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。