Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-07-19
PRIVATE LEARoYD'S STORY
BY RUDYARD KlPLrNa.

sand he told tale "-chronicles Of o.utsms Buadhs
Far from the haunts Of company officers who
insist upon kit inspections, far from keen
nosed ssrgeants who sniff the pipe stuffed into
the bedding roll, two miles from the tumult Of
the barracks. lies the Trap. II h an old dry
well. Swallowed by twisted pipal tree and
fenced with high grass. Here, in the years
gone by, did Private Ortheris establish his
depot and menageris for such possessions liv-
| ing and dead as could not be safely introduced
to the bsrrack room. Here were gathered
| Houdin pallets and fox terriers Of undoubted
pedigree and more than doubtful ownership,
for Ortheris was an inveterate poacher and
pre-eminent among . regiment Of nest-hsnded
| dog stealers.
Never again will the long, lazy evenings re-
turn wherein Ortheris, whistling softly. moved
surgeonwise among the captves Of his craft at
the bottom OF the well; when Bearoyd sat in
the niche, giving sage counsel the manage
ment OF 'tykes," and Mulvaney, from the crook
OF the overhangng pipal. waved his enormous
boots In benediction above our heads, delight
ing US with tales Of love and war and strange
| experiences of cities and men,
| ortheris-landed at last in the ''little stuff
oird shop" for which your soul longed: Lea
| royu-back again in the smoky, stone-ribbed
North, amid the clang Of the Bradford looms;
Mulvaney-grizzled, tender and very wise
| Ulysses, sweltering on the earthwork Of q Gen.
tral India hne-judge if have forgotten old
days in the TrapI
I've seen q vast o. dogs, but Rim was 4 pretti-
est picter of oliver fox tarrier at liver set
| eyes on. He could do owt you like but speak
an coionels lady set more store by him than
II ne mad been Christian. She had BARNS of
| her avn. but they was i England, and Rip
| seemed to get all { coodlin' and pettin' as be-
| longed to a BARN by good right
| Orth'ris, as allus thinks he knaws more than
| other foaks, said she wasn't a real lady but
nonout hewrasian 1 don't gainsay her
cutler was a bit doosky like. But she was a
lady. Why, she rode in u carriage, an good
| osses, too, an her air was that oiled as YOU
could see your faice in it, an she wore diamond
rings an goold chain, an silk an satin dresses
as mum a cost a deal, for il isn't a cheap shop as
keeps enough O. one pattern to fit figure like
| hers Her name was Mrs. DeSussa. an G Way
L COON to be acquainted wi her was along OF
our coloners laady's dog Rip.
But Rip were bit on a rover, an he'd habit
| o breakin' out o. barricks like, and trottin'
round t plaice if he were t cantonment magis-
| trate COON round inspectin'. The colonel
feathers him once or twice, but Rip didn't care,
| an kept on gooin' his rounds, WI his taail a
Vaughn as if he were flag signslin' to Z world
| at he was 'gettin' on nicely, thank We, and
how's yo'senT' An then t colonel, as was noa
sort of hand W q dog, tees him oop. A real
clipper OF dog, an it's noa wonder You lady,
| Mrs. DeSussa, should tex a fancy tiv him.
| Theirs one o. Z Ten Commandments SAYS YOU
| maunt covvet your neebors OK nor his jackass,
but 1t doesn't say nowt about his tarrier dogs
| an happen thot's { reason why Mrs. DeSussa
cuvveted Rip, tho she went to church regular
| along wi her husband, who was so much
darker at II he hednt such good cooat tiv
| his back 20 might ha called him a black man
| and nut tell a lee nawther. They said he
added his brass i jute, an he'd rare lot
| on it.
Well, you seen, when they teed Rip G MP,
poor AVID lad didn't enjoy very good 'elth. So
| t coloners lady sends for me as 'ad q name
for bein' knowledgeable about = dog an axes
| what's ailin' wi him.
why" says 1, ''he's gettin e mopes, an
what he wants is his hbbaty an company like
t rest on US; wal happen a rat or two 'ud liven
him oop. It's low, num-" says l. ais rats but
it's Z nature Of dog; an soa's cuttin' round
an meetin' another dog two an passin' t
time o day. an hevvin' q bit Of . turn-up wi
him like Christian.
