"He has been as far as Delhi, and says all the people there walk on
their heads," muttered the Jackal. The Mugger opened his left eye, and
looked keenly at the Adjutant.

"It is true," the big bird insisted. "A liar only lies when he hopes
to be believed. No one who had not seen those boats COULD believe this
truth."

"THAT is more reasonable," said the Mugger. "And then?"

"From the insides of this boat they were taking out great pieces of
white stuff, which, in a little while, turned to water. Much split off,
and fell about on the shore, and the rest they swiftly put into a house
with thick walls. But a boatman, who laughed, took a piece no larger
than a small dog, and threw it to me. I--all my people--swallow without
reflection, and that piece I swallowed as is our custom. Immediately I
was afflicted with an excessive cold which, beginning in my crop, ran
down to the extreme end of my toes, and deprived me even of speech,
while the boatmen laughed at me. Never have I felt such cold. I danced
in my grief and amazement till I could recover my breath and then
I danced and cried out against the falseness of this world; and the
boatmen derided me till they fell down. The chief wonder of the matter,
setting aside that marvellous coldness, was that there was nothing at
all in my crop when I had finished my lamentings!"

The Adjutant had done his very best to describe his feelings after
swallowing a seven-pound lump of Wenham Lake ice, off an American
ice-ship, in the days before Calcutta made her ice by machinery; but
as he did not know what ice was, and as the Mugger and the Jackal knew
rather less, the tale missed fire.

"Anything," said the Mugger, shutting his left eye again--"ANYTHING is
possible that comes out of a boat thrice the size of Mugger-Ghaut. My
village is not a small one."

There was a whistle overhead on the bridge, and the Delhi Mail
slid across, all the carriages gleaming with light, and the shadows
faithfully following along the river. It clanked away into the dark
again; but the Mugger and the Jackal were so well used to it that they
never turned their heads.

"Is that anything less wonderful than a boat thrice the size of
Mugger-Ghaut?" said the bird, looking up.

"I saw that built, child. Stone by stone I saw the bridge-piers rise,
and when the men fell off (they were wondrous sure-footed for the most
part--but WHEN they fell) I was ready. After the first pier was made
they never thought