In kipling poem gunga din what is a dooli?

In Rudyard Kipling's poem "Gunga Din," a dooli is a litter or stretcher, carried by two or more bearers. It's used to transport people, often injured or sick, in places where wheeled vehicles are impractical.

In the poem, the dooli is specifically mentioned when Gunga Din carries the narrator's wounded comrade through a battle:

> "Then I looked at the dooli, I looked at the men,

> An' I looked at the stretcher that carried him then;

> 'If you're wounded and fallin', they'll pick up your gun,

> An' carry you out to the shade of the gun."

The dooli is symbolic of the selfless and courageous nature of the native Indian water-carrier, Gunga Din, who is willing to risk his own life to help others.