So she says he, dog mauns niver fight an
Then what's a soldier for2" says I; an ex-
plains to her t contrary qualities of dog, at,
| when 20 COON to think ont, is one o. Gurus
est things as is. For they larn to behave
theirsens like gentlemen born. fit for t fost o.
| coompany-they tell me & Wildly herself il
| fond Of a good dog an knaws one when she
| sees 1t as well as onny body; then, on tother
| hand, a-tewin' round after cats an gettin'
mixed oop i all manners o. blackguardly street
rows, an KILN rats, an fightin' like devils.
| L coloneIs lady says: well, Lesroyd,
doant agree wi you. but you're right In q way
| O. speakin an should like yo' to take Rip out
a-walkin' WI you sometimes; but 20 maun't LET
| him hight, nor chase cats, nor do nowt 'orrid; -
| an them was her very wods.
| Soa Rip an me gooes out a-walkin' o. eyenin,s
he bein' dog as did credit tiv' man, an
catches lot O. rats an We he'd q bit of q
match on in an AVID dry swimmin' bath at back
o & cantonments, an it was none so long sfore
he was as bright as a button again. He
ysller pariah dogs as if he was harrow
| offan a bow, an though his weight
were nowt he TUX EN- so suddint-like they
rolled over like skttles in a haley, an when
they coot he stretched after 'em as if he were
rabblt-runnin'. Same with cats when he cud
| get t cat gaate O. runnin.
One evenin' himtam' me was trespsssin'
| ovver q compound wall after one Of them mum
| goosses at he'd started, an we was busy grub
| bin round pickle-bush, an when we looks
up there was Mrs. DeSussa wi q parasel ovyer
her shoulder, s-watchin' us. "0h, myw she
| sings out; "there's that loveee dog! Would he
let me stroke him, Mister SOLDIER"
AYE, he would, mum, SEE /, for he's fond
| O laady's company. Come here, Rip, an
speak to this kind lady" An Rip, SEEM at
t mongoose he'd getten clean AWAY, cooms up
like t gentleman he was, nivvea q hauporth
shy nor OXFORD.
An at lung length it cooms out at she'd
| been thrawin' sleeps eyes, as & sayin' is, at
| Rip for many day. Yo' see her childer was
grown up, an shed nowt mich to do an allus
| fond of a dog. Soa she axes me il I'd tex
| somethin to drink. An we goes into e
drawp-room, wheer her husband was a-settin,.
They meks CURT fuss ovver t. dog an has q
| bottle O. aale, an he gave me q handful o.
cigars.
Soa coomed away, but Z AVID lass sings out:
''Oh, Mister Soldier, please COON again an
| bring that prettee dog"
l didn't let on T. coloners laady about Mrs
DeSussa, an Rip, he says nowt nawther; an I
gooes again an iyry time there was a good
| dhrink an q handful O. good smooaks. An
telled the AVID lass heeap more about Rip
| than I'd ever heeard; how he tux T. fost prize
| at Lunnun dog show and cost thotty-th
pounds, flower shilin' from t man as bred him;
| at his own brother was the propputty O. 4
Prince O. Wales an at he had pedigree as
long as a docks. An she Tapped it all oop an
we're niver tired O. admirin' him. But when
| t AVID lass took to givin' me money an seed
| at she were gettin' fair fond about & dog
began to suspicion summat Onny body
may give a soldier & price Of Q pint in q
| friendly way an theer's no harm done, but
when it cooms to five rupeers slipt into your
hand, sly-like, why it's what t 'lectioneerin'
fellows calls bribery an corruption. Specially
| when Mrs. DeSussa threwed hints how & cold
weather would soon be over, an she was goin'
| to Munsooree Pahar an we was goin' Rawal-
plndi, an she would niver see Rip any more on
t1lxx cl..lr L~l