Kim

of every So

strove from

atta's rul

ind brings

at Ka

was a market-gardener, Arain by caste, growing vegetables

'is impolite to strangers, intemperate of speech and

s!' shouted the farme

with quiet dignity. 'We go f

ath. 'If the next crops fail, thou

lippers. 'The land is full of begg

i?' said Kim tartly, using the name that a market-gardener least lik

It runs as straight as an arrow, and I pay for the water as though it were molten silv

the river,' said the

strange tall figure. 'I-I would not draw evil upon mysel

st of anger. That clearing from his eyes, he becomes courteous and of an affable

rom hearthstone to byre,' said Kim to the abashed

tily and stepped across the narro

after a pause, 'there is no pride

d he was low-caste

forgot the offence. Moreover, he is as we are, bound upon the Wheel of Things; but he does not tread th

ver?' said Kim, squatting in th

is not the place. O littlest among the waters, if only thou couldst te

wn streak glided from the purple rustling stems to the bank, stretched its

tick,' said Kim. 'I will get

or descending-very far from deliverance. Great evil

native training can quench the w

ened its hood. 'May thy release come soon, brother!' the lama co

art,' Kim whispered, overwhelmed. 'D

t of the cobra's poised head. It fl

he called over

id Kim'. 'I

e does n

oned Chinese quotation which Kim took for a charm. He obeyed and

Kim wiped the sweat from his for

t the rail-carriage fills my head with noises of devil-drums I would go in it to

that day they strolled on, turning aside to every glimpse of water; rousing village dogs and sleeping villages at noonday; the lama replying to

m a place in the shade, a drink of milk, and a meal. The women were always kind, and

as the cattle came in from the grazing-grounds and the women prepared the day's last meal. They had passed be

a string bedstead for the lama, set warm cooked food before him, prepared him a pipe, and

of Lahore, of railway travel, and such-like city things,

the priest. 'How readest thou this talk?' The la

land is full of such. Remember him who came

in a vision promising him Paradise without the burning-pyre if he j

th-shaven priest replied. 'Hear me.' He turned to the lama. 'Three

go to Benares

the road' (it was the Grand Trunk Road he meant) 'and test each stream that it overpasses; for, as I understand, the virtue of thy River

owing old feet such a near road.' A deep, sing-song Chinese half-chant closed the sentence. Even the priest was impr

his snuff-gourd with an important sniff. It

eye where Kim was chatting to a girl in b

d will some day raise him to honour. He is, I think, not altogether of this world. He w

of all the World,' he cried across the

ne's discipl

u are a but

Kim, with a twinkle

'A certain astrologer of that c

f Umballa where we slept last ni

my chela should find his desire within two days. But what s

and looked around at

Star is War,' he

the brickwork plinth under the great tree. Where a native wo

r,' he

a deep voice. 'For there is alway

olding in the village, and though the demands of his sons, now grey-bearded officers on their own account, had impoverished him, he was still a person of consequence. English off

t thousand.' Kim's voice shrilled across the

d man snapped, as though he were asking

im at a venture. '

rd of this,' cried the lama, snuff

disciple. There will rise a war-a war of eight thousand redco

rd bazar-talk,'

e,' said the lama. 'How shou

old man is dead,' muttered the priest

the old soldier suddenly. 'If there

warmed to the game, for it reminded him of experiences in the letter-carrying line, when, for the sake of a few pice, he pretended to know

derlings order the goings of ei

man answered as thou

o He is, then, tha

e seen

now a

e was a lieutenant in the

hair, walking thus?' Kim took a f

seen.' The crowd were breathle

drew a forefinger over his forehead and downwards till it came to rest by the angle of the jaw.) 'Anon He twitches

rticulate with amazement

oes He when He is abo

n the table and He makes a small sniffing noise through his nose. Then

rose stiffly

had heard in the dressing-room at Umballa-'"For," says He, "we shoul

n Him thus in the smoke of bat

saw this in darkness. First came a man to make things clear. Then came horsemen. Then came He

ast all doub

ng alternately at the old man, still at attent

ld?' cried the lama proudly. 'He is the Friend o

othsayer, if the gift abides with thee at all seasons, I have a

y Stars do not concern th

n. 'My man is a buffalo, or he would have cho

y; but one does not know Lahore city, and least of all the fakirs by

ideways, something bitterl

e village? I thought I had seen

' the wo

notoriously the closest-fisted couple in the village. 'It is not well to cheat the temples. Give a young

vingly. 'Not the cunning of forty years could have

lushed with the praise, but still cautious-'Does one grow rich on that? And, a

like when they talked among themselves, and cop

uth or a cloak to other

times mad. There

recommended him to do so, but insisted that the honour of entertaining the lama belonged to the temple-a

hispered, beckoning the ol

osom. Wh

ietly and swift

re is no tic

t the ways? Give me the money and at dawn I will return it.' He sl

ead. 'This is a great and terrible world. I n

interesting evening with the old man, who brought out his cavalry sabre and, balancing it on his dry knee

ama. 'I sleep lightly, as do all old men; but last nigh

rried not a few such remedies to opium-smokers of h

e, and especially the priest, for their great kindness? Truly they are but parast, but in other lives, maybe, they will receive enlightenment. A

d alone?' Kim looked up sharply, like t

first chela died. When men were kind to us we made offering

im drily. 'Their Gods are many-ar

llage street, all shadowy in the dawn, on a punt, scissor-hocked pony. 'Last night broke up the fountains of remembrance in my

on the pommel-staring fiercely over the flat lands towards the North. 'Tell me aga

