No More Learning

Wherefore I killed Imray Sahib in the twilight, when
he came back from office and was sleeping. The heaven-born knows all
things. I am the servant of the heaven-born. "

Strickland looked at me above the rifle, and said, in the vernacular:
"Thou art witness to this saying. He has killed. "

Bahadur Khan stood ashen grey in the light of the one lamp. The need for
justification came upon him very swiftly.

"I am trapped," he said, "but the offence was that man's. He cast an
evil eye upon my child, and I killed and hid him. Only such as are
served by devils," he glared at Tietjens, crouched stolidly before him,
"only such could know what I did. "

"It was clever. But thou shouldst have lashed him to the beam with a
rope. Now, thou thyself wilt hang by a rope. Orderly! "

A drowsy policeman answered Strickland's call.
He was followed by
another, and Tietjens sat still.

"Take him to the station," said Strickland. "There is a case toward. "

"Do I hang, then? " said Bahadur Khan, making no attempt to escape and
keeping his eyes on the ground.

"If the sun shines, or the water runs, thou wilt hang," said Strickland.
Bahadur Khan stepped back one pace, quivered, and stood still. The two
policemen waited further orders.

"Go! " said Strickland.

"Nay; but I go very swiftly," said Bahadur Khan. "Look! I am even now a
dead man. "

He lifted his foot, and to the little toe there clung the head of the
half-killed snake, firm fixed in the agony of death.

"I come of land-holding stock," said Bahadur Khan, rocking where
he stood. "It were a disgrace for me to go to the public scaffold,
therefore I take this way.