Page:Quartette - Kipling (1885).djvu/131

 (dodging the spear).—For goodness' sake, take care, sir!

—It won't go off, my good man. But stay! Where's my umbrella? Did you never read when you were a child, Miss Edith, of the English lady who, when a tiger suddenly appeared at a picnic, and was about to make cold pie of the guests, suddenly opened her umbrella in his face, so!—(opens large white umbrella)—and frightened him away. Wonderful presence of mind! I was always remarkable for presence of mind. Now, where's that leopard?

(looking off).—There he is, crouching behind those camel saddles. Now he's sidling along towards the bullock carts. But Mr. Bulthrop does not seem to see him. Oh! for a gun!

—Bother guns! Now is the time for moral superiority. Stand aside, sir! Don't be afraid, Miss Edith, I have my umbrella and this hog—spear, and I will rescue Mr. Bulthrop.

—But papa has another gun, Frank; and here are his cartridges.

(stooping hastily over gun case, loads gun; his wig and whiskers fall off, and are hurriedly thrown aside).—Now, where are they? Your learned young friend is prancing along with his umbrella over one shoulder and his spear over the other. He will hurt somebody before he's done, and I don't think it will be the leopard. But where is the brute?

(looking over his shoulder).—I can see papa looking about for him. Ah! there he is!

—Bright eyes see far. Yes, he was startled by the row those saices are kicking up. Yonder he goes. Your father will have a splendid shot; I wouldn't rob him of it for anything. But your antiquarian Nimrod is capering about near him and brandishing his long spear in the most dangerous fashion. (Shot heard.) Missed, by Jove! Now it's my turn fairly. (Fires. Cries of "Mára, Mára," and a harroosh of native voices.) That stopped him anyhow. Darling! you are not afraid, are you?

(on Wilmot's shoulder).—I think Frank dear, I was very much afraid, and I believe I am going to faint.

—Nonsense; it's all right now, the leopard's dead; and, as your friend says, now is the time for moral superiority. So look up and