The morning call., 1891-08-03
KIPLING AND HOWELLS,
Man Heard u Story and Thought 1t Was
Told by IipIing to HoMeIIs.

A Man Heard u Story and Thought 1t Was
Told by Aiplins to HoweIIs.
q man with slight reir0usse sose, wea T.
ing spectacles and small grayish black
mustachC, sat in the corridor Of an uptown
hotel recently, talking earnestly to man
who resemb!ed the novelist William Dean
Howelis. One or two men seated near could
hear the conversation, and its tenor led to a
case of mistaken identity. The retrousse-
nose man was telling the following story:
After staying a few days in Simla we
visited noted Maharajail not far from the
Upper Ganges River. In order to reach his
DungaloW we had to cross small stream
hlled with large alligatOrs When we
ieached the stream we found drummer for
an English grocery firm with fifteen canvas
hams, taking them to the Maharajah as
present. The drummer was an eX-Englfsh
army cf1cer, and was cashiered for nsubor-
dination, but that is another story A small
boat was rowed across the stream to take us
over. The ferryman was SeDoy who was
at the siege OF Lucknow, and was con-
demned to be blown from the cannon's
mouth, but why lie was not is another story.
Our horses had to swim the stream. The
hams were placed in the rear Of the boat in
bunch, and in going across a sudden lurch
preclpltated them overheard in mid-stre
mat drummer swOre like n trooper at the
Sepoy and came near capsiZing the boat !
was SO well entertained by his serene High
ness, the Maharajah, that when he invited
me to return in future l readily con-
septed. Three years, however, passed
before l went to see his HIghness again
L crossed the little stream and noticed
large school of alligators, lead by one near
ly eighteen feet long. The cid Sepoy was
no longer the ferrymaD, the curses of the
drummer having caused him to give up the
occupation. The drummer met him several
years afterward at q durbar aud came near
losing his life, but that is another story.
was fond of hunting in those days and had
my rifle with me. One day | obtained tie
Maharajah's consent to kill the big aliga-
tor. After two days of waiting got fair
shot at the monster and killed it. When the
servants of his Highuess cut open the aliga-
tor they found inside the fifteen haGis the
drummer had lost in the stream three wears
previously, in an excellent state of ,reserva-
ton, and when the hams were carried to his
Hlghness he-but that is another story"
The man who looked like Dean HOwells
smiled and said: Tho story is fine, but it
has has too much plot, Il is too flippant. and
who overheard The above arose and went
huIrledly to group of politicians and said:
That man over there with the turn-up
nose is Rudyard Kipling, the novelist"
How do you know?" several asked.
Wen, L heard him relate an incident,
ana every lew sentences he would say:
Bu that reminds me of another story
No one bat XII ling could use that express
sion SO timely" 1t became necessary
to explain to the politicians that Kip
ling was an English novelist and story
writer, travelling in this country incog., be-
cause he did not want to be interviewed
about his letter on Chicago several years
ago TO paper in Indi a. While this was going
OH the man who talked like Kipling writes
and the man who looked like William Dean
HowelPs photograph walked out and were
seen no more.-N. Y. Mail and Express