Published: Civil and Military Gazette, 14 March 1888.

Attribution: The story is signed ‘By R.K.’

Text: Civil and Military Gazette.

Notes: At the end of the story in his copy of the suppressed Smith Administration (British Library, file 462, p. 87): RK wrote: ‘I do not remember this thing as mine at all – at all. Rudyard Kipling’. In his copy of Chandler's Summary, RK has put a question mark after the entry for this story. Against these doubts the initials ‘R.K.’ with which the story is signed in the CMG are decisive: they could not have been used by anyone else in that publication.

The story was reprinted in both the suppressed edition of The City of Dreadful Night, 1890, and in the suppressed edition of The Smith Administration, 1891, in which all the stories but this one are certainly known to be by RK.

The story is not to be confused with the story of the same title originally published in The Graphic, Christmas 1896.

‘Bread Upon the Waters’ has been reprinted in the Martindell–Ballard pamphlets and in Harbord, i, 1991–3.

There has been a good deal of discussion in the Helanthammi barracks lately. Chewser began by flourishing round the canteen with a copy of the C.&M. in his hand and fire in his eye. Chewser is the best boxer in the garrison, now that poor Mullane is doing his hundred and sixty-eight days for larking. The men weren't anxious to cross him because he was in the habit of hitting out on slight provocation. Spightly was there, too, and so was Snooker Clarke, who keeps the snakes. Chewser puffed about the canteen, breathing angrily through his nose, for at least five minutes. Then Spightly said, “Wot's on!” Chewser waved the newspaper like a flag of battle, and answered “Bobs is on.” “Then there's something goin’ to come off,” said Snooker Clarke. “Which is it? Sik-kim or the bloomin’ Paythans. Chuck us over the paper.” “Garn ‘ome,” said Chewser. “Tain't neither one nor t'other. Bobs sez I must keep sober.” “Faith, then, you've been movin’ in the best o’ society, that Bobs takes you walkin’ an’ tells you what to do.” Said the Canteen Sergeant, “You'll be above mixin’ in ord'nary p'rades after this.”