TheColonelSahibislookingatit。’
`Whatgoodisallthistome？’saidKimwearily。`Thouwiltgoaway，andtheywillreturnmetothoseemptyroomswherethereisnogoodplacetosleepandwheretheboysbeatme。’
`Idonotthinkthat。Havepatience，child。AllPathansarenotfaithless-exceptinhorseflesh。’
Five-ten-fifteenminutespassed，FatherVictortalkingenergeticallyoraskingquestionswhichtheColonelanswered。
`NowI’vetoldyoueverythingthatIknowabouttheboyfrombeginnin’
toend；andit’sablessedrelieftome。Didyeeverhearthelike？’
`Atanyrate，theoldmanhassentthemoney。GobindSahai’snotesofhandaregoodfromheretoChina，’saidtheColonel。`Themoreoneknowsaboutnativesthelesscanonesaywhattheywillorwon’tdo。’
`That’sconsolin’-fromtheheadoftheEthnologicalSurvey。It’sthismixtureofRedBullsandRiversofHealingpoorheathen，Godhelphim！
an’notesofhandandMasoniccertificates。AreyouaMason，byanychance？’
`ByJove，Iam，nowIcometothinkofit。That’sanadditionalreason，’
saidtheColonelabsently。
`I’mgladyeseeareasoninit。ButasIsaid，it’sthemixtureo’
thingsthat’sbeyondme。An’hisprophesyin’toourColonel，sittingonmybedwithhislittleshimmytornopenshowinghiswhiteskin；an’theprophecycomin’true！They’llcureallthatnonsenseatStXavier’s，eh？’
`Sprinklehimwithholywater，’theColonellaughed。
`Onmyword，IfancyIoughttosometimes。ButI’mhopinghe’llbebroughtupasagoodCatholic。Allthattroublesmeiswhat’llhappeniftheoldbeggar-man-’
`Lama，lama，mydearsir；andsomeofthemaregentlemenintheirowncountry。’
`Thelama，then，failstopaynextyear。He’safinebusinessheadtoplanonthespurofthemoment，buthe’sboundtodiesomeday。An’takin’
aheathen’smoneytogiveachildaChristianeducation-’
`Buthesaidexplicitlywhathewanted。Assoonasheknewtheboywaswhiteheseemstohavemadehisarrangementsaccordingly。I’dgiveamonth’spaytohearhowheexplaineditallattheTirthankars’TempleatBenares。
Lookhere，Padre，Idon’tpretendtoknowmuchaboutnatives，butifhesayshe’llpay，he’llpay-deadoralive。Imean，hisheirswillassumethedebt。Myadvicetoyouis，sendtheboydowntoLucknow。IfyourAnglicanChaplainthinksyou’vestolenamarchonhim-’
`BadlucktoBennett！HewassenttotheFrontinsteado’me。Doughtycertifiedmemedicallyunfit。I’llexcommunicateDoughtyifhecomesbackalive！SurelyBennettoughttobecontentwith-’
`Glory，leavingyouthereligion。Quiteso！AsamatteroffactIdon’tthinkBennettwillmind。Puttheblameonme。I-er-stronglyrecommendsendingtheboytoStXavier’s。Hecangodownonpassasasoldier’sorphan，sotherailwayfarewillbesaved。YoucanbuyhimanoutfitfromtheRegimentalsubscriptionTheLodgewillbesavedtheexpenseofhiseducation，andthatwillputtheLodgeinagoodtemper。It’sperfectlyeasy。I’vegottogodowntoLucknownextweek。I’lllookaftertheboyontheway-givehiminchargeofmyservants，andsoon。’
`You’reagoodman。’
`Notintheleast。Don’tmakethatmistake。Thelamahassentusmoneyforadefiniteend。Wecan’tverywellreturnit。Weshallhavetodoashesays。Well，that’ssettled，isn’tit？Shallwesaythat，Tuesdaynext，you’llhandhimovertomeatthenighttrainsouth？That’sonlythreedays。Hecan’tdomuchharminthreedays。’
`It’saweightoffmymind，but-thisthinghere？’-hewavedthenoteofhand-`Idon’tknowGobindSahai：orhisbank，whichmaybeaholeinawall。’
`You’veneverbeenasubalternindebt。I’llcashitifyoulike，andsendyouthevouchersinproperorder。’
`Butwithallyourownworktoo！It’saskin’-’
`It’snottheleasttroubleindeed。Yousee，asanethnologist，thething’sveryinterestingtome。I’dliketomakeanoteofitforsomeGovernmentworkthatI’mdoing。ThetransformationofaregimentalbadgelikeyourRedBullintoasortoffetishthattheboyfollowsisveryinteresting。’
`ButIcan’tthankyouenough。’
`There’sonethingyoucando。AllweEthnologicalmenareasjealousasjackdawsofoneanother’sdiscoveries。They’reofnointeresttoanyonebutourselves，ofcourse，butyouknowwhatbook-collectorsarelike。Well，don’tsayaword，directlyorindirectly，abouttheAsiaticsideoftheboy’scharacter-hisadventuresandhisprophecy，andsoon。I’llwormthemoutoftheboylateronand-yousee？’
`Ido。Ye’llmakeawonderfulaccountofit。NeverawordwillIsaytoanyonetillIseeitinprint。’
`Thankyou。Thatgoesstraighttoanethnologist’sheart。Well，Imustbegettingbacktomybreakfast。GoodHeavens！OldMahbubherestill？’
Heraisedhisvoice，andthehorse-dealercameoutfromundertheshadowofthetree，`Well，whatisit？’
`Asregardsthatyounghorse，’saidMahbub，`Isaythatwhenacoltisborntobeapolo-pony，closelyfollowingtheballwithoutteaching-whensuchacoltknowsthegamebydivination-thenIsayitisagreatwrongtobreakthatcolttoaheavycart，Sahib！’
`SosayIalso，Mahbub。Thecoltwillbeenteredforpoloonly。Thesefellowsthinkofnothingintheworldbuthorses，Padre。I’llseeyoutomorrow，Mahbub，ifyou’veanythinglikelyforsale。’
Thedealersaluted，horseman-fashion，withasweepoftheoffhand。
`Bepatientalittle，FriendofalltheWorld，’hewhisperedtotheagonizedKim。`Thyfortuneismade。InalittlewhilethougoesttoNucklao，and-hereissomethingtopaytheletter-writer。Ishallseetheeagain，I
think，manytimes，’andhecanteredoffdowntheroad。
`Listentome，’saidtheColonelfromtheveranda，speakinginthevernacular。
`InthreedaysthouwiltgowithmetoLucknow，seeingandhearingnewthingsallthewhile。Thereforesitstillforthreedaysanddonotrunaway。ThouwiltgotoschoolatLucknow。’
`ShallImeetmyHolyOnethere？’Kimwhimpered。
`AtleastLucknowisnearertoBenaresthanUmballa。Itmaybethouwiltgoundermyprotection。MahbubAliknowsthis，andhewillbeangryifthoureturnesttotheRoadnow。Remember-muchhasbeentoldmewhichIdonotforget。’
`Iwillwait，’saidKim，`buttheboyswillbeatme。’
Thenthebuglesblewfordinner。
Kipling：Kim，Chapter7Chapter7
UntowhoseusethepregnantsunsarepoisedWithidiotmoonsandstarsretracingstars？
Creepthoubetweene-thycoming’sallunnoised。
Heavenhathherhigh，asEarthherbaser，wars。
Heirtothesetumults，thisaffright，thatfrayeByAdam’s，fathers’，own，sinboundaway；
Peerup，drawoutthyhoroscopeandsayWhichplanetmendsthythreadbarefateormars！
SirJohnChristie。Intheafternoonthered-facedschoolmastertoldKimthathehadbeenstruckoffthestrength，whichconveyednomeaningtohimtillhewasorderedtogoawayandplay。Thenherantothebazar，andfoundtheyoungletter-writertowhomheowedastamp。
`NowIpay，’saidKimroyally，`andnowIneedanotherlettertobewritten。’
`MahbubAliisinUmballa，’saidthewriterjauntily。Hewas，byvirtueofhisoffice，abureauofgeneralmisinformation。
`ThisisnottoMahbub，buttoapriest。Takethypenandwritequickly。
`ToTeshooLama，theHolyOnefromBhotyaseekingforaRiver，whoisnowintheTempleoftheTirthankarsatBenares’。Takemoreink！`InthreedaysIamtogodowntoNucklaototheschoolatNucklao。ThenameoftheschoolisXavier。Idonotknowwherethatschoolis，butitisatNucklao’。’
`ButIknowNucklao，’thewriterinterrupted。`Iknowtheschool。’
`Tellhimwhereitis，andIgivehalfananna。’
Thereedpenscratchedbusily。`Hecannotmistake。’Themanliftedhishead。`Whowatchesusacrossthestreet？’
KimlookeduphurriedlyandsawColonelCreightonintennis-flannels。
`Oh，thatissomeSahibwhoknowsthefatpriestinthebarracks。Heisbeckoningme。’
`Whatdostthou？’saidtheColonel，whenKimtrottedup。
`I-Iamnotrunningaway。IsendalettertomyHolyOneatBenares。’
`Ihadnotthoughtofthat。HastthousaidthatItaketheetoLucknow？’