???You go get a wife
too, Peachey??”a nice, strappin??™, plump girl
that??™ll keep you warm in the winter. They??™re
prettier than English girls, and we can take
the pick of ??™em. Boil ??™em once or twice in
hot water, and they??™ll come as fair as chicken
and ham.??™
??????Don??™t tempt me!??™ I says. ???I will not
have any dealings with a woman not till we
are a dam??™ side more settled than we are now.
I??™ve been doing the work o??™ two men, and
you??™ve been doing the work o??™ three. Let??™s
lie off a bit, and see if we can get some
better tobacco from Afghan country and run
in some good liquor; but no women.??™
??????Who??™s talking o??™ women???™ says Dravot.
???I said wife??”a Queen to breed a King??™s son
for the King. A Queen out of the strongest
tribe, that??™ll make them your blood-brothers,
and that??™ll lie by your side and tell you all
the people thinks about you and their own
affairs. That??™s what I want.??™
??????Do you remember that Bengali woman
I kept at Mogul Serai when I was plate-layer???™
says I. ???A fat lot o??™ good she was
to me. She taught me the lingo and one or
two other things; but what happened? She
ran away with the Station Master??™s servant
and half my month??™s pay. Then she turned
up at Dadur Junction in tow of a half-caste,
and had the impidence to say I was her husband
??”all among the drivers of the running-shed!??™
??????We??™ve done with that,??™ says Dravot.
Pages:
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53