`Stop！’hecried。`Stayhere。Idonotgototheschoolatonce。’
`Butwhatistopaymeforthiscomingandre-coming？’saidthedriverpetulantly。`Istheboymad？Lasttimeitwasadancing-girl。Thistimeitisapriest。’
Kimwasintheroadheadlong，pattingthedustyfeetbeneaththedirtyyellowrobe。
`Ihavewaitedhereadayandahalf，’thelama’slevelvoicebegan。
`Nay，Ihadadisciplewithme。HethatwasmyfriendattheTempleoftheTirthankarsgavemeaguideforthisjourney。IcamefromBenaresinthete-rain，whenthyletterwasgivenme。Yes，Iamwellfed。I
neednothing。’
`ButwhydidstthounotstaywiththeKuluwoman，OHolyOne？InwhatwaydidstthougettoBenares？Myhearthasbeenheavysinceweparted。’
`Thewomanweariedmebyconstantfluxoftalkandrequiringcharmsforchildren。Iseparatedmyselffromthatcompany，permittinghertoacquiremeritbygifts。Sheisatleastawomanofopenhands，andImadeapromisetoreturntoherhouseifneedarose。Then，perceivingmyselfaloneinthisgreatandterribleworld，Ibethoughtmeofthete-raintoBenares，whereIknewoneabodeintheTirthankars’TemplewhowasaSeeker，evenasI。’
`Ah！ThyRiver，’saidKim。`IhadforgottentheRiver。’
`Sosoon，mychela？Ihaveneverforgottenit。ButwhenIhadlefttheeitseemedbetterthatIshouldgototheTempleandtakecounsel，for，lookyou，Indiaisverylarge，anditmaybethatwisemenbeforeus，sometwoorthree，haveleftarecordoftheplaceofourRiver。ThereisdebateintheTempleoftheTirthankarsonthismatter；somesayingonething，andsomeanother。Theyarecourteousfolk。’
`Sobeit；butwhatdostthoudonow？’
`IacquiremeritinthatIhelpthee，mychela，towisdom。ThepriestofthatbodyofmenwhoservetheRedBullwrotemethatallshouldbeasIdesiredforthee。Isentthemoneytosufficeforoneyear，andthenIcame，asthouseestme，towatchfortheegoingupintotheGatesofLearning。AdayandahalfhaveIwaited-notbecauseIwasledbyanyaffectiontowardsthee-thatisnopartoftheWay-but，astheysaidattheTirthankars’Temple，because，moneyhavingbeenpaidforlearning，itwasrightthatIshouldoverseetheendofthematter。Theyresolvedmydoubtsmostclearly。Ihadafearthat，perhaps，IcamebecauseIwishedtoseethee-misguidedbytheRedMistofaffection。Itisnotso……Moreover，Iamtroubledbyadream。’
`Butsurely，HolyOne，thouhastnotforgottentheRoadandallthatbefellonit。Surelyitwasalittletoseemethatthoudidstcome？’
`Thehorsesarecold，anditispasttheirfeeding-time，’whinedthedriver。
`GotoJehannumandabidetherewiththyreputationlessaunt！’Kimsnarledoverhisshoulder。`Iamallaloneinthisland；IknownotwhereIgonorwhatshallbefallme。MyheartwasinthatletterIsentthee。ExceptforMahbubAli，andheisaPathan，Ihavenofriendsavethee，HolyOne。
Donotaltogethergoaway。’
`Ihaveconsideredthatalso，’thelamareplied，inashakingvoIce。
`ItismanifestthatfromtimetotimeIshallacquiremerit-ifbeforethatIhavenotfoundmyRiver-byassuringmyselfthatthyfeetaresetonwisdom。WhattheywillteachtheeIdonotknow，butthepriestwrotemethatnosonofaSahibinallIndiawillbebettertaughtthanthou。
Sofromtimetotime，therefore，Iwillcomeagain。MaybethouwiltbesuchaSahibashewhogavemethesespectacles’-thelamawipedthemelaborately-`intheWonderHouseatLahore。Thatismyhope，forhewasaFountainofWisdom-wiserthanmanyabbots……Again，maybethouwiltforgetmeandourmeetings。’
`IfIeatthybread，’criedKimpassionately，`howshallIeverforgetthee？’
`No-no。’Heputtheboyaside。`ImustgobacktoBenares。Fromtimetotime，nowthatIknowthecustomsofletter-writersinthisland，I
willsendtheealetter，andfromtimetotimeIwillcomeandseethee。’
`ButwhithershallIsendmyletters？’wailedKim，clutchingattherobe，allforgetfulthathewasaSahib。
`TotheTempleoftheTirthankarsatBenares。ThatistheplaceIhavechosentillIfindmyRiver。Donotweep；for，lookyou，allDesireisIllusionandanewbindingupontheWheel。GouptotheGatesofLearning。
Letmeseetheego……Dostthouloveme？Thengo，ormyheartcracks……
Iwillcomeagain。SurelyIwillcomeagain。’
Thelamawatchedtheticca-gharrirumbleintothecompound，andstrodeoff，snuffingbetweeneachlongstride。
TheGatesofLearningshutwithaclang。Thecountrybornandbredboyhashisownmannersandcustoms，whichdonotresemblethoseofanyotherland；andhisteachersapproachhimbyroadswhichanEnglishmasterwouldnotunderstand。Therefore，youwouldscarcelybeinterestedinKim’sexperiencesasaStXavier’sboyamongtwoorthreehundredprecociousyouths，mostofwhomhadneverseenthesea。Hesufferedtheusualpenaltiesforbreakingoutofboundswhentherewascholerainthecity。ThiswasbeforehehadlearnedtowritefairEnglish，andsowasobligedtofindabazarletter-writer。Hewas，ofcourse，indictedforsmokingandfortheuseofabusemorefull-flavouredthanevenStXavier’shadeverheard。HelearnedtowashhimselfwiththeLeviticalscrupulosityofthenative-born，whoinhisheartconsiderstheEnglishmanratherdirty。
Heplayedtheusualtricksonthepatientcooliespullingthepunkahsinthesleeping-roomswheretheboysthreshedthroughthehotnightstellingtalestillthedawn；andquietlyhemeasuredhimselfagainsthisself-reliantmates。
TheyweresonsofsubordinateofficialsintheRailway，Telegraph，andCanalServices；ofwarrant-officers，sometimesretiredandsometimesactingascommanders-in-chieftoafeudatoryRajah’sarmy；ofcaptainsoftheIndianMarineGovernmentpensioners，planters，Presidencyshopkeepers，andmissionaries。AfewwerecadetsoftheoldEurasianhousesthathavetakenstrongrootinDhurrumtollah-Pereiras，DeSouzas，andD’Silvas。
TheirparentscouldwellhaveeducatedtheminEngland，buttheylovedtheschoolthathadservedtheirownyouth，andgenerationfollowedsallow-huedgenerationatStXavier’s。TheirhomesrangedfromHowrahoftherailwaypeopletoabandonedcantonmentslikeMonghyrandChunar；losttea-gardensShillong-way；villageswheretheirfatherswerelargelandholdersinOudhortheDeccan；Mission-stationsaweekfromthenearestrailwayline；seaportsathousandmilessouth，facingthebrazenIndiansurf，andcinchona-plantationssouthofall。Themerestoryoftheiradventures，whichtothemwerenoadventures，ontheirroadtoandfromschoolwouldhavecrispedaWesternboy’shair。Theywereusedtojoggingoffalonethroughahundredmilesofjungle，wheretherewasalwaysthedelightfulchanceofbeingdelayedbytigers；buttheywouldnomorehavebathedintheEnglishChannelinanEnglishAugustthantheirbrothersacrosstheworldwouldhavelainstillwhilealeopardsnuffedattheirpalanquin。Therewereboysoffifteenwhohadspentadayandahalfonanisletinthemiddleofafloodedriver，takingcharge，asbyright，ofacampoffranticpilgrimsreturningfromashrine。Therewereseniorswhohadrequisitionedachance-metRajah’selephant，inthenameofStFrancisXavier，whentheRainsonceblottedoutthecart-trackthatledtotheirfather’sestate，andhadallbutlostthehugebeastinaquicksand。Therewasaboywho，hesaid，andnonedoubted，hadhelpedhisfathertobeatoffwithriflesfromtheverandaarushofAkasinthedayswhenthosehead-hunterswereboldagainstlonelyplantations。
Andeverytalewastoldintheeven，passionlessvoiceofthenative-born，mixedwithquaintreflections，borrowedunconsciouslyfromnativefoster-mothers，andturnsofspeechthatshowedtheyhadbeenthatinstanttranslatedfromthevernacular。Kimwatched，listened，andapproved。Thiswasnotinsipid，single-wordtalkofdrummer-boys。Itdealtwithalifeheknewandinpartunderstood。Theatmospheresuitedhim，andhethrovebyinches。Theygavehimawhitedrillsuitastheweatherwarmed，andherejoicedinthenew-foundbodilycomfortsasherejoicedtousehissharpenedmindoverthetaskstheysethim。HisquicknesswouldhavedelightedanEnglishmaster；butatStXavier’stheyknowthefirstrushofmindsdevelopedbysunandsurroundings，astheyknowthehalf-collapsethatsetsinattwenty-twoortwenty-three。
Nonethelessherememberedtoholdhimselflowly。Whentalesweretoldofhotnights，Kimdidnotsweeptheboardwithhisreminiscences；forStXavier’slooksdownonboyswhogonativeall-together。OnemustneverforgetthatoneisaSahib，andthatsomeday，whenexaminationsarepassed，onewillcommandnatives。Kimmadeanoteofthis，forhebegantounderstandwhereexaminationsled。
ThencametheholidaysfromAugusttoOctober-thelongholidaysimposedbytheheatandtheRains。KimwasinformedthathewouldgonorthtosomestationinthehillsbehindUmballa，whereFatherVictorwouldarrangeforhim。
`Abarrack-school？’saidKim，whohadaskedmanyquestionsandthoughtmore。
`Yes，Isupposeso，’saidthemaster。`Itwillnotdoyouanyharmtokeepyououtofmischief。YoucangoupwithyoungDeCastroasfarasDelhi。’
Kimconsidereditineverypossiblelight。Hehadbeendiligent，evenastheColoneladvised。Aboy’sholidaywashisownproperty-ofsomuchthetalkofhiscompanionshadadvisedhim，-andabarrack-schoolwouldbetormentafterStXavier’s。Moreover-thiswasmagicworthanythingelse-hecouldwrite。Inthreemonthshehaddiscoveredhowmencanspeaktoeachotherwithoutathirdparty，atthecostofhalfanannaandalittleknowledge。Nowordhadcomefromthelama，butthereremainedtheRoad。Kimyearnedforthecaressofsoftmudsquishingupbetweenthetoes，ashismouthwateredformuttonstewedwithbutterandcabbages，forricespeckledwithstrong-scentedcardamoms，forthesaffron-tintedrice，garlicandonions，andtheforbiddengreasysweetmeatsofthebazars。Theywouldfeedhimrawbeefonaplatteratthebarrack-school，andhemustsmokebystealth。Butagain，hewasaSahibandwasatStXavier’s，andthatpigMahbub……No，hewouldnottestMahbub’shospitality-andyet……
Hethoughtitoutaloneinthedormitory，andcametotheconclusionhehadbeenunjusttoMahbub。
Theschoolwasempty；nearlyallthemastershadgoneaway；ColonelCreighton’srailwaypasslayinhishand，andKimpuffedhimselfthathehadnotspentColonelCreighton’sorMahbub’smoneyinriotousliving。
Hewasstilllordoftworupeessevenannas。Hisnewbullock-trunk，markedK。O’H。，andbedding-rolllayintheemptysleeping-room。`Sahibsarealwaystiedtotheirbaggage，’saidKim，noddingatthem。`Youwillstayhere。’Hewentoutintothewarmrain，smilingsinfully，andsoughtacertainhousewhoseoutsidehehadnoteddownsometimebefore……
`Arré；！Dostthouknowwhatmannerofwomenwebeinthisquarter？Oh，shame！’