Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-22
Memo
Cue-Sr~

a few of the less pleasing nymn-tunes
and wretched song with some su zen
absurd title as THE Roses Round the
Door, Make Me Love Mother More"
The actual explosion. however, was
caused by a cake of soap.
Whittall had omitted to bring any
soap at all. of course: but with reason
able care my cake should have seen us
both through the month. That evening
I failed to find my soap: neither OF the
bearers could produce 1t. and cropping
under beds and through boxes on hot,
airiess night did not tend to soothe
my temper. When the soap was event.
ually brought back. from well outside
the camp. 1t was the last straw.
Whittall had had second bath"-the
water shortage was so acute that we
had to have one between us-and had
left the precious cake In the bath, from
which, after remaining in the water for
over an hour. 1t had been emptied out.
When finally recovered. 1t was fiabby.
snapeless thing. horrid TO the touch. I
fiug II savagely across the room at the
musical offender. Crude, / know: but
you need TO have passed some time In
the tropics before you can realize what
1t means to be without soap for day
after swt ating day.
The tablet missed him and landed
fair and square in the middle Of a pic
ture from La Vie Parisienne that Whit
tall had cut out and stuck on the wall
Though I could see the effect, Whit
tall could only see the Cause furious
and grimy mortal. orphaned OF his
soap.
ting up quickly.
We'll. what the blazes do you say?'
retorted. my momentary inclination 70
laugh gone and only my long list OF
grievances remembered. Il should like
to hear your excuses We have over a
week to go, and thanks TO your internal
carelessness our one scrap Of soap has
gone. And that in a filthy hole where
every blessed thing Is one mass OF dust
and dirt!''
Look here. Evans" replied Whittall
| I've had about all I can stand of you.
| And I've had more than enough OF
! you'll Your COMPOUNDED singing"
| You let my singing alone!"
You don't let me alone! I can't gel
| away from it."
IF you think that on the strength oil
| two years seniority"
| The way you talk"
And so IL went on. It was awful
/ Only men worked up TO the last pitch
of evaporation. only men who hav,
accumulated great masses Of irritation
could have acted so foolishly.
Whittall. who boasted Scotch. blood
| settled down to sulky evening and pre-
pared to perpetuate the quarrel by drag
| ging out his bed from the inner room
so as not to spend the night with me.
| went to bed indignant and miser.
able
I AWOKE With a start ! blinked hare
= several times: and gradually. as my
senses returned and my eyes grew &C.
| customed 70 the light. discovered by
sight and found that some one was busy
/ tampering with the ammunition reserve
/ which was stored IN chest at the foo
! OF my bed. The faint light streaminr
| In through the Sits in the wall SHIN.
mered on long Pathan knives. There
| were two men at work. and the lock &
/ far vas holding out against their ef.
| forts.
| / CROPPED for my revolver nv FRS
| sensation was one of awful sickness
| two O'Clock in the morning courage; my
/ next realization that at all Costs thu
chest must not be broken into. II con.
tanned 1000 rounds Of spare ammuni-
ton. and every round. In cautious
Pathan hands. was capable OF taking q
British life. Where was my revolver
for PHYS sake7
| Alas. that had o.en seen to long be-
fore' As my hands reached the peg
now empty-where ! had hung it D.fors
turning in. there Was . sharp crack
followed by grunt Of satisfaction. Thf
lock had given xayl ] oraced myself
for q mighty effort Leaping out O.
bed. gave . vague shout The figure:
crouching at the chest stiffened: then
rising swiftly. one Of them made fol
the door. the other for M. I still
ciutched q corner Of the sheet. anc
promptly hung 1t over him. as q picadol
does 20 q bull.
/ He wrenched his right arm free sns
back: the long blade flashed IN xha
.hould have been q fatal thruSi-tha
cruel. deadly thrust OF the hillmen ;ha
Sits up ones vitalS But the struk,
| was never made A hurting body
| literally flying through the air ffuns