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Kipling, Rudyard, 1865-1936

"Soldiers Three"


CURTISS. How's Mingle?
ANTHONY. Very bad, and more frightened. I handed him over to Fewton.
Mingle might just as well have called him in the first place, instead
of bothering me.
BLAYNE. He's a nervous little chap. What has he got, this time?
ANTHONY. 'Can't quite say. A very bad tummy and a blue funk so far.
He asked me at once if it was cholera, and I told him not to be a fool.
That soothed him.
CURTISS. Poor devil! The funk does half the business in a man of that
build.
ANTHONY. (_Lighting a cheroot._) I firmly believe the funk will kill
him if he stays down. You know the amount of trouble he's been giving
Fewton for the last three weeks. He's doing his very best to frighten
himself into the grave.
GENERAL CHORUS. Poor little devil! Why doesn't he get away?
ANTHONY. 'Can't. He has his leave all right, but he's so dipped he
can't take it, and I don't think his name on paper would raise four
annas. That's in confidence, though.
MACKESY. All the Station knows it.
ANTHONY. 'I suppose I shall have to die here,' he said, squirming all
across the bed. He's quite made up his mind to Kingdom Come.


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