`Maybe。’
`Thatisnotwell。Thesemenfollowdesireandcometoemptiness。Thoumustnotbeoftheirsort。’
`TheUmballapriestsaidthatmyStarwasWar，’Kiminterjected。`I
willaskthesefools-butthereistrulynoneed。Iwillrunawaythisnight，forallIwantedtoseethenewthings。’
KimputtwoorthreequestionsinEnglishtoFatherVictor，translatingtherepliestothelama。
Then：`Hesays，`Youtakehimfrommeandyoucannotsaywhatyouwillmakehim。’Hesays，`TellmebeforeIgo，foritisnotasmallthingtomakeachild。’’
`Youwillbesenttoaschool。Lateron，weshallsee。Kimball，Isupposeyou’dliketobeasoldier？’
`Gorah-log[white-folk]。No-ah！No-ah！’Kimshookhisheadviolently。
Therewasnothinginhiscompositiontowhichdrillandroutineappealed。
`Iwillnotbeasoldier。’
`Youwillbewhatyou’retoldtobe，’saidBennett；`andyoushouldbegratefulthatwe’regoingtohelpyou。’
Kimsmiledcompassionately。Ifthesemenlayunderthedelusionthathewoulddoanythingthathedidnotfancy，somuchthebetter。
Anotherlongsilencefollowed。Bennettfidgetedwithimpatience，andsuggestedcallingasentrytoevictthefakir。
`DotheygiveorselllearningamongtheSahibs？Askthem，’saidthelama，andKiminterpreted。
`Theysaythatmoneyispaidtotheteacher-butthatmoneytheRegimentwillgive……Whatneed？Itisonlyforanight。’
`And-themoremoneyispaidthebetterlearningisgiven？’ThelamadisregardedKim’splansforanearlyflight。`Itisnowrongtopayforlearning。Tohelptheignoranttowisdomisalwaysamerit。’Therosaryclickedfuriouslyasanabacus。Thenhefacedhisoppressors。
`Askthemforhowmuchmoneydotheygiveawiseandsuitableteaching？
Andinwhatcityisthatteachinggiven？’
`Well，’saidFatherVictorinEnglish，whenKimhadtranslated，`thatdepends。TheRegimentwouldpayforyouallthetimeyouareattheMilitaryOrphanage；oryoumightgoonthePunjabMasonicOrphanage’slistnotthatheoryou’udunderstandwhatthatmeans；butthebestschoolingaboycangetinIndiais，ofcourse，atStXavier’sinPartibusatLucknow。’
Thistooksometimetointerpret，forBennettwishedtocutitshort。
`Hewantstoknowhowmuch？’saidKimplacidly。
`Twoorthreehundredrupeesayear。’FatherVictorwaslongpastanysenseofamazement。Bennett，impatient，didnotunderstand。
`Hesays：`Writethatnameandthemoneyuponapaperandgiveithim。’
Andhesaysyoumustwriteyournamebelow，becauseheisgoingtowritealetterinsomedaystoyou。Hesaysyouareagoodman。Hesaystheothermanisafool。Heisgoingaway。’
Thelamarosesuddenly。`IfollowmySearch，’hecried，andwasgone。
`He’llrunslapintothesentries，’criedFatherVictor，jumpingupasthelamastalkedout；`butIcan’tleavetheboy。’Kimmadeswiftmotiontofollow，butcheckedhimself。Therewasnosoundofchallengeoutside。
Thelamahaddisappeared。
KimsettledhimselfcomposedlyontheChaplain’scot。AtleastthelamahadpromisedthathewouldstaywiththeRajputwomanfromKulu，andtherestwasofthesmallestimportance。Itpleasedhimthatthetwopadresweresoevidentlyexcited。Theytalkedlonginundertones，FatherVictorurgingsomeschemeonMrBennett，whoseemedincredulous。Allthiswasverynewandfascinating，butKimfeltsleepy。Theycalledmenintothetent-oneofthemcertainlywastheColonel，ashisfatherhadprophesied-andtheyaskedhimaninfinityofquestions，chieflyaboutthewomanwholookedafterhim，allofwhichKimansweredtruthfully。Theydidnotseemtothinkthewomanagoodguardian。
Afterall，thiswasthenewestofhisexperiences。Soonerorlater，ifhechose，hecouldescapeintogreat，grey，formlessIndia，beyondtentsandpadresandcolonels。Meantime，iftheSahibsweretobeimpressed，hewoulddohisbesttoimpressthem。Hetoowasawhiteman。
