TheHinduchildplayedthisgameclumsily。Thatlittlemind，keenasaniciclewheretallyofjewelswasconcerned，couldnottemperitselftoenteranother’ssoul；butademoninKimwokeupandsangwithjoyasheputonthechangingdresses，andchangedspeechandgesturetherewith。
Carriedawaybyenthusiasm，hevolunteeredtoshowLurganSahiboneeveninghowthedisciplesofacertaincasteoffakir，oldLahoreacquaintances，beggeddolesbytheroadside；andwhatsortoflanguagehewouldusetoanEnglishman，toaPunjabifarmergoingtoafair，andtoawomanwithoutaveil。LurganSahiblaughedimmensely，andbeggedKimtostayashewas，immobileforhalfanhour-cross-legged，ash-smeared，andwild-eyed，inthebackroom。Attheendofthattimeenteredahulking，obeseBabuwhosestockingedlegsshookwithfat，andKimopenedonhimwithashowerofwaysidechaff。LurganSahib-thisannoyedKim-watchedtheBabuandnottheplay。
`Ithink，’saidtheBabuheavily，lightingacigarette，`Iamofopeenionthatitismostextraordinaryandeffeecientperformance。ExceptthatyouhadtoldmeIshouldhaveopinedthat-that-thatyouwerepullingmylegs。Howsooncanhebecomeapproximatelyeffeecientchain-man？BecausethenIshallindentforhim。’
`ThatiswhathemustlearnatLucknow。’
`Thenorderhimtobejolly-dam’quick。Good-night，Lurgan。’TheBabuswungoutwiththegaitofaboggedcow。
Whentheyweretellingovertheday’slistofvisitors，LurganSahibaskedKimwhohethoughtthemanmightbe。
`Godknows！’saidKimcheerily。ThetonemightalmosthavedeceivedMahbubAli，butitfailedentirelywiththehealerofsickpearls。
`Thatistrue。God，Heknows；butIwishtoknowwhatyouthink。’
Kimglancedsidewaysathiscompanion，whoseeyehadawayofcompellingtruth。
`I-IthinkhewillwantmewhenIcomefromtheschool，but’-confidentially，asLurganSahibnoddedapproval`Idonotunderstandhowhecanwearmanydressesandtalkmanytongues。’
`Thouwiltunderstandmanythingslater。HeisawriteroftalesforacertainColonel。HishonourisgreatonlyinSimla，anditisnoticeablethathehasnoname，butonlyanumberandaletter-thatisacustomamongus。’
`Andisthereapriceuponhisheadtoo-asuponMah-alltheothers？’
`Notyet；butifaboyroseupwhoisnowsittinghereandwent-look，thedoorisopen！-asfarasacertainhousewithared-paintedveranda，behindthatwhichwastheoldtheatreintheLowerBazar，andwhisperedthroughtheshutters：`HurreeChunderMookerjeeborethebadnewsoflastmonth’，thatboymighttakeawayabeltfullofrupees。’
`Howmany？’saidKimpromptly。
`Fivehundred-athousand-asmanyashemightaskfor。’
`Good。Andforhowlongmightsuchaboyliveafterthenewswastold？’
HesmiledmerrilyatLurgan’sSahib’sverybeard。
`Ah！Thatistobewellthoughtof。Perhapsifhewereveryclever，hemightliveouttheday-butnotthenight。Bynomeansthenight。’
`ThenwhatistheBabu’spayifsomuchisputuponhishead？’
`Eighty-perhapsahundred-perhapsahundredandfiftyrupees；butthepayistheleastpartofthework。Fromtimetotime，Godcausesmentobeborn-andthouartoneofthem-whohavealusttogoabroadattheriskoftheirlivesanddiscovernews-todayitmaybeoffar-offthings，tomorrowofsomehiddenmountain，andthenextdayofsomenear-bymenwhohavedoneafoolishnessagainsttheState。Thesesoulsareveryfew；andofthesefew，notmorethantenareofthebest。AmongthesetenIcounttheBabu，andthatiscurious。Howgreat，therefore，anddesirablemustbeabusinessthatbrazenstheheartofaBengali！’
`True。Butthedaysgoslowlyforme。Iamyetaboy，anditisonlywithintwomonthsIlearnedtowriteAngrezi。EvennowIcannotreaditwell。AndthereareyetyearsandyearsandlongyearsbeforeIcanbeevenachain-man。’
`Havepatience，FriendofalltheWorld’-Kimstartedatthetitle。
`WouldIhadafewoftheyearsthatsoirkthee。Ihaveprovedtheeinseveralsmallways。ThiswillnotbeforgottenwhenImakemyreporttotheColonelSahib。’Then，changingsuddenlyintoEnglishwithadeeplaugh：
`ByJove！O’Hara，Ithinkthereisagreatdealinyou；butyoumustnotbecomeproudandyoumustnottalk。YoumustgobacktoLucknowandbeagoodlittleboyandmindyourbook，astheEnglishsay，andperhaps，nextholidaysifyoucare，youcancomebacktome！’Kim’sfacefell。`Oh，Imeanifyoulike。Iknowwhereyouwanttogo。’
FourdayslateraseatwasbookedforKimandhissmalltrunkattherearofaKalkatonga。Hiscompanionwasthewhale-likeBabu，who，withafringedshawlwrappedroundhishead，andhisfatopenwork-stockingedleftlegtuckedunderhim，shiveredandgruntedinthemorningchill。
`Howcomesitthatthismanisoneofus？’thoughtKimconsideringthejellybackastheyjolteddowntheroad；andthereflectionshrewhimintomostpleasantday-dreams。LurganSahibhadgivenhimfiverupees-
asplendidsum-aswellastheassuranceofhisprotectionifheworked。
UnlikeMahbub，LurganSahibhadspokenmostexplicitlyoftherewardthatwouldfollowobedience，andKimwascontent。Ifonly，liketheBabu，hecouldenjoythedignityofaletterandanumber-andapriceuponhishead！Somedayhewouldbeallthatandmore。SomedayhemightbealmostasgreatasMahbubAli！ThehousetopsofhissearchshouldbehalfIndia；
hewouldfollowKingsandMinisters，asintheolddayshehadfollowedvakilsandlawyers’toutsacrossLahorecityforMahbubAli’ssake。
Meantime，therewasthepresent，andnotatallunpleasant，factofStXavier’simmediatelybeforehim。Therewouldbenewboystocondescendto，andtherewouldbetalesofholidayadventurestohear。YoungMartin，sonofthetea-planteratManipur，hadboastedthathewouldgotowar，witharifle，againstthehead-hunters。Thatmightbe，butitwascertainyoungMartinhadnotbeenblownhalfacrosstheforecourtofaPatialapalacebyanexplosionoffireworks；norhadhe……Kimfelltotellinghimselfthestoryofhisownadventuresthroughthelastthreemonths。
HecouldparalyseStXavier’s-eventhebiggestboyswhoshaved-withtherecital，werethatpermitted。Butitwas，ofcourse，outofthequestion。
Therewouldbeapriceuponhisheadingoodtime，asLurganSahibhadassuredhim；andifhetalkedfoolishlynow，notonlywouldthatpriceneverbeset，butColonelCreightonwouldcasthimoff-andhewouldbelefttothewrathofLurganSahibandMahbubAli-fortheshortspaceoflifethatwouldremaintohim。
`SoIshouldloseDelhiforthesakeofafish，’washisproverbialphilosophy。Itbehovedhimtoforgethisholidaystherewouldalwaysremainthefunofinventingimaginaryadventuresand，asLurganSahibhadsaid，towork。
OfalltheboyshurryingbacktoStXavier’s，fromSukkurinthesandstoGallebeneaththepalms，nonewassofilledwithvirtueasKimballO’Hara，jiggetingdowntoUmballabehindHurreeChunderMookerjee，whosenameonthebooksofonesectionoftheEthnologicalSurveywasR17。
Andifadditionalspurwereneeded，theBabusuppliedit。AfterahugemealatKalka，hespokeuninterruptedly。WasKimgoingtoschool？Thenhe，anMAofCalcuttaUniversity，wouldexplaintheadvantagesofeducation。
ThereweremarkstobegainedbydueattentiontoLatinandWordsworth’sExcursionallthiswasGreektoKim。French，toowasvital，andthebestwastobepickedupinChandernagoreafewmilesfromCalcutta。
Alsoamanmightgofar，ashehimselfhaddone，bystrictattentiontoplayscalledLearandJuliusCaesar，bothmuchindemandbyexaminers。LearwasnotsofullofhistoricalallusionsasJuliusCaesar；thebookcostfourannas，butcouldbeboughtsecond-handinBowBazarfortwo。StillmoreimportantthanWordsworth，ortheeminentauthors，BurkeandHare，wastheartandscienceofmensuration。Aboywhohadpassedhisexaminationinthesebranches-forwhich，bytheway，therewerenocram-books-could，bymerelymarchingoveracountrywithacompassandalevelandastraighteye，carryawayapictureofthatcountrywhichmightbesoldforlargesumsincoinedsilver。Butasitwasoccasionallyinexpedienttocarryaboutmeasuring-chainsaboywoulddowelltoknowthepreciselengthofhisownfoot-pace，sothatwhenhewasdeprivedofwhatHurreeChundercalledadventitiousaidshemightstilltreadhisdistances。Tokeepcountofthousandsofpaces，HurreeChunder’sexperiencehadshownhimnothingmorevaluablethanarosaryofeighty-oneorahundredandeightbeads，foritwasdivisibleandsub-divisibleintomanymultiplesandsub-multiples。ThroughthevolleyingdriftsofEnglish，Kimcaughtthegeneraltrendofthetalk，anditinterestedhimverymuch。Herewasanewcraftthatamancouldtuckawayinhisheadandbythelookofthelargewideworldunfoldingitselfbeforehim，itseemedthatthemoreamanknewthebetterforhim。
SaidtheBabuwhenhehadtalkedforanhourandahalf`Ihopesomedaytoenjoyyouroffeecialacquaintance。Adinterim，ifImaybepardonedthatexpression，Ishallgiveyouthisbetel-box，whichishighlyvaluablearticleandcostmetworupeesonlyfouryearsago。’Itwasacheap，heart-shapedbrassthingwiththreecompartmentsforcarryingtheeternalbetelnut，limeandpan-leaf；butitwasfilledwithlittletabloid-bottles。
`Thatisrewardofmeritforyourperformanceincharacterofthatholyman。Yousee，youaresoyoungyouthinkyouwilllastforeverandnottakecareofyourbody。Itisgreatnuisancetogosickinthemiddleofbusiness。Iamfondofdrugsmyself；andtheyarehandytocurepoorpeopletoo。ThesearegoodDepartmentaldrugs-quinineandsoon。Igiveityouforsouvenir。Nowgood-bye。Ihaveurgentprivatebusinessherebytheroadside。’
Heslippedoutnoiselesslyasacat，ontheUmballaroad，hailedapassingcartandjingledaway，whileKim，tongue-tied，twiddledthebrassbetel-boxinhishands。Therecordofaboy’seducationinterestsfewsavehisparents，and，asyouknow，Kimwasanorphan。ItiswritteninthebooksofStXavier’sinPartibusthatareportofKim’sprogresswasforwardedattheendofeachtermtoColonelCreightonandtoFatherVictor，fromwhosehandsdulycamethemoneyforhisschooling。Itisfurtherrecordedinthesamebooksthatheshowedagreataptitudeformathematicalstudiesaswellasmap-making，andcarriedawayaprizeTheLifeofLordLawrence，tree-calf；
twovols。，ninerupees，eightannasforproficiencytherein；andthesametermplayedinStXavier’selevenagainsttheAlighurMohammedanCollege，hisagebeingfourteenyearsandtenmonths。Hewasalsore-vaccinatedfromwhichwemayassumethattherehadbeenanotherepidemicofsmallpoxatLucknowaboutthesametime。Pencilnotesontheedgeofanoldmuster-rollrecordthathewaspunishedseveraltimesforconversingwithimproperpersons，anditseemsthathewasoncesentencedtoheavypainsforabsentinghimselfforadayinthecompanyofastreetbeggar。ThatwaswhenhegotoverthegateandpleadedwiththelamathroughawholedaydownthebanksoftheGumtitoaccompanyhimontheRoadnextholidays-foronemonth-foralittleweek；andthelamasethisfaceasaflintagainstit，averringthatthetimehadnotyetcome。Kim’sbusiness，saidtheoldmanastheyatecakestogether，wastogetallthewisdomoftheSahibsandthenhewouldsee。TheHandofFriendshipmustinsomewayhaveavertedtheWhipofCalamity：forsixweekslaterKimseemstohavepassedanexaminationinelementarysurveyingwithgreatcredit，hisagebeingfifteenyearsandeightmonths。Fromthisdatetherecordissilent。
Hisnamedoesnotappearintheyear’sbatchofthosewhoenteredforthesubordinateSurveyofIndia，butagainstitstandthewordsremovedonappointment。
Severaltimesinthosethreeyears，castupattheTempleoftheTirthankarsinBenaresthelama，alittlethinnerandashadeyellower，ifthatwerepossible，butgentleanduntaintedasever。SometimesitwasfromtheSouththathecame-fromsouthofTuticorin，whencethewonderfulfire-boatsgotoCeylonwherearepriestswhoknowPali；sometimesitwasfromthewetgreenWestandthethousandcotton-factorychimneysthatringBombay；