The mercy of the king is
godlike, and rebellion is like unto the sin of witchcraft.
godlike, and rebellion is like unto the sin of witchcraft.
Kipling - Poems
"Has not the king burned the man's
house, and left him naked to the night dews? "
"Nay. A hut is a hut, and it holds the life of a man. But once I sent
my army against him when his excuses became wearisome. Of their heads
he brake three across the top with a stick. The other two men ran away.
Also the guns would not shoot. "
I had seen the equipment of the infantry. One-third of it was an old
muzzle-loading fowling-piece with ragged rust holes where the nipples
should have been; one-third a wirebound matchlock with a worm-eaten
stock, and one-third a four-bore flint duck-gun, without a flint.
"But it is to be remembered," said the king, reaching out for the
bottle, "that he is a very expert log-snatcher and a man of a merry
face. What shall I do to him, sahib? "
This was interesting. The timid hill-folk would as soon have refused
taxes to their king as offerings to their gods. The rebel must be a man
of character.
"If it be the king's permission," I said, "I will not strike my tents
till the third day, and I will see this man.
The mercy of the king is
godlike, and rebellion is like unto the sin of witchcraft. Moreover,
both the bottles, and another, be empty. "
"You have my leave to go," said the king.
Next morning the crier went through the stare proclaiming that there was
a log-jam on the river and that it behooved all loyal subjects to clear
it. The people poured down from their villages to the moist, warm valley
of poppy fields, and the king and I went with them.
Hundreds of dressed deodar logs had caught on a snag of rock, and the
river was bringing down more logs every minute to complete the blockade.
The water snarled and wrenched and worried at the timber, while the
population of the state prodded at the nearest logs with poles, in
the hope of easing the pressure. Then there went up a shout of "Namgay
Doola! Namgay Doola! " and a large, red-haired villager hurried up,
stripping off his clothes as he ran.
"That he is. That is the rebel! " said the king. "Now will the dam be
cleared. "
"But why has he red hair? " I asked, since red hair among hill-folk is as
uncommon as blue or green.
house, and left him naked to the night dews? "
"Nay. A hut is a hut, and it holds the life of a man. But once I sent
my army against him when his excuses became wearisome. Of their heads
he brake three across the top with a stick. The other two men ran away.
Also the guns would not shoot. "
I had seen the equipment of the infantry. One-third of it was an old
muzzle-loading fowling-piece with ragged rust holes where the nipples
should have been; one-third a wirebound matchlock with a worm-eaten
stock, and one-third a four-bore flint duck-gun, without a flint.
"But it is to be remembered," said the king, reaching out for the
bottle, "that he is a very expert log-snatcher and a man of a merry
face. What shall I do to him, sahib? "
This was interesting. The timid hill-folk would as soon have refused
taxes to their king as offerings to their gods. The rebel must be a man
of character.
"If it be the king's permission," I said, "I will not strike my tents
till the third day, and I will see this man.
The mercy of the king is
godlike, and rebellion is like unto the sin of witchcraft. Moreover,
both the bottles, and another, be empty. "
"You have my leave to go," said the king.
Next morning the crier went through the stare proclaiming that there was
a log-jam on the river and that it behooved all loyal subjects to clear
it. The people poured down from their villages to the moist, warm valley
of poppy fields, and the king and I went with them.
Hundreds of dressed deodar logs had caught on a snag of rock, and the
river was bringing down more logs every minute to complete the blockade.
The water snarled and wrenched and worried at the timber, while the
population of the state prodded at the nearest logs with poles, in
the hope of easing the pressure. Then there went up a shout of "Namgay
Doola! Namgay Doola! " and a large, red-haired villager hurried up,
stripping off his clothes as he ran.
"That he is. That is the rebel! " said the king. "Now will the dam be
cleared. "
"But why has he red hair? " I asked, since red hair among hill-folk is as
uncommon as blue or green.
