Page:Plain Tales from the Hills - Kipling (1889).djvu/84

 "We 'ad read the papers, an' we put hup a faked decoity, a—a sedukshun."

"Abdukshin, ye cockney," said Mulvaney.

"Abdukshun or sedukshun—no great odds. Any 'ow, we arranged to taik an' put Mister Benhira out o' the way till Thursday was hover, or 'e too busy to rux 'isself about p'raids. Hi was the man wot said:—'We'll make a few rupees off o' the business

"We hild a Council av War," continued Mulvaney "walkin' roun' by the Artill'ry Lines. I was Prisidint, Learoyd was Minister av Finance, an' little Orth'ris here was ."

"A bloomin' Bismarck! Hi made the 'ole show pay."

"This interferin' bit av a Benira man" said Mulvaney "did the thrick for us himself; for, on me sowl, we hadn't a notion av what was to come afther the next minut. He was shoppin' in the bazar on fut. "Twas dhrawin' dusk thin, an' we stud watchin' the little man hoppin' in an' out av the shops, thryin to injuce the naygurs to mallum his bat. Prisintly, he sthrols up, his arrums full av thruck, an' he sez in a consiquinshal way, shticking out his little belly:—'Me good men,' sez he, 'have ye seen the Kernel's b'roosh?' 'B'roosh?' says Learoyd. 'There's no b'roosh here—nobbut a hekka.' 'Fwhat's that?' sez Thrigg. Learoyd shows him wan down the sthreet, an' he sez:—'How thruly Orientil! I will ride on a hekka.' I saw thin that our Rigimintal Saint was for givin' Thrigg over to us neck an' brisket. I purshued a hekka, an' I sez to the dhriver-divil, I sez:—'Ye black limb, there's a Sahib comin' for this hekka