Here are the quotations for this week (February 12th to 18th):

 

1. 'But though we were dead-tired, we did not forget to go to the Boy’s rooms and put away his revolver with the proper amount of cartridges in the pouch. Also to set his writing-case on the table. We found the Colonel and reported the death, feeling more like murderers than ever.'

2. 'The exploded shell of an old brown cartridge dropped out of one of the pockets and rolled at my feet. Gunga Dass had not seen it; and I fell to thinking that a man does not carry exploded cartridge-cases, especially ‘browns,’ which will not bear loading twice, about with him when shooting. In other words, that cartridge-case had been fired inside the crater.'

3. '...He shouted wanst or twice, an’ thin I heard him say: "They shud ha’ got the range long ago. Maybe they’ll fire at the flash." Thin he fired again, an’ that dhrew a fresh volley, and the long slugs thay they chew in their teeth came floppin’ among the rocks like tree-toads of a hot night...'

 

The sources of last week's extracts (Feb 5th to 11th) are as follows: 

 

1.  (...there were shields of lacquer, of tortoise-shell and rhinoceros hide, strapped and bossed with red gold...)  This is from "The King's Ankus" in The Second Jungle Book.

2.  (...'It blazed with the dull red of the ruby, the angry green of the emerald, the cold blue of the sapphire and the white, hot glory of the diamond...')  This is from The Naulahka.

 

3. (...''First are two flawed sapphires - one of two ruttees and one of four, as I should judge....")  This is from Kim.

Good wishes to all, John R