Let us first move to a better locality.

Are you going to employ your five hundred to get more money out of crossword puzzles ?

she asked quietly. At this Rama Rao felt depressed for a moment and then swore with great emphasis, No, no. Never again.

23.

OLD BONES.

THE Talkative Man said : I was canva.s.sing agent for a company manufacturing chemical fertilizers, and my work took me into the country for over twenty days in the month.

One night I was held up in a dak bungalow, a mile outside the village Tayur.

If ever there was a deserted dak bungalow it was this. It was over a hundred years old, built in the company days, a ma.s.sive rounded structure, with a fine circular veranda, hefty pillars, and plaster standing out in flakes ; the whole thing was tucked away in a casuarina grove. I had to spend a night in it, and a little fellow, a nephew ofmine, happened to be with me.

The caretaker, a parched old man, who looked like a lost soul, opened the door for me, placed a rusty oil lamp on the table in the hall, pushed up and down some heavy furniture, hovered about till we had had our dinner, and then said that he must go away for the night.

My nephew somehow seemed to dislike the idea : Uncle, why should he go ?

Perhaps he has a home in the village ; whatever it is, why do you want him ?

I asked.

He could not explain. He merely mumbled, I.

thought it might be interesting.

I hope you are not afraid

No, not at all, said the boy.

L 171.

172 OLD BONES.

But I could see that he was slightly nervous. He was brought up in Madras, accustomed to crowds and electric lights ; this loneliness in an ancient bungalow with a shadow-throwing rusty lamp gave him a feeling of discomfort. So I tried to persuade the old man : Why wont you sleep here ?

No, no, I cant, wheezed the old man.

I have been a caretaker for over forty years now, and I wont sleep here. You may write a complaint if you like.

I dont care if I lose this job. Such a riddance it will be for me and they wont get another even if they offer a thousand sovereigns. Jingling his key bunch he hobbled away. I made a bed for the boy, drew it close to mine, and asked him to lie down. I shut the front door, opened a window or two, sat down at the table, and opened my portfolio. I had my journal to write and check accounts. I drew the lamp close to my papers, and was soon absorbed in work. The boy snored. Outside the casuarina murmured. For a while noises from the village barking of dogs, s.n.a.t.c.hes of songs and arguments came floating in the air, and then they ceased. Even the boy ceased to snore.

It was past eleven when I finished my work. I put away my papers, blew out the lamp, and lay down.

I am not a very sound sleeper. I usually lie blinking in the dark for a long time. It must have been past midnight. I was just falling asleep when I heard the banging of a window shutter. I got up, turned up the stays of the shutter, and returned to bed. As I was dozing off it banged again.

d.a.m.n, I said. There was not the slightest breeze. Why did these things rattle? I fumbled about in the dark and shut the windows tight. I returned to bed and OLD BONES 173 lay awake. Shutters in another part of the building rumbled. It was irritating. I took out my torch to see if the boy had been disturbed. He was fast asleep.

I went over to every corner of the building and hooked up the shutters and doors.

When I lay down again, a new kind of disturbance began. There was a noise as if the front door was being violently kicked and fisted. I started up.

Who is there ?

I bellowed. The noise moved away, and now another door was kicked and fisted, and then the closed windows. This was a travelling process : someone seemed to be flying round, battering all the doors and shutters. The din was continuous.

Who is there? Who is there? I cried, almost running round and round as the noise pa.s.sed on from place to place. I grew anxious about the boy. What a fright he would get if he woke up !

I picked up the box of matches and struck a stick.

As I took it near the wick of the lamp, it was blown off. I struck another with no better success. I wasted half the box. And then the gla.s.s chimney flew off the table and splintered on the floor. I flashed the torchlight on the boy, fervently hoping that he still slept ; but he was sitting up in bed.

Raju, lie down, it is nothing, I began.

You lie down if you like, replied the boy. His voice was changed. It was gruff like an adults.

There was no banging on the doors now, and so I said to him : Some loose shutters rattled, so it has stopped now, you see

Shut up, will you ?

he said in answer.

You are a whole set of selfish brutes ; wont trouble to know what a man wants What are you saying ?

I asked.

174 OLD BONES.

You know where my bones are ?

Under your skin, I am sure.

You will learn not to joke with me, said the gruff voice. And then the boy left his bed, took me by the neck, and pushed me out. I was nearly ten stone, and that was a young fellow of twelve. How could he handle me in this manner ? I felt indignant and tried to resist. But it was no use. He displayed enormous strength. He wheeled me about, almost tore open the front door, and flung me out. I flew across the veranda and came down on the lawn, bruised and shaken. The door shut behind me.

I sat there I dont know how long, frightened out of my wits. Presently my sense of responsibility returned. How could I let that youngster shut himself in ? It was my duty to return him intact to his parents. I felt truly sorry for having brought him down with me.

I got up with difficulty, limped up the steps, knocked on the door.

Go away, screamed the boy,

or I will rip you up.

Raju, Raju, I pleaded.

Wont you open the door for your,uncle ?

See here, I am not Raju. So dont call me Raju hereafter, do you understand ?

Who are you ?

Do you want to know ?

Certainly.

Ah, I am so happy you are prepared to hear about me ! But what is the use ? You wont help me.

Oh, I will do anything for you. But tell me who you are.

OLD BONES 175.

I am Murugesan-

Oh, Murugesan, what are you doing here ?

Good man, said the boy happily, greatly pleased at being called Murugesan.

What are you doing here ?

I persisted. Where can I go ? These scoundrels are defiling my bones. I wont move till that is stopped.

Do you want me to do anything ?