Page:Quartette - Kipling (1885).djvu/76

 Gunga Dass, must have shot him with his own gun—the gun that fitted the brown cartridges. He had never attempted to escape in the face of the rifle fire from the boat.

I pushed the corpse out hastily, and saw it sink out of sight literally in a few seconds. I shuddered as I watched. In a dazed, half conscious sort of a way I turned to peruse the note-book. A stained and discoloured slip of paper had been inserted between the binding and the back, and dropped out as I opened the pages. This is what it contained:—"Four out from crow clump: three left; nine out; two right; three back; two left; fourteen out; two left; seven out; one left; nine back; two right; six back; four right; seven back." The paper had been burnt and charred at the edges, and I was unable to read any more. What it meant I could not understand. I sat down on the dried bents dreamily, turning it over and over between my fingers, until I was aware of Gunga Dass standing immediately behind me with glowing eyes and outstretched hands.

"Have you got it?" he panted. "Will you not let me look at it also? I swear that I will return it."

"Got what? Return what?" I asked.

"That which you have in your hands. It will help us both." He stretched out his long, bird-like talons, trembling with eagerness.

"I could never find it," he continued. "He had secreted it about his person. Therefore I shot him, but, nevertheless, I was unable to obtain it."

Gunga Dass had quite forgotten his little fiction about the rifle bullet. I received the information perfectly calmly. Morality is blunted by consorting with the Dead who are alive.

"What on earth are you raving about? What is it you want me to give you?"

"The piece of paper in the note-book. It will help us both. Oh you fool! you fool! Can you not see what it will do for us? We shall escape!"

His voice rose almost to a scream, and he literally danced with excitement before me. I own I was moved myself at the chance of getting away.

"Don't dance! Explain yourself, Gunga Dass. Do you mean to say that this slip of paper will help us? What does it mean?