Aftermuchtalkthathecouldnotcomprehend，theyhandedhimovertoasergeant，whohadstrictinstructionsnottolethimescape。TheRegimentwouldgoontoUmballa，andKimwouldbesentup，partlyattheexpenseoftheLodgeandinpartbysubscription，toaplacecalledSanawar。
`It’smiraculouspastallwhooping，Colonel，’saidFatherVictor，whenhehadtalkedwithoutabreakfortenminutes。`HisBuddhistfriendhaslevantedaftertakingmynameandaddress。Ican’tquitemakeoutwhetherhe’llpayfortheboy’seducationorwhetherheispreparingsomesortofwitchcraftonhisownaccount。’ThentoKim：`You’lllivetobegratefultoyourfriendtheRedBullyet。We’llmakeamanofyouatSanawar-evenatthepriceo’makingyouaProtestant。’
`Certainly-mostcertainly，’saidBennett。
`ButyouwillnotgotoSanawar，’saidKim。
`ButwewillgotoSanawar，littleman。That’stheorderoftheCommander-in-Chief，who’satriflemoreimportantthanO’Hara’sson。’
`YouwillnotgotoSanawar。YouwillgototheeWar。’
Therewasashoutoflaughterfromthefulltent。
`WhenyouknowyourownRegimentatriflebetteryouwon’tconfusethelineofmarchwithlineofbattle，Kim。Wehopetogoto`theeWar’sometime。’
`Oah，Iknowallthatt。’Kimdrewhisbowagainataventure。Iftheywerenotgoingtothewar，atleasttheydidnotknowwhatheknewofthetalkintheverandaatUmballa。
`Iknowyouarenotattheewarnow；butItellyouthatassoonasyougettoUmballayouwillbesenttothewar-thenewwar。Itisawarofeightthousandmen，besidestheguns。’
`That’sexplicit。D’youaddprophecytoyourothergifts？Takehimalong，sergeant。TakeupasuitforhimfromtheDrums，an’takecarehedoesn’tslipthroughyourfingers。Whosaystheageofmiraclesisgoneby？IthinkI’llgotobed。Mypoormind’sweakening。’
Atthefarendofthecamp，silentasawildanimal，anhourlatersatKim，newlywashedallover，inahorriblestuffsuitthatraspedhisarmsandlegs。
`Amostamazin’youngbird，’saidthesergeant。`Heturnsupinchargeofayellow-headedbuck-Brahminpriest，withhisfather’sLodgecertificatesroundhisneck，talkin’Godknowswhatallofaredbull。Thebuck-Brahminevaporateswithoutexplanations，an’thebhoysetscross-leggedontheChaplain’sbedprophesyin’bloodywartothemenatlarge。Injia’sawildlandforaGod-fearin’man。I’lljusttiehislegtothetent-poleincasehe’llgothroughtheroof。Whatdidyesayaboutthewar？’
`Eightthousandmen，besidesguns，’saidKim。`Verysoonyouwillsee。’
`You’reaconsolin’littleimp。LiedownbetweentheDrumsan’gotobye-bye。Thosetwoboyswillwatchyourslumbers。’
Kipling：Kim，Chapter6Chapter6
NowIremembercomrades——
Oldplaymatesonnewseas——
WhenaswetradedorpimentAmongthesavages。
Tenthousandleaguestosouthward，Andthirtyyearsremoved——
TheyknewnotnobleValdez，Butmetheyknewandloved。
SongofDiegoValdez。VeryearlyinthemorningthewhitetentscamedownanddisappearedastheMaverickstookaside-roadtoUmballa。Itdidnotskirttheresting-place，andKim，trudgingbesideabaggage-cartunderfireofcommentsfromsoldiers’
wives，wasnotsoconfidentasovernight。Hediscoveredthathewascloselywatched-FatherVictorontheoneside，andMrBennettontheother。
Intheforenoonthecolumnchecked。Acamel-orderlyhandedtheColonelaletter。Hereadit，andspoketoaMajor。Halfamileintherear，Kimheardahoarseandjoyfulclamourrollingdownonhimthroughthethickdust。Thensomeonebeathimontheback，crying：`Tellushowyeknew，yelittlelimbofSatan？Fatherdear，seeifyecanmakehimtell。’
Aponyrangedalongside，andhewashauledontothepriest’ssaddle-bow。
`Now，myson，yourprophecyoflastnighthascometrue。OurordersaretoentrainatUmballafortheFronttomorrow。’
`Whatisthatt？’saidKim，forfrontandentrainwerenewishwordstohim。
`Wearegoingto`theeWar，’asyoucalledit。’
`OfcourseyouaregoingtotheeWar。Isaidlastnight。’
`Yedid；but，Powerso’Darkness，howdidyeknow？’