themselves down ordering the punkah-coolies by all the powers of hell to pull every door and window was shut for the outside air was that of an oven the atmosphere within was only degrees as the thermometer bore witness and heavy with the foul smell of badly-trimmed kerosene lamps and this stench combined with that of native tobacco baked brick and dried earth sends the heart of many strong man down to his boots for it is the smell of the great indian empire when she turns herself for six months into house of torment spurstow packed his pillows craftily so that he reclined rather than lay his head at safe elevation above his feet it is not good to sleep on low pillow in the hot weather if you happen to be of thick-necked build for you may pass with lively snores and gugglings from natural sleep into the deep slumber of heat-apoplexy pack your pillows said the doctor sharply as he saw hummil preparing to lie down at full length the night-light was trimmed the shadow of the punkah wavered across the room and the flick of the punkah-towel and the soft whine of the rope through the wall-hole followed it then the punkah flagged almost ceased the sweat poured from spurstow's brow should he go out and harangue the coolie it started forward again with savage jerk and pin came out of the towels when this was replaced tomtom in the coolie-lines began to beat with the steady throb of swollen artery inside some brain-fevered skull spurstow turned on his side and swore gently there was no movement on hummil's part the man had composed himself as rigidly as corpse his hands clinched at his sides the respiration was too hurried for any suspicion of sleep spurstow looked at the set face the jaws were clinched and there was pucker round the quivering eyelids he's holding himself as tightly as ever he can thought spurstow what in the world is the matter with him hummil yes in thick constrained voice can't you get to sleep no head hot throat feeling bulgy or how neither thanks don't sleep much you know feel pretty bad pretty bad thanks there is tomtom outside isn't there thought it was my head at first oh spurstow for pity's sake give me something that will put me asleep sound asleep if it's only for six hours he sprang up trembling from head to foot haven't been able to sleep naturally for days and can't stand it can't stand it poor old chap that's no use give me something to make me sleep tell you i'm nearly mad don't know what say half my time for three weeks i've had to think and spell out every word that has come through my lips before dared say it isn't that enough to drive man mad can't see things correctly now and i've lost my sense of touch my skin aches my skin aches make me sleep oh spurstow for the love of god make me sleep sound it isn't enough merely to let me dream let me sleep all right old man all right go slow you aren't half as bad as you think the flood-gates of reserve once broken hummil was clinging to him like frightened child you're pinching my arm to pieces i'll break your neck if you don't do something for me no didn't mean that don't be angry old fellow he wiped the sweat off himself as he fought to regain composure i'm bit restless and off my oats and perhaps you could recommend some sort of sleeping mixture bromide of potassium bromide of skittles why didn't you tell me this before let go of my arm and i'll see if there's anything in my cigarette-case to suit your complaint spurstow hunted among his day-clothes turned up the lamp opened little silver cigarette-case and advanced on the expectant hummil with the daintiest of fairy squirts the last appeal of civilization said he and thing hate to use hold out your arm well your sleeplessness hasn't ruined your muscle and what thick hide it is might as well inject buffalo subcutaneously now in few minutes the morphia will begin working lie down and wait smile of unalloyed and idiotic delight began to creep over hummil's face think he whispered think i'm going off now gad it's positively heavenly spurstow you must give me that case to keep you the voice ceased as the head fell back not for good deal said spurstow to the unconscious form and now my friend sleeplessness of your kind being very apt to relax the moral fibre in little matters of life and death i'll just take the liberty of spiking your guns he paddled into hummil's saddle-room in his bare feet and uncased twelve-bore rifle an express and revolver of the first he unscrewed the nipples and hid them in the bottom of saddlery-case of the second he abstracted the lever kicking it behind big wardrobe the third he merely opened and knocked the doll-head bolt of the grip up with the heel of riding-boot that's settled he said as he shook the sweat off his hands these little precautions will at least give you time to turn you have too much sympathy with gun-room accidents and as he rose from his knees the thick muffled voice of hummil cried in the doorway you fool such tones they use who speak in the lucid intervals of delirium to their friends little before they die spurstow started dropping the pistol hummil stood in the doorway rocking with helpless laughter that was awf'ly good of you i'm sure he said very slowly feeling for his words don't intend to go out by my own hand at present say spurstow that stuff won't work what shall do what shall do and panic terror stood in his eyes lie down and give it chance lie down at once daren't it will only take me half-way again and shan't be able to get away this time do you know it was all could do to come out just now generally am as quick as lightning but you had clogged my feet was nearly caught oh yes understand go and lie down no it isn't delirium but it was an awfully mean trick to play on me do you know might have died as sponge rubs slate clean so some power unknown to spurstow had wiped out of hummil's face all that stamped it for the face of man and he stood at the doorway in the expression of his lost innocence he had slept back into terrified childhood is he going to die on the spot thought spurstow then aloud all right my son