THAT INDIAN YARN!

Hastings Standard, Issue 250, 18 February 1897, Page 3

THAT INDIAN YARN!

[To THE Euitoi:.]

Sin. —The juvenile Kipling is evidently unable to understand metaphor, ami has therefore run amok with his pen. 'lhat my remarks were justifiable is proved by the withdrawal of the yarn from your columns. To his credit, I will say that the story was full of promise at the commencement, and perhaps I was not the only reader of the Standard who looked anxiously more titan once for its appearance. But Carr-lones was made so infernallv infallible lhat the whole interest of the story evaporated. In every event in which •' The Sandfly " was interested, was a certainty that lie would come out on top. "With regular monotony he Won everything. An old saying tells us that '■ it is the unexpected that always happens.'' but this ancient saw does not apply to the tale under review. Had Carr-Jones received a single reverse I could have forgiven the author, but his march was such a triumphal one that there is no saying what he might not have done before the conclusion of the yarn. The author has challenged the correctnees of my Knglish. and I do the same of his Hindustani. Now, I flatter myself I am an authority on the latter language, and to prove it I will write a short chapter which I would feel flattered to have included in the work to bo published by Mr Fisher Unwin.—l am, &c., bt'BSCKIBEK. Chapter VIII. The rising sun was just peeping over the distant hill on the morning after the events recorded in the previous chapter when Carr-Jones was aroused from a dreamy slumber by the faithful Lai Singh, who whispered " Kiki tainas/ii i lum' <l<>h (which means, " Look out, treachery is nigh.")

" The Sandlly" was out of bed in the twinkling of an eye, anil had barely time to buckle on his side arms and look to his revolver-; when there was an unearthly yell of " Kna tamtishi >l"l> (which means. " Prepare to meet your doom.") Not a hundred yards away from the huwinl""' (house) could be plainly seen 1,800 armed *«/«'/« (niggers). At their head was a tall, handsome, militarylooking man with the regulation hunsiili (skin). Just then a flank • (movement) was made, and on rushed the mighty cavalcade. Halting at thirteen paces from the hiuii/nlmr (tent), the leader lived, n-iwiiwi (injuring) Carr-Jones in the right arm. Nothing daunted, the Sandfly stood to his guns, and in three minutes 813 >'(/////>.v (Indians) were weltering in their gore. Just then a vision in white rushed at Carr-Jom s with a piercing cry of '• hhu tiiinu\h i ih'h !><< waili (" That man on tlie right is my husband in disguise '"). But the warning had come too late, Carr-Jones' unerring arm had told its tale, and Major Bruce had fallen mortally wounded. The Sahibs then rallied and, rushing in, Carr-Jones and Mrs Bruce fell to rise no move.

Then above the din of kittle rose the erv of '' Kii'i ■ d"h i>on- .>?.// " V* Kngland expects every man to do his duty •• Ours " had fallen in line, and at a word from the Major made a rush at the Sahib-, but the latter wen- too strong, and the •' thin red line " were annihilated. Thus tlied one of the finest l«in*uli <regiments) in India. Next year the 22nd Q.0.L1. won the Polo Cup. The KM'.