252 RIFLE AND ROMANCE 



from the long -shut casket; that indefinable aroma of 

 cocoanut oil and general oleaginousness that pervades the 

 persons of our Aryan brethren. 



The Colonel was grasping me by the arm as I recoiled. 

 " Steady, my boy, steady ! " and he laughed a short, dry 

 laugh. " Hold up, Alastair ! " he cried reassuringly. 



" My God, Colonel ! " I gasped feebly. " How sudden ! 

 Why did you not warn me, sir?" I protested, smiling 

 foolishly as the old fellow's chuckles continued to shake 

 him, and he twisted up his short grey moustache in his 

 merriment. 



" Another glass of wine for Alastair sahib ! " he ordered 

 in Hindustani, and, turning quickly, I discovered the silent 

 salaaming figure and inscrutable features of the old servant 

 standing close behind us. 



" Knew it would draw him ! " continued old Mulliga- 

 tawny, indicating Abdul Ghani with a jerk of his head, 

 as the old butler poured out the rich red port for me. 

 " Jhdpoo never yet failed to fetch 'em up ! " 



" To Jhapoo be it, then ! " cried I, as I drained the glass 

 a "bumper" and felt the warm blood course back again 

 through my veins. " To Jhapoo ! And may his er 

 skin never grow er loose ! " I added. 



" Bravo, Alastair ! " shouted the Colonel, clapping me on 

 the back. "By gad, my boy, the last man I played that 

 game on or, I should say rather, the last man who played 

 Paul Pry on old Jhapoo he had a fit ! " 



" I don't wonder at it ! " I agreed, as we looked down 

 into the chest with its fearsome occupant. 



" Fine piece of work, eh, Alastair ? " queried the Colonel. 

 It was certainly a very fine bit of taxidermy. This is what 

 I saw 



Fitted exactly into the inwardly padded casket, and 

 evidently wired strongly to it by the soles of his feet, 

 while a circularly indented piece of soft felt was arranged 

 inside the lid so as to close down on the cranium, holding 