come back to bed and tell me all about it you couldn't sleep but what was all the rest of the nonsense place place down there said hummil with simple sincerity the drug was acting on him by waves and he was flung from the fear of strong man to the fright of child as his nerves gathered sense or were dulled good god i've been afraid of it for months past spurstow it has made every night hell to me and yet i'm not conscious of having done anything wrong be still and i'll give you another-dose we'll stop your nightmares you unutterable idiot yes but you must give me so much that can't get away you must make me quite sleepy not just little sleepy it's so hard to run then know it know it i've felt it myself the symptoms are exactly as you describe oh don't laugh at me confound you before this awful sleeplessness came to me i've tried to rest on my elbow and put spur in the bed to sting me when fell back look by jove the man has been rowelled like horse ridden by the nightmare with vengeance and we all thought him sensible enough heaven send us understanding you like to talk don't you yes sometimes not when i'm frightened then want to run don't you always before give you your second dose try to tell me exactly what your trouble is hummil spoke in broken whispers for nearly ten minutes whilst spurstow looked into the pupils of his eyes and passed his hand before them once or twice at the end of the narrative the silver cigarette-case was produced and the last words that hummil said as he fell back for the second time were put me quite to sleep for if i'm caught die die yes yes we all do that sooner or later thank heaven who has set term to our miseries said spurstow settling the cushions under the head it occurs to me that unless drink something shall go out before my time i've stopped sweating and wear seventeen-inch collar he brewed himself scalding hot tea which is an excellent remedy against heat-apoplexy if you take three or four cups of it in time then he watched the sleeper blind face that cries and can't wipe its eyes blind face that chases him down corridors h'm decidedly hummil ought to go on leave as soon as possible and sane or otherwise he undoubtedly did rowel himself most cruelly well heaven send us understanding at mid-day hummil rose with an evil taste in his mouth but an unclouded eye and joyful heart was pretty bad last night wasn't said he have seen healthier men you must have had touch of the sun look here if write you swinging medical certificate will you apply for leave on the spot no why not you want it yes but can hold on till the weather's little cooler why should you if you can get relieved on the spot burkett is the only man who could be sent and he's born fool oh never mind about the line you aren't so important as all that wire for leave if necessary hummil looked very uncomfortable can hold on till the rains he said evasively you can't wire to headquarters for burkett won't if you want to know why particularly burkett is married and his wife's just had kid and she's up at simla in the cool and burkett has very nice billet that takes him into simla from saturday to monday that little woman isn't at all well if burkett was transferred she'd try to follow him if she left the baby behind she'd fret herself to death if she came and burkett's one of those selfish little beasts who are always talking about wife's place being with her husband she'd die it's murder to bring woman here just now burkett hasn't the physique of rat if he came here he'd go out and know she hasn't any money and i'm pretty sure she'd go out too i'm salted in sort of way and i'm not married wait till the rains and then burkett can get thin down here it'll do him heaps of good do you mean to say that you intend to face what you have faced till the rains break oh it won't be so bad now you've shown me way out of it can always wire to you besides now i've once got into the way of sleeping it'll be all right anyhow shan't put in for leave that's the long and the short of it my great scott thought all that sort of thing was dead and done with bosh you'd do the same yourself feel new man thanks to that cigarette-case you're going over to camp now aren't you yes but i'll try to look you up every other day if can i'm not bad enough for that don't want you to bother give the coolies gin and ketchup then you feel all right fit to fight for my life but not to stand out in the sun talking to you go along old man and bless you hummil turned on his heel to face the echoing desolation of his bungalow and the first thing he saw standing in the verandah was the figure of himself he had met similar apparition once before when he was suffering from overwork and the strain of the hot weather this is bad already he said rubbing his eyes if the thing slides away from me all in one piece like ghost shall know it is only my eyes and stomach that are out of order if it walks my head is going he approached the figure which naturally kept at an unvarying distance from him as is the use of all spectres that are born of overwork it slid through the house and dissolved into swimming specks within the eyeball as soon as it reached the burning light of the garden hummil went about his business till even when he came in to dinner he found himself sitting at the table the vision rose and walked out hastily except that it cast no shadow it was in all respects real no living man knows what that week held for hummil an increase of the epidemic kept spurstow in camp among the coolies and all he could do was to telegraph to mottram bidding him go to the bungalow and sleep there but mottram was forty miles away from the nearest telegraph and knew nothing of anything save the needs of the survey till he met early on sunday morning lowndes and spurstow heading towards hummil's for the weekly gathering hope the poor chap's in better temper said the former swinging himself off his horse at the door suppose he isn't up yet i'll just have look at him said the doctor if he's asleep there's no need to wake him and an instant later by the tone of