The Eyes of Asia


The Eyes of Asia, by Rudyard Kipling

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Title: The Eyes of Asia
Author: Rudyard Kipling
Release Date: October 24, 2007 [EBook #23163]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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Books by Rudyard Kipling
Actions and Reactions Light That Failed, The Brushwood Boy, The Many Inventions Captains Courageous Naulahka, The (With Wolcott Collected Verse Balestier) Day's Work, The Plain Tales from the Hills Departmental Ditties and Puck of Pook's Hill Ballads and Barrack-Room Ballads Rewards and Fairies Diversity of Creatures, A Sea Warfare Eyes of Asia, The Seven Seas, The Five Nations, The Soldier Stories France at War Soldiers Three, The Story From Sea to Sea of the Gadsbys, and In History of England, A Black and White Jungle Book, The Song of the English, A Jungle Book, Second Songs From Books Just So Song Book Stalky & Co. Just So Stories They Kim Traffics and Discoveries Kipling Stories and Poems Under the Deodars, The Every Child Should Know Phantom 'Rickshaw, and Kipling Birthday Book, The Wee Willie Winkie Life's Handicap: Being Stories With the Night Mail of Mine Own People

THE EYES OF ASIA

By
RUDYARD KIPLING

GARDEN CITY NEW YORK DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & COMPANY 1918
Copyright, 1917, 1918, by RUDYARD KIPLING

CONTENTS
PAGE
A RETIRED GENTLEMAN 1
THE FUMES OF THE HEART 23
THE PRIVATE ACCOUNT 47
A TROOPER OF HORSE 75

A RETIRED GENTLEMAN
From Bishen Singh Saktawut, Subedar Major, 215th Indurgurh [Todd's] Rajputs, now at Lyndhurst, Hampshire, England, this letter is sent to Madhu Singh, Sawant, Risaldar Major [retired] 146th [Dublana] Horse, on his fief which he holds under the Thakore Sahib of Pech at Bukani by the River, near Chiturkaira, Kotah, Rajputana, written in the fifth month of the year 1916, English count.
Having experienced five months of this war, I became infected with fever and a strong coldness of the stomach [rupture]. The doctor ordered me out of it altogether. They have also cut me with knives for a wound on my leg. It is now healed but the strength is gone, and it is very frightened of the ground. I have been in many hospitals for a long time. At this present I am living in a hospital for Indian troops in a forest-reservation called "New," which was established by a King's order in ages past. There is no order for my return to India. I do not desire it. My Regiment has now gone out of France--to Egypt, or Africa. My officer Sahibs are for the most part dead or in hospitals. During a railway journey when two people sit side by side for two hours one feels the absence of the other when he alights. How great then was my anguish at being severed from my Regiment after thirty-three years! Now, however, I am finished. If I return to India I cannot drill the new men between my two crutches. I should subsist in my village on my wound-pension among old and young who have never seen war. Here I have great consideration. Though I am useless they are patient with me.
Having knowledge of the English tongue, I am sometimes invited to interpret between those in the hospital for the Indian troops and visitors of high position. I advance eminent visitors, such as relatives of Kings and Princes into the presence of the Colonel Doctor Sahib. I enjoy a small room apart from the hospital wards. I have a servant. The Colonel Doctor Sahib examines my body at certain times. I am forbidden to stoop even for my crutches. They are instantly restored to me by orderlies and my friends among the English. I come and go at my pleasure where I will, and my presence is solicited by the honourable.
You say I made a mistake to join the war at the end of my service? I have endured five months of it. Come you out and endure two and a half. You are three years younger than I. Why do you sit at home and drill new men? Remember:
The Brahman who steals, The widow who wears ornaments, The Rajput who avoids the battle, Are only fit for crows' meat.
You write me that this is a war for young men? The old are not entirely useless. The Badshah [the King] himself gave me the medal for fetching in my captain from out of the wires upon my back.