The villagers seemed almost sorry to be rid of them, but the priest's farewel

od. There is no respect in these days-not even when a Commissioner Sahib comes

k and in act, holy. He is not like the others. I have never seen

e. But I do not know that ot

ward with long, easy, camel-like strides. He was de

Himalayas faint to the eastward. All India was at work in the fields, to the creaking of well-wheels, the shouting of ploughmen behind their cat

rupee to the shrine,' said the lama

beard, so that the lama for t

e River also?' s

a river save to water at before sundown? I co

remembered, O man of goo

ashed as a child interrupted

ncy. Truly the police orders are that no man must bear weapons throughout Hind,

y,' said the lama. 'Wh

would not be a good world for weaponless dreamers. I do not speak witho

ess was th

officers. That was the first evil, but not past remedy if they had then held their hands. But they chose to kill

hed me once long ago. They called

not to know The Year? A rumour ind

e-upon the day that the Excell

e at least-and Delhi is

ildren? That was a bad deed, for whi

regiment of cavalry. It broke. Of six hundred and eighty sabres sto

reater

oodkee and Ferozeshah. I said: "Abide a little and the wind turns. There is no blessing in this work." In those days I rode seventy miles with an English Memsahib and her babe on my saddle-bow. (Wow! That was a horse fit for a man!) I placed them in safety, and back ca

the madness is over, surely?' th

rder, for my captains, who are now generals, remembered me when the Kaisar-i-Hind had accomplished fifty years of her reign, and all the land rejoiced. They said: "Give him the Order of Berittish India." I carry it upon my neck now. I have also my jaghir [holding]

r?' said

o away, but not before

last what wi

last I s

aft

th complaints and reports and bellowings and weepings are presently sent for in haste, as our Colonel used to send for slack-jawed down-country men who talked too much. No, I have never wearied t

from life to life-from despair to despair,' said

rses as in the old days one took women. Well, well, my holding can pay for all. How thinkest thou? It is a well-watered strip, but my men cheat me. I do not know

er desired any

knee once more; a quick wrist and a keen eye; and the marrow t

ength is

ve proved it otherwise,' the old soldier retorted,

a River of g

dge of dropsy. All she gave me was

thy face is the face of the honourable and courteous. Thou hast clung to thy Way, rendering fidelity when it was hard to give, in that Black Year of

ldier smiled, half saluting. '

ise over his face; the soldier sat stiffly on the pony; and Kim, making su

ce faltered, the periods lengthened. Kim was busy watching a grey squirrel. When the little scolding bunch of fur, close pressed to the branch, disappeared, preacher and audience were fast asleep, the old officer's strong-cut head pillowed on his arm, the lama's thrown back against the tree-bole, where it sho

orders? ... It is ... a child! I dreamed it was an alarm. Little on

afraid!' roa

en and a boy? How wilt thou ev

taking no direct notice of

opping a yell midway. 'I have neve

miling, and trailing a

a lump of ghi: This is millet and chil

joy, and snatched at t

. 'Whence hadst thou that s

on a doorstep,' said the lama shyly

and bearing were darkeners of the true light, stumbling-blocks upon the Way. D

ama gravely, recoiling the rosary.

st in thee, my brother. Hai, child!' He threw it a pice. 'Sweetmeats are always sweet.' And as the little figure capered awa

is mine. I listened to thy talk of the world

e? And that song was very well sung. Let us go on and I will

s the field, as wail by long-drawn wail he unfolded the story of Nikal Seyn [Nicholson]-the song th

h, take vengeance for Nikal Seyn.' He quavered it out to the end,

, with four lines of trees; the middle road-all hard-takes the quick traffic. In the days before rail-carriages the Sahibs travelled up and down here in hundreds. Now there are only country-carts and such like. Left and right is the rougher road for the heavy carts-grain and cotton and timber,

ias, pilgrims and potters-all the world going and coming. It is to

r fifteen hundred miles-such a river of life as nowhere else exists in the world. They looked at the green-arched, sha

ut laughingly, as he caught sight of the soldier's swo

I bought it,' was the answer

Sahib, all

ad out from the bank and draws it in again. Ay, this

sand virtueless ones, thy mother was devoted to a devil, being led thereto by her mother. Thy aunts have never had a nose for seven generations! Th

are, with eyes and nostrils aflame, rocketed out of the jam, snorting and wincing as her rider bent her across the road in chase of a shouti

child!' said he briefly, and strove to

police?' cried the carter. '

upsets ten thousand sacks under a young ho

close,' said the old man. The carter ran under the wheels

sons,' said the policeman

last vicious cut with his w

igned back ten yar

an instant, and they embraced