Another individual, by reason of his having come to India two boats earlier than the Inspector, drew Rs. 500 a month more than he did, this being the Senior Inspector’s Allowance.  That he was reported on as lazy, eccentric, and irregular, made no difference to the fact that he was a fortnight senior to, and therefore worth Rs. 500 a month more than, the next man.  The recipient regarded the extra trifle (L400 a year) as his bare right and merest due.  The Inspector regarded it as an infamous piece of injustice and folly that for fifteen years the whole of this sum should go to a lazy fool because he happened to set sail from England on a certain date, and not a fortnight later.  So he loathed and detested India where he had had bad luck, bad health and what he considered bad treatment, and sympathized with the desire of Moussa Isa.

“Why do you want to go back to Aden?” he inquired in the lingua franca of the Indian Empire, of Moussa whose heart beat high with hope.

“Because here, where there are no lions, wolves think a lion is a dog; here where there are no men, asses think a man is a monkey.  I am a Somal, and these ignorant camels think I am a negro—­a filthy Hubshi.”

“And you tried to kill another boy because he called you ‘Hubshi,’ eh?”

“I did, Sahib, and I will kill him yet if I be not sent to Aden.  If that fail I will kill myself also.”

“Stout fella,” commented the Inspector in his own vernacular, and added, musing aloud:—­

“You’ll come to the gallows through possessing pride, self-respect and determination, my lad.  You’re behind the times—­or rather you maintain a spirit for which Civilization has no use.  You must return to the Wilds of the Earth or else you must be content to become good, grubby, and grey, dull and dejected, sober and sorrowful, respectable and unenterprising—­like me; and you must cultivate fat, propriety, smugness and the Dead Level....  What, you young Devil!  You’d have self-respect and pride, would you; be quick upon the point of honour, eh? revive the duello, what?  Get thee to a—­er—­less civilized and respectable age or place ... in other words, Mr. Toshiwalla, bring the case before the Committee of Visitors.  I’ll put up a note to the effect that he had better be sent back to Aden.  This is a Reformatory, and there’s nothing very reformatory about keeping him to plan murder and suicide because he has been (quite unjustifiably) transported as well as flogged and imprisoned.  Yes, we’ll consider the case.  Meanwhile, keep a sharp eye on him—­and give him all the corn-grinding he can do.  Sweat the Original Sin out of him ... and see he does not secrete any kind of weapon.”