andoncefromtheNorth，wherehehaddoubledbackeighthundredmilestotalkforadaywiththeKeeperoftheImagesintheWonderHouse。Hewouldstridetohiscellinthecool，cutmarble-thepriestsoftheTempleweregoodtotheoldman，-washoffthedustoftravel，makeprayer，anddepartforLucknow，wellaccustomednowtothewayoftherail，inathird-classcarriage。Returning，itwasnoticeable，ashisfriendtheSeekerpointedouttothehead-priest，thatheceasedforawhiletomournthelossofhisRiver，ortodrawwondrouspicturesoftheWheelofLife，butpreferredtotalkofthebeautyandwisdomofacertainmysteriouschelawhomnomanoftheTemplehadeverseen。Yes，hehadfollowedthetracesoftheBlessedFeetthroughoutallIndia。TheCuratorhasstillinhispossessionamostmarvellousaccountofhiswanderingsandmeditations。ThereremainednothingmoreinlifebuttofindtheRiveroftheArrow。Yetitwasshowntohimindreamsthatitwasamatternottobeundertakenwithanyhopeofsuccessunlessthatseekerhadwithhimtheonechelaappointedtobringtheeventtoahappyissue，andversedingreatwisdom-suchwisdomaswhite-hairedKeepersofImagespossess。Forexampleherecameoutthesnuff-gourd，andthekindlyJainpriestsmadehastetobesilent：
`Longandlongago，whenDevadattawasKingofBenaresletalllistentotheJî；taka！-anelephantwascapturedforatimebytheking’shuntersand，erehebrokefree，beringedwithagrievousleg-iron。
Thishestrovetoremovewithhateandfrenzyinhisheart，andhurryingupanddowntheforests，besoughthisbrother-elephantstowrenchitasunder。
Onebyone，withtheirstrongtrunks，theytriedandfailed。Atthelasttheygaveitastheiropinionthattheringwasnottobebrokenbyanybestialpower。Andinathicket，new-born，wetwithmoistureofbirth，layaday-oldcalfoftheherdwhosemotherhaddied。Thefetteredelephant，forgettinghisownagony，said：`IfIdonothelpthissucklingitwillperishunderourfeet。’Sohestoodabovetheyoungthing，makinghislegsbuttressesagainsttheuneasilymovingherd；andhebeggedmilkofavirtuouscow，andthecalfthrove，andtheringedelephantwasthecalf’sguideanddefence。Nowthedaysofan：elephant-letalllistentotheJî；taka！-
arethirty-fiveyearstohisfullstrength，andthroughthirty-fiveRainstheringedelephantbefriendedtheyounger，andallthewhilethefetterateintotheflesh。
`Thenonedaytheyoungelephantsawthehalf-buriediron，andturningtotheeldersaid：`Whatisthis？’`Itisevenmysorrow，’saidhewhohadbefriendedhim。Thenthatotherputouthistrunkandinthetwinklingofaneyelashabolishedthering，saying：`Theappointedtimehascome。’
Sothevirtuouselephantwhohadwaitedtemperatelyanddonekindactswasrelieved，attheappointedtime，bytheverycalfwhomhehadturnedasidetocherish-letalllistentotheJî；taka！-fortheElephantwasAnanda，andtheCalfthatbroketheringwasnoneotherthanTheLordHimself……’
Thenhewouldshakehisheadbenignly，andovertheever-clickingrosarypointouthowfreethatelephant-calfwasfromthesinofpride。Hewasashumbleasachelawho，seeinghismastersittinginthedustoutsidetheGatesofLearning，overleaptthegatesthoughtheywerelocked
andtookhismastertohisheartinthepresenceoftheproud-stomachedcity。Richwouldbetherewardofsuchamasterandsuchachelawhenthetimecameforthemtoseekfreedomtogether！
Sodidthelamaspeak，comingandgoingacrossIndiaassoftlyasabat。Asharp-tonguedoldwomaninahouseamongthefruit-treesbehindSaharunporehonouredhimasthewomanhonouredtheprophet，buthischamberwasbynomeansuponthewall。Inanapartmentoftheforecourtoverlookedbycooingdoveshewouldsit，whileshelaidasideheruselessveilandchatteredofspiritsandfiendsofKulu，ofgrandchildrenunborn，andofthefree-tonguedbratwhohadtalkedtoherintheresting-place。Once，too，hestrayedalonefromtheGrandTrunkRoadbelowUmballatotheveryvillagewhosepriesthadtriedtodrughim；butthekindHeaventhatguardslamassenthimattwilightthroughthecrops，absorbedandunsuspicious，totheRissaldar’sdoor。Herewasliketohavebeenagravemisunderstanding，fortheoldsoldieraskedhimwhytheFriendoftheStarshadgonethatwayonlysixdaysbefore。
`Thatmaynotbe，’saidthelama。`Hehasgonebacktohisownpeople。’
`Hesatinthatcornertellingahundredmerrytalesfivenightsago，’
hishostinsisted。`True，hevanishedsomewhatsuddenlyinthedawnafterfoolishtalkwithmygranddaughter。Hegrowsapace，butheisthesameFriendoftheStarsasbroughtmetruewordofthewar。Haveyeparted？’
`Yes-andno，’thelamareplied。`We-wehavenotaltogetherparted，butthetimeisnotripethatweshouldtaketheRoadtogether。Heacquireswisdominanotherplace。Wemustwait。’
`Allone-butifitwerenottheboyhowdidhecometospeaksocontinuallyofthee？’
`Andwhatsaidhe？’askedthelamaeagerly。
`Sweetwords-anhundredthousand-thatthouarthisfatherandmotherandsuchall。PitythathedoesnottaketheQueen’sservice。Heisfearless。’
Thisnewsamazedthelama，whodidnotthenknowhowreligiouslyKimkepttothecontractmadewithMahbubAli，andperforceratifiedbyColonelCreighton……
`Thereisnoholdingtheyoungponyfromthegame，’saidthehorse-dealerwhentheColonelpointedoutthatvagabondingoverIndiainholidaytimewasabsurd。`Ifpermissionberefusedtogoandcomeashechooses，hewillmakelightoftherefusal。Thenwhoistocatchhim？ColonelSahib，onlyonceinathousandyearsisahorsebornsowellfittedforthegameasthisourcolt。Andweneedmen。’
Kipling：Kim，Chapter10Chapter10
Yourtiercel’s’toolongathack，Sire。He’snoeyassButapassage-hawkthatfootederewecaughthim，Dangerouslyfreeo’theair。Faith！werehemineAsmine’stheglovehebindstoforhistirings
I’dflyhimwithamake-hawk。He’sinyarakPlumedtotheverypoint-somanned，soweathered……
GivehimthefirmamentGodmadehimfor，Andwhatshalltaketheairofhim？
Cow’sWatchLurganSahibdidnotuseasdirectspeech，buthisadvicetalliedwithMahbub’s；andtheupshotwasgoodforKim。HeknewbetternowthantoleaveLucknowcityinnativegarb，andifMahbubwereanywherewithinreachofaletter，itwastoMahbub’scampheheaded，andmadehischangeunderthePathan’swaryeye。CouldthelittleSurveypaint-boxthatheusedformap-tintinginterm-timehavefoundatonguetotellofholidaydoings，hemighthavebeenexpelled。OnceMahbubandhewenttogetherasfarasthebeautifulcityofBombay，withthreetruckloadsoftram-horses，andMahbubnearlymeltedwhenKimproposedasailinadhowacrosstheIndianOceantobuyGulfArabs，which，heunderstoodfromahanger-onofthedealerAbdulRahman，fetchedbetterpricesthanmereKabulis。
HedippedhishandintothedishwiththatgreattraderwhenMahbubandafewco-religionistswereinvitedtoabigHajdinner。TheycamebackbywayofKarachibysea，whenKimtookhisfirstexperienceofsea-sicknesssittingonthefore-hatchofacoasting-steamer，wellpersuadedhehadbeenpoisoned。TheBabu’sfamousdrug-boxproveduseless，thoughKimhadrestockeditatBombay。MahbubhadbusinessatQuetta，andthereKim，asMahbubadmitted，earnedhiskeep，andperhapsalittleover，byspendingfourcuriousdaysasscullioninthehouseofafatCommissariatsergeant，fromwhoseoffice-box，inanauspiciousmoment，heremovedalittlevellumledgerwhichhecopiedout-itseemedtodealentirelywithcattleandcamelsales-bymoonlight，lyingbehindanouthouse，allthroughonehotnight。Thenhereturnedtheledgertoitsplace，and，atMahbub’sword，leftthatserviceunpaid，rejoininghimsixmilesdowntheroad，thecleancopyinhisbosom。
`Thatsoldierisasmallfish，’MahbubAliexplained，`butintimeweshallcatchthelargerone。Heonlysellsoxenattwoprices-oneforhimselfandonefortheGovernment-