Part 10 (1/2)

It was ”Din! Din! Din!

You limping lump o' brick-dust, Gunga Din!

Hi! _slippy hitherao!_ Water, get it! _Panee lao!_[6]

You squidgy-nosed old idol, Gunga Din!”

The uniform 'e wore Was nothin' much before, An' rather less than 'arf o' that be'ind, For a twisty piece o' rag An' a goatskin water-bag Was all the field-equipment 'e could find.

When the sweatin' troop-train lay In a sidin' through the day, Where the 'eat would make your bloomin' eyebrows crawl, We shouted ”_Harry By!_”[7]

Till our throats were bricky-dry, Then we wopped 'im 'cause 'e couldn't serve us all.

It was ”Din! Din! Din!

You 'eathen, where the mischief 'ave you been?

You put some _juldees_[8] in it, Or I'll _marrow_[9] you this minute, If you don't fill up my helmet, Gunga Din!”

'E would dot an' carry one Till the longest day was done, An' 'e didn't seem to know the use o' fear.

If we charged or broke or cut, You could bet your bloomin' nut, 'E'd be waitin' fifty paces right flank rear.

With 'is _mussick_[10] on 'is back, 'E would skip with our attack, An' watch us till the bugles made ”Retire.”

An' for all 'is dirty 'ide, 'E was white, clear white, inside When 'e went to tend the wounded under fire!

It was ”Din! Din! Din!”

With the bullets kickin' dust-spots on the green.

When the cartridges ran out, You could 'ear the front-files shout: ”Hi! ammunition-mules an' Gunga Din!”

I sha'n't forgit the night When I dropped be'ind the fight With a bullet where my belt-plate should 'a' been.

I was chokin' mad with thirst, An' the man that spied me first Was our good old grinnin', gruntin' Gunga Din.

'E lifted up my 'ead, An' 'e plugged me where I bled, An' 'e guv me 'arf-a-pint o' water--green; It was crawlin' an' it stunk, But of all the drinks I've drunk, I'm gratefullest to one from Gunga Din.

It was ”Din! Din! Din!

'Ere's a beggar with a bullet through 'is spleen; 'E's chawin' up the ground an' 'e's kickin' all around: For Gawd's sake, git the water, Gunga Din!”

'E carried me away To where a _dooli_ lay, An' a bullet come an' drilled the beggar clean.

'E put me safe inside, An' just before 'e died: ”I 'ope you liked your drink,” sez Gunga Din.

So I'll meet 'im later on In the place where 'e is gone-- Where it's always double drill and no canteen; 'E'll be squattin' on the coals Givin' drink to pore d.a.m.ned souls, An' I'll get a swig in h.e.l.l from Gunga Din!

Din! Din! Din!

You Lazarus.h.i.+an-leather Gunga Din!

Tho' I've belted you an' flayed you, By the livin' Gawd that made you, You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din!

THE RETURN[11]

Peace is declared, and I return To 'Ackneystadt, but not the same; Things 'ave transpired which made me learn The size and meanin' of the game.

I did no more than others did, I don't know where the change began; I started as a average kid, I finished as a thinkin' man.

_If England was what England seems An not the England of our dreams, But only putty, bra.s.s, an' paint, 'Ow quick we'd drop 'er!_ But she ain't!