spurstow's voice calling upon them to enter the men knew what had happened there was no need to wake him the punkah was still being pulled over the bed but hummil had departed this life at least three hours the body lay on its back hands clinched by the side as spurstow had seen it lying seven nights previously in the staring eyes was written terror beyond the expression of any pen mottram who had entered behind lowndes bent over the dead and touched the forehead lightly with his lips oh you lucky lucky devil he whispered but lowndes had seen the eyes and withdrew shuddering to the other side of the room poor chap poor old chap arid the last time met him was angry spurstow we should have watched him has he deftly spurstow continued his investigations ending by search round the room no he hasn't he snapped there's no trace of anything call the servants they came eight or ten of them whispering and peering over each other's shoulders when did your sahib go to bed said spurstow at eleven or ten we think said hummil's personal servant he was well then but how should you know he was not ill as far as our comprehension extended but he had slept very little for three nights this know because saw him walking much and specially in the heart of the night as spurstow was arranging the sheet big straight-necked hunting-spur tumbled on the ground the doctor groaned the personal servant peeped at the body what do you think chuma said spurstow catching the look on the dark face heaven-born in my poor opinion this that was my master has descended into the dark places and there has been caught because he was not able to escape with sufficient speed we have the spur for evidence that he fought with fear thus have seen men of my race do with thorns when spell was laid upon them to overtake them in their sleeping hours and they dared not sleep chuma you're mud-head go out and prepare seals to be set on the sahib's property god has made the heaven-born god has made me who are we to enquire into the dispensations of god will bid the other servants hold aloof while you are reckoning the tale of the sahib's property they are all thieves and would steal as far as can make out he died from oh anything stoppage of the heart's action heat-apoplexy or some other visitation said spurstow to his companions we must make an inventory of his effects and so on he was scared to death insisted lowndes look at those eyes for pity's sake don't let him be buried with them open whatever it was he's clear of all the trouble now said mottram softly spurstow was peering into the open eyes come here said he can you see anything there can't face it whimpered lowndes cover up the face is there any fear on earth that can turn man into that likeness it's ghastly oh spurstow cover it up no fear on earth said spurstow mottram leaned over his shoulder and looked intently see nothing except some grey blurs in the pupil there can be nothing there you know even so well let's think it'll take half day to knock up any sort of coffin and he must have died at midnight lowndes old man go out and tell the coolies to break ground next to jevins's grave mottram go round the house with chuma and see that the seals are put on things send couple of men to me here and i'll arrange the strong-armed servants when they returned to their own kind told strange story of the doctor sahib vainly trying to call their master back to life by magic arts to wit the holding of little green box that clicked to each of the dead man's eyes and of bewildered muttering on the part of the doctor sahib who took the little green box away with him the resonant hammering of coffin-lid is no pleasant thing to hear but those who have experience maintain that much more terrible is the soft swish of the bed-linen the reeving and unreeving of the bed-tapes when he who has fallen by the roadside is apparelled for burial sinking gradually as the tapes are tied over till the swaddled shape touches the floor and there is no protest against the indignity of hasty disposal at the last moment lowndes was seized with scruples of conscience ought you to read the service from beginning to end said he to spurstow intend to you're my senior as civilian you can take it if you like didn't mean that for moment only thought if we could get chaplain from somewhere i'm willing to ride anywhere and give poor hummil better chance that's all bosh said spurstow as he framed his lips to the tremendous words that stand at the head of the burial service after breakfast they smoked pipe in silence to the memory of the dead then spurstow said absently tisn't medical science what things in dead man's eye for goodness sake leave that horror alone said lowndes i've seen native die of pure fright when tiger chivied him know what killed hummil the deuce you do i'm going to try to see arid the doctor retreated into the bathroom with kodak camera after few minutes there was the sound of something being hammered to pieces and he emerged very white indeed have you got picture said mottram what does the thing look like it was impossible of course you needn't look mottram i've torn up the films there was nothing there it was impossible that said lowndes very distinctly watching the shaking hand striving to relight the pipe is damned lie mottram laughed uneasily spurstow's right he said we're all in such state now that we'd believe anything for pity's sake let's try to be rational there was no further speech for long time the hot wind whistled without and the dry trees sobbed presently the daily train winking brass burnished steel and spouting steam pulled up panting in the intense glare we'd better go on that said spurstow go back to work i've written my certificate we can't do any more good here and work'll keep our wits together come on no one moved it is not pleasant to face railway journeys at mid-day in june spurstow gathered up his hat and whip and turning in the doorway said there may be heaven-there must be hell meantime there is our life here we-ell neither mottram nor lowndes had any answer to the question the end