PresentlyhecameoutandfoundmeleavingcardsontheMess。
Therewasnooneelseintheante-room。
Hesaid：“TheBoyhasgoneoutshootingDOESamanshootteturwitharevolverandawriting-case？”
Isaid：“Nonsense，Major！”forIsawwhatwasinhismind。
Hesaid：“Nonsenseornonsense，I’mgoingtotheCanalnow——atonceIdon’tfeeleasy。”
Thenhethoughtforaminute，andsaid：“Canyoulie？”
“Youknowbest。”Ianswered“It’smyprofession。”
“Verywell。”saidtheMajor；“youmustcomeoutwithmenow——atonce——inanekkatotheCanaltoshootblack-buckGoandputonshikar-kit——quick——anddriveherewithagun。”
TheMajorwasamasterfulman；andIknewthathewouldnotgiveordersfornothingSoIobeyed，andonreturnfoundtheMajorpackedupinanekka——gun-casesandfoodslungbelow——allreadyforashooting-trip。
HedismissedthedriveranddrovehimselfWejoggedalongquietlywhileinthestation；butassoonaswegottothedustyroadacrosstheplains，hemadethatponyflyAcountry-bredcandonearlyanythingatapinchWecoveredthethirtymilesinunderthreehours，butthepoorbrutewasnearlydead。
OnceIsaid：“What’stheblazinghurry，Major？”
Hesaid，quietly：“TheBoyhasbeenalone，byhimself，for——one，two，five——fourteenhoursnow！Itellyou，Idon’tfeeleasy。”
Thisuneasinessspreaditselftome，andIhelpedtobeatthepony。
WhenwecametotheCanalEngineer’sRestHousetheMajorcalledforTheBoy’sservant；buttherewasnoanswerThenwewentuptothehouse，callingforTheBoybyname；buttherewasnoanswer。
“Oh，he’soutshooting。”saidI。
JustthenIsawthroughoneofthewindowsalittlehurricane-lampburningThiswasatfourintheafternoonWebothstoppeddeadintheverandah，holdingourbreathtocatcheverysound；andweheard，insidetheroom，the“brr——brr——brr“ofamultitudeoffliesTheMajorsaidnothing，buthetookoffhishelmetandweenteredverysoftly。
TheBoywasdeadonthecharpoyinthecentreofthebare，lime-
washedroomHehadshothisheadnearlytopieceswithhisrevolverThegun-caseswerestillstrapped，sowasthebedding，andonthetablelayTheBoy’swriting-casewithphotographsHehadgoneawaytodielikeapoisonedrat！
TheMajorsaidtohimselfsoftly：“PoorBoy！Poor，POORdevil！”
Thenheturnedawayfromthebedandsaid：“Iwantyourhelpinthisbusiness。”
KnowingTheBoywasdeadbyhisownhand，Isawexactlywhatthathelpwouldbe，soIpassedovertothetable，tookachair，litacheroot，andbegantogothroughthewriting-case；theMajorlookingovermyshoulderandrepeatingtohimself：“Wecametoolate！——Likearatinahole！——Poor，POORdevil！”
TheBoymusthavespenthalfthenightinwritingtohispeople，andtohisColonel，andtoagirlatHome；andassoonashehadfinished，musthaveshothimself，forhehadbeendeadalongtimewhenwecamein。
Ireadallthathehadwritten，andpassedovereachsheettotheMajorasIfinishedit。
WesawfromhisaccountshowveryseriouslyhehadtakeneverythingHewroteabout“disgracewhichhewasunabletobear“——
“indelibleshame“——“criminalfolly“——“wastedlife。”andsoon；
besidesalotofprivatethingstohisFatherandMothertoomuchtoosacredtoputintoprintThelettertothegirlatHomewasthemostpitifulofall；andIchokedasIreaditTheMajormadenoattempttokeepdry-eyedIrespectedhimforthatHereadandrockedhimselftoandfro，andsimplycriedlikeawomanwithoutcaringtohideitThelettersweresodrearyandhopelessandtouchingWeforgotallaboutTheBoy’sfollies，andonlythoughtofthepoorThingonthecharpoyandthescrawledsheetsinourhandsItwasutterlyimpossibletoletthelettersgoHome。
TheywouldhavebrokenhisFather’sheartandkilledhisMotherafterkillingherbeliefinherson。
AtlasttheMajordriedhiseyesopenly，andsaid：“NicesortofthingtospringonanEnglishfamily！Whatshallwedo？”
Isaid，knowingwhattheMajorhadbroughtmebutfor：“TheBoydiedofcholeraWewerewithhimatthetimeWecan’tcommitourselvestohalf-measuresComealong。”
ThenbeganoneofthemostgrimycomicscenesIhaveevertakenpartin——theconcoctionofabig，writtenlie，bolsteredwithevidence，tosootheTheBoy’speopleatHomeIbegantheroughdraftofaletter，theMajorthrowinginhintshereandtherewhilehegatheredupallthestuffthatTheBoyhadwrittenandburntitinthefireplaceItwasahot，stilleveningwhenwebegan，andthelampburnedverybadlyInduecourseIgotthedrafttomysatisfaction，settingforthhowTheBoywasthepatternofallvirtues，belovedbyhisregiment，witheverypromiseofagreatcareerbeforehim，andsoon；howwehadhelpedhimthroughthesickness——itwasnotimeforlittlelies，youwillunderstand——andhowhehaddiedwithoutpainIchokedwhileIwasputtingdownthesethingsandthinkingofthepoorpeoplewhowouldreadthem。
ThenIlaughedatthegrotesquenessoftheaffair，andthelaughtermixeditselfupwiththechoke——andtheMajorsaidthatwebothwanteddrinks。
IamafraidtosayhowmuchwhiskeywedrankbeforetheletterwasfinishedIthadnottheleasteffectonusThenwetookoffTheBoy’swatch，locket，andrings。
Lastly，theMajorsaid：“WemustsendalockofhairtooA
womanvaluesthat。”
Buttherewerereasonswhywecouldnotfindalockfittosend。
TheBoywasblack-haired，andsowastheMajor，luckilyIcutoffapieceoftheMajor’shairabovethetemplewithaknife，andputitintothepacketweweremakingThelaughing-fitandthechokesgotholdofmeagain，andIhadtostopTheMajorwasnearlyasbad；andwebothknewthattheworstpartoftheworkwastocome。
Wesealedupthepacket，photographs，locket，seals，ring，letter，andlockofhairwithTheBoy’ssealing-waxandTheBoy’sseal。
ThentheMajorsaid：“ForGod’ssakelet’sgetoutside——awayfromtheroom——andthink！”
Wewentoutside，andwalkedonthebanksoftheCanalforanhour，eatinganddrinkingwhatwehadwithus，untilthemoonroseI
knownowexactlyhowamurdererfeelsFinally，weforcedourselvesbacktotheroomwiththelampandtheOtherThinginit，andbegantotakeupthenextpieceofworkIamnotgoingtowriteaboutthisItwastoohorribleWeburnedthebedsteadanddroppedtheashesintotheCanal；wetookupthemattingoftheroomandtreatedthatinthesamewayIwentofftoavillageandborrowedtwobighoes——Ididnotwantthevillagerstohelp——whiletheMajorarranged——theothermattersIttookusfourhours’hardworktomakethegraveAsweworked，wearguedoutwhetheritwasrighttosayasmuchaswerememberedoftheBurialoftheDead。
WecompromisedthingsbysayingtheLord’sPrayerwithaprivateunofficialprayerforthepeaceofthesoulofTheBoyThenwefilledinthegraveandwentintotheverandah——notthehouse——toliedowntosleepWeweredead-tired。
WhenwewoketheMajorsaid，wearily：“Wecan’tgobacktillto-
morrowWemustgivehimadecenttimetodieinHediedearlyTHISmorning，rememberThatseemsmorenatural。”SotheMajormusthavebeenlyingawakeallthetime，thinking。
Isaid：“Thenwhydidn’twebringthebodybacktothecantonments？”
TheMajorthoughtforaminute：——“BecausethepeopleboltedwhentheyheardofthecholeraAndtheekkahasgone！”
ThatwasstrictlytrueWehadforgottenallabouttheekka-pony，andhehadgonehome。
So，wewerelefttherealone，allthatstiflingday，intheCanalRestHouse，testingandre-testingourstoryofTheBoy’sdeathtoseeifitwasweakatanypointAnativeturnedupintheafternoon，butwesaidthataSahibwasdeadofcholera，andheranawayAstheduskgathered，theMajortoldmeallhisfearsaboutTheBoy，andawfulstoriesofsuicideornearly-carried-outsuicide——talesthatmadeone’shaircrispHesaidthathehimselfhadoncegoneintothesameValleyoftheShadowastheBoy，whenhewasyoungandnewtothecountry；soheunderstoodhowthingsfoughttogetherinTheBoy’spoorjumbledheadHealsosaidthatyoungsters，intheirrepentantmoments，considertheirsinsmuchmoreseriousandineffaceablethantheyreallyareWetalkedtogetherallthroughtheevening，andrehearsedthestoryofthedeathofTheBoyAssoonasthemoonwasup，andTheBoy，theoretically，justburied，westruckacrosscountryfortheStationWewalkedfromeighttillsixo’clockinthemorning；butthoughweweredead-tired，wedidnotforgettogotoTheBoy’sroomandputawayhisrevolverwiththeproperamountofcartridgesinthepouchAlsotosethiswriting-caseonthetableWefoundtheColonelandreportedthedeath，feelingmorelikemurderersthaneverThenwewenttobedandslepttheclockround；fortherewasnomoreinus。
Thetalehadcredenceaslongaswasnecessary，foreveryoneforgotaboutTheBoybeforeafortnightwasoverManypeople，however，foundtimetosaythattheMajorhadbehavedscandalouslyinnotbringinginthebodyforaregimentalfuneralThesaddestthingofallwasaletterfromTheBoy’smothertotheMajorandme——withbiginkyblistersalloverthesheetShewrotethesweetestpossiblethingsaboutourgreatkindness，andtheobligationshewouldbeundertousaslongasshelived。
Allthingsconsidered，sheWASunderanobligation；butnotexactlyasshemeant。
MISSYOUGHAL’SSAIS。
WhenManandWomanareagreed，whatcantheKazido？
MahomedanProverb。
SomepeoplesaythatthereisnoromanceinIndiaThosepeoplearewrongOurlivesholdquiteasmuchromanceasisgoodforus。
Sometimesmore。
StricklandwasinthePolice，andpeopledidnotunderstandhim；
sotheysaidhewasadoubtfulsortofmanandpassedbyontheothersideStricklandhadhimselftothankforthisHeheldtheextraordinarytheorythataPolicemaninIndiashouldtrytoknowasmuchaboutthenativesasthenativesthemselvesNow，inthewholeofUpperIndia，thereisonlyONEmanwhocanpassforHinduorMohammedan，chamarorfaquir，ashepleasesHeisfearedandrespectedbythenativesfromtheGhorKathritotheJammaMusjid；
andheissupposedtohavethegiftofinvisibilityandexecutivecontrolovermanyDevilsButwhatgoodhasthisdonehimwiththeGovernment？NoneintheworldHehasnevergotSimlaforhischarge；andhisnameisalmostunknowntoEnglishmen。
Stricklandwasfoolishenoughtotakethatmanforhismodel；and，followingouthisabsurdtheory，dabbledinunsavoryplacesnorespectablemanwouldthinkofexploring——allamongthenativeriff-raffHeeducatedhimselfinthispeculiarwayforsevenyears，andpeoplecouldnotappreciateitHewasperpetually“goingFantee“amongthenatives，which，ofcourse，nomanwithanysensebelievesinHewasinitiatedintotheSatBhaiatAllahabadonce，whenhewasonleave；heknewtheLizard-SongoftheSansis，andtheHalli-Hukkdance，whichisareligiouscan-canofastartlingkindWhenamanknowswhodancestheHalli-Hukk，andhow，andwhen，andwhere，heknowssomethingtobeproudof。
HehasgonedeeperthantheskinButStricklandwasnotproud，thoughhehadhelpedonce，atJagadhri，atthePaintingoftheDeathBull，whichnoEnglishmanmustevenlookupon；hadmasteredthethieves’-patterofthechangars；hadtakenaEusufzaihorse-
thiefalonenearAttock；andhadstoodunderthemimbar-boardofaBordermosqueandconductedserviceinthemannerofaSunniMollah。
HiscrowningachievementwasspendingelevendaysasafaquirinthegardensofBabaAtalatAmritsar，andtherepickingupthethreadsofthegreatNasibanMurderCaseButpeoplesaid，justlyenough：“Whyonearthcan’tStricklandsitinhisofficeandwriteuphisdiary，andrecruit，andkeepquiet，insteadofshowinguptheincapacityofhisseniors？”SotheNasibanMurderCasedidhimnogooddepartmentally；but，afterhisfirstfeelingofwrath，hereturnedtohisoutlandishcustomofpryingintonativelifeBytheway，whenamanonceacquiresatasteforthisparticularamusement，itabideswithhimallhisdaysItisthemostfascinatingthingintheworld；LovenotexceptedWhereothermentooktendaystotheHills，Stricklandtookleaveforwhathecalledshikar，putonthedisguisethatappealedtohimatthetime，steppeddownintothebrowncrowd，andwasswallowedupforawhileHewasaquiet，darkyoungfellow——spare，black-eyes——and，whenhewasnotthinkingofsomethingelse，averyinterestingcompanionStricklandonNativeProgressashehadseenitwasworthhearingNativeshatedStrickland；buttheywereafraidofhimHeknewtoomuch。