The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-11-20
11eMQdneSS OfPIiYQte Odle[jS
By RUDYARD K1pL1Ne.


Oil Where would be when come to def
Why,
somewheres anigh my chum.
'e's liquor, ell give me some;
I'm dyin, ell old my cad,
An ell write em ONE when I'm dead
Gawd send US trusty chum!
l$ -Barrack Room Ballad.
My friends Mulvaney and Ortheris
had gone on shooting expedition for
one day. Learoyd was still in hospital
recovering from fever picked up in
Burma. They sent me an invitation to
join them and We're genuinely panied
when | brought beer-al1uost enough
! beer to satisfy two privates of the line
and me-
:" Twasn't for that we bid you well
kim, sorr, said Mulvaney sulkily
Twas for the pleasure av your COM
p'ny.
Ortheris came to the rescue. "Well,
e won't be none the worse for bringin
liquor with m. We amt file O. docks
1 We're bloomin Tommies, ye cantanbris
Hirishman, an ere's your very good
'ealthl
We shot all the forenoon and killed
two pariah dogs four green parrots.
sitting, one kite by the burning ghaut,
one snake flying, one mud turtle and
eight crows Game was plentiful Then
we sat down to tiffin-s.bull mate an
bran bread, Mulvaney called it-by
the side of the river and took pot shots
at the crocodiles in the intervals of cut
ting up the food with our only pocket
knife. Then we drank up all the beer
and threw the bottles into the water
and fired at them. After that, we eased
belts and stretched ourselves on the
warm sand and smoked. We were too
lazy to continue shooting.
Ortheris heaved big sigh as he lay
on his stomach with his head between
his fists Then he swore quietly into the
blue sky.
s'Fwhat' that for2" said Mulvaney
Have you not drunk enough?"
"Tott MIN Court road, an gal l
fancied there Wot's the good O. sod
germ p
"Orth'ris me son. said Mulvaney
hastily. . tbs more than likely you We
got throuble in your inside with the
beer feel that way mesilf whin my
liver gets rusty.
Ortheris went on slowly. not needing
the interruption
.'I'm Tommy-a bloomin. eight
anna, dog stealth Tommy, with num-
Der instead of decent name. Wot's
the good 0 me? If l ad a staid at
'ome, | might a married that gal an
KEEP little shorp in the Ammersmith
Igh-sS. Orth ris, Prac-t i-cal Taxi-der-
mist With stuff fox, like they as
in the Haylesbury dairies, in the win
der, an a little case Of blue an yaller
glass heyes, an little wife to call
.Shorp!' 'Shorp! when the doorbell
rung. AS it his, I'm on'y Tommy-a
bloomin. Gawd forsaken beer swillin
Tommy Rest on your HARMS ersed
Stan at-hease; 'shun. 'Verse-harms
Right an lef'-tarrn Slow-march
'Alt-frcnt Rest on your harms
'versed. With blank cartridge-load
An that's the end O. me. He was
quoting fragments from funeral parties
orders
.'Stop ut! shouted Mulvaney
"Whin you We fired into nothin as often
as me, over better man than yoursilf
You will not make a mock av thin
orders 'Tis worse than whistlin the
dead march in barricks. An you full as
take shame for you. You're no better
than pagin-you an your firm parties
an your glass eyes. Won't you stop ut.
sorr?
What could l dor Could tell Orthe-
ris anything that he did not know of the
pleasures of his life2 was not chap
lain nor subaltern, and Otheris had
right to speak as he thought fit.
"Let him run. Mulvaney," said
cts the beer. =
"Nol 'Tisn't the beer" said Null
vaney 81 know fwhat's comm. He's
TUX this way now an ag'in, an ut's bad
-ut's bad-for I'm fond av the bhoy.
Indeed. Mulvaney seemed needlessly
anxious. but knew that he looked aft
er Ortheris in fatherly way
''Let me talk, let me talk, said Or
theris dreamily "D'you stop your par
rit screamin O. 'ot day, when the cage
is a-cookin is pore little pink toes OFF,
Mulvaneyf''
Tluk GOeSI u you mduo w say you We
pink toes under your bullswools, you
blandanderin' = Mulvaney gathered
himself together for terrific denuncia-
tion .schoolmisthressl Pink toesl
How much Bass wild the label did that
ravin child dhrink2"
Tain Bass, !" said Ortheris. .'It's
bitterer beer nor that. It's 'omesick-
nessl"
clark to himl An he's goin home in
the Sherapis in the inside av four
monthsl"
81 don care t'sall one to me. 'Ow
d'you know amt 'fraid O dyin fore
gets my papers3' He recommended. in
singsong voice, the funeral orders.
had never seen this side Of Ortheris
character before. but evidently Null
vaney had and attached serious -impor-
lance to it While Ortheris babbled.
with his head on his arms. Mulvaney
whispered to me;
"He's always TUX this way whin he's
been checked overmuch by the childher
II