Page:Life's Handicap - Kipling (1891).djvu/283

 he tilt up my chin und look into my face, shust to see if I understood his talk so well as he understood mine.

See now dere!" says Bertran, "und you would shoot him while he is cuddlin' you? Dot is der Teuton ingrate!"

'But I knew dot I had made Bimi a life's-enemy, pecause his fingers haf talk murder through the back of my neck. Next dime I see Bimi dere was a pistol in my belt, und he touch it once, und I open der breech to show him it was loaded. He haf seen der liddle monkeys killed in der woods: he understood.

'So Bertran he was married, and he forgot clean about Bimi dot was skippin' alone on der beach mit der half of a human soul in his belly. I was see him skip, und he took a big bough und thrash der sand till he haf made a great hole like a grave. So I says to Bertran, "For any sakes, kill Bimi. He is mad mit der jealousy."

'Bertran haf said "He is not mad at all. He haf obey und lofe my wife, und if she speak he will get her slippers," und he looked at his wife agross der room. She was a very pretty girl.

'Den I said to him, "Dost dou pretend to know monkeys und dis beast dot is lashing himself mad upon der sands, pecause you do not talk to him? Shoot him when he comes to der house, for he haf der light in his eye dot means killing—und killing." Bimi come to der house, but dere was no light in his eye. It was all put away, cunning—so cunning—und he fetch der girl her slippers, und Bertran turn to me und say, "Dost dou know him in nine months more dan I haf known him in twelve years? Shall a child stab his fader? I haf fed him, und he was my child. Do not speak this nonsense to my wife or to me any more."

'Dot next day Bertran came to my house to help me