第7章 THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KINGBY RUDYARD KIPLING(7)

"It's true," said Carnehan, with a dry cackle, nursing his feet, which were wrapped in rags--"true as gospel.Kings we were, with crowns upon our heads--me and Dravot--poor Dan--oh, poor, poor Dan, that would never take advice, not though I begged of him!""Take the whisky," I said, "and take your own time.Tell me all you can recollect of everything from beginning to end.You got across the Border on your camels, Dravot dressed as a mad priest and you his servant.Do you remember that?""I ain't mad--yet, but I shall be that way soon.Of course I remember.Keep looking at me, or maybe my words will go all to pieces.Keep looking at me in my eyes and don't say anything."I leaned forward and looked into his face as steadily as I could.He dropped one hand upon the table and I grasped it by the wrist.It wastwisted like a bird's claw, and upon the back was a ragged, red, diamond- shaped scar.

"No, don't look there.Look at /me/," said Carnehan."That comes afterward, but for the Lord's sake don't distrack me.We left with that caravan, me and Dravot playing all sorts of antics to amuse the people we were with.Dravot used to make us laugh in the evenings when all the people was cooking their dinners--cooking their dinners, and...what did they do then? They lit little fires with sparks that went into Dravot's beard, and we all laughed--fit to die.Little red fires they was, going into Dravot's big red beard--so funny." His eyes left mine and he smiled foolishly.

"You went as far as Jagdallak with that caravan," I said, at a venture, "after you had lit those fires.To Jagdallak, where you turned off to try to get into Kafiristan.""No, we didn't, neither.What are you talking about? We turned off before Jagdallak, because we heard the roads was good.But they wasn't good enough for our two camels--mine and Dravot's.When we left the caravan, Dravot took off all his clothes and mine too, and said we would be heathen, because the Kafirs didn't allow Mohammedans to talk to them.So we dressed betwixt and between, and such a sight as Daniel Dravot I never saw yet nor expect to see again.He burned half his beard, and slung a sheepskin over his shoulder, and shaved his head into patterns.He shaved mine too, and made me wear outrageous things to look like a heathen.That was in a most mountaineous country, and our camels couldn't go along any more because of the mountains.They were tall and black, and coming home I saw them fight like wild goats --there are lots of goats in Kafiristan.And these mountains, they never keep still, no more than the goats.Always fighting they are, and don't let you sleep at night.""Take some more whisky," I said, very slowly."What did you and Daniel Dravot do when the camels could go no farther because of the rough roads that led into Kafiristan?""What did which do? There was a party called Peachey Taliaferro Carnehan that was with Dravot.Shall I tell you about him? He died out there in the cold.Slap from the bridge fell old Peachey, turning and twisting in the air like a penny whirligig that you can sell to the Amir.No;they was two for three ha'pence, those whirligigs, or I am much mistaken and woful sore....And then these camels were no use, and Peachey said to Dravot, 'For the Lord's sake let's get out of this before our heads are chopped off,' and with that they killed the camels all among the mountains, not having anything in particular to eat, but first they took off the boxes with the guns and the ammunition, till two men came along driving four mules.Dravot up and dances in front of them, singing, 'Sell me four mules.' Says the first man, 'If you are rich enough to buy, you are rich enough to rob;' but before ever he could put his hand to his knife, Dravot breaks his neck over his knee, and the other party runs away.So Carnehan loaded the mules with the rifles that was taken off the camels, and together we starts forward into those bitter-cold mountaineous parts, and never a road broader than the back of your hand."He paused for a moment, while I asked him if he could remember the nature of the country through which he had journeyed.

"I am telling you as straight as I can, but my head isn't as good as it might be.They drove nails through it to make me hear better how Dravot died.The country was mountaineous and the mules were most contrary, and the inhabitants was dispersed and solitary.They went up and up, and down and down, and that other party, Carnehan, was imploring of Dravot not to sing and whistle so loud, for fear of bringing down the tremenjus avalanches.But Dravot says that if a King couldn't sing it wasn't worth being King, and whacked the mules over the rump, and never took no heed for ten cold days.We came to a big level valley all among the mountains, and the mules were near dead, so we killed them, not having anything in special for them or us to eat.We sat upon the boxes, and played odd and even with the cartridges that was jolted out.