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Many years ago Colonel Marshall recorded the case of a nest at Naini Tal "at the side of a narrow glen with a northern aspect and about four feet above the pathway, close to a spring from which my bhisti daily draws water, the bird sitting fearlessly while passed and repassed by people going down the glen within a foot or two of the nest."
Very little was left of the unfortunate bhisti only the skull, the jaws, a few of the larger bones and a portion of the palm with one or two fingers attached. Again it was decided to move the hospital; and again, before nightfall, the work was completed, including a still stronger and thicker boma.
Now in Injia's sunny clime, Where I used to spend my time A-servin' of 'Er Majesty the Queen, Of all them blackfaced crew The finest man I knew Was our regimental bhisti, Gunga Din. He was "Din! Din! Din! You limping lump o' brick-dust, Gunga Din! Hi! slippery hitherao! Water, get it!
And so the highest distinction open to an Indian soldier was bestowed on Juma the bhisti; and further, the soldiers petitioned that he should be enlisted and serve in the ranks as a soldier, and no longer be menially employed.
The sound of a perpetual muffin-bell was ringing backwards and forwards the bhisti of Tangier, with his hairy goatskinful of water across his back, and two bright brass bowls hung by a chain round his neck, a bell in one hand, with the other dealing out drinks of water for a Moorish copper coin of which a penny contains fifteen.
The bhisti, it appears, had been lying on the floor, with his head towards the centre of the tent and his feet neatly touching the side. The lion managed to get its head in below the canvas, seized him by the foot and pulled him out.
Ask. him that also, O thou Little Friend of all the World. But Kim had danced off ere the end of the sentence, dodging pariah dogs and hungry acquaintances. 'Thus do we beg who know the way of it, said he proudly to the lama, who opened his eyes at the contents of the bowl. 'Eat now and I will eat with thee. Ohe, bhisti! he called to the water-carrier, sluicing the crotons by the Museum.
'Give water here. We men are thirsty. 'We men! said the bhisti, laughing. 'Is one skinful enough for such a pair? Drink, then, in the name of the Compassionate. He loosed a thin stream into Kim's hands, who drank native fashion; but the lama must needs pull out a cup from his inexhaustible upper draperies and drink ceremonially. They ate together in great content, clearing the beggingbowl.
The name of the bhisti was Juma, and so gallantly did he behave in action at Delhi, calmly carrying water to the wounded and dying under the most tremendous fire, that the soldiers themselves said: "This man is the bravest of the brave, for without arms or protection of any sort he is in the foremost line; if any one deserves the star for valour this man does."
Ordinarily the Indian water carrier, or bhisti, is attired more nearly after the manner described in Kipling's poem: "The uniform 'e wore Was nothing much before An' rather less than 'arf o' that be'ind. For a twisty piece o' rag and a goatskin leather bag Was all the field equipment 'e could find."
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