Part 17 (2/2)
There was one babu behind the --aPunjabi, or Dekkani Mussullish: his duty was to weigh--do sums--write the result on a slip, and then justify his arithress could be ers shouted at hi superiors complicated the process enorer--and especially not Georges Coutlass--desired or intended to pay one anna u to the casual looker-on, but hastened nothing (except tempers) The temperature within the vestibule was 112' by the official thermometer
”You pair of black murderers!” yelled Coutlass as we took our place in line ”You bloody robbers! You pickpockets! You train-thieves! Go out and dig your graves! I will e” the babu retorted ain to wipe his spectacles, and his forehead, and his hands, and to glance at the clock, and to mutter what may or may not have been a prayer
Coutlass exploded
”Shouldn't, eh?Who the hell are you to tell me what I shouldn't do?
Sell me a ticket, you black plunderer, d'you hear! Look! Listen!”
He snatched a piece of paper from the babu's hand and turned to face the impatient crowd
”This hell-cat--” (the unhappy babu looked less like a hell-cat than any vision of the aniined) ”wants to make out that seventy-one times seven annas and three pice is forty-nine rupees, eleven annae! Oh, you charlatan! You mountebank! You black-blooded robber! You miscreant! Cut your throat, I order you!”
The babu expostulated, stammered, quailed Coutlass drew in his breath for the Gods of Greece alone knehat heights of fury next But interruption entered
”There, that's enough of you! Get to the back of the line!”
The h the barrier, and unlike the babu did not appear afraid of any one The Greek let out his gathered breath with a bark of fury, like a seal co that for a symptom of opposition the newcomer, very cool in snohite uniform and hel like a boiler under pressure, through the crowd
The Greek was three inches taller, and six or eight inches bigger round the chest, but too astonished to fight back, and perhaps, too, aware of the neighborhood of old da Garape and olive fields of hellas With a final shove the railway official thrust him well out into the road
”If youservants, to be treated gently!”
Then he saw us
”You're late! Where's your luggage? These your porters? All right--put you on your honor Go on through Save tihed, and settle the bill at Nairobi All of it, h!”
Followed by Courtney, who seeht of herever it suited hi hot platform, and boarded a compartment labeled ”Reserved” The railway man nodded and left us, to hurry and help sell tickets
It was an Indian type railway carriage be left us in, a contraption not ill-suited to Africa--nor yet so comfortable as to diminish the sensation of travel toward new frontiers
Each car was divided into two compartments, entirely separate and entered fro ours was the rear end of a second-class car, into which we could look if the doors were open and we lay feet-forethwise, two each side, and one above the other
It hat they called a ers--third-class in front, second next, then first, and a dozen little iron freight cars of two kinds in front In those days there were neither tunnels nor bridges on that railway, and there was a single seat on the roof at each end of first- and second-class coer enamored of the view Even the third-class compartments (and they were otherwise as deliberately bare and comfortless as wood and iron could make them) had lattice-work shades over the upper half of the s
For the babu's encourageineer was blowing the whistle at short intervals
Passengers, released in quicker order now that a white official was lending the two babus a hand, began coe in either hand and followed hot-foot by natives with their heavier stuff They took headers into the train, and the porters generally ca stunt,” Will announced ”My, but that fellow on the engine has faith; or else the system's down real fine in these parts! He won't be back for a week Those woolly-headed porters are going to save up his cos the down-train in! The gae--pays two, three, four, ten times what the job's worth--and the porters divvy up with the engineer But good lord, the porters must be honest!”
Presently a pale white man in khaki with a red beard entered our compartment, and Courtney had to ized with less conviction of real regret than I ever reave him a rather world-weary look
”Not another first-class berth on the train--every last one engaged
Might be worse Might have had to ride with Indians Curse of this country, Indians are I'd rid the land of 'eovernes! But governh! Ever travel in one compartment with a dozen of 'em? Sleep in a tent with a score of 'eht? No? You be glad I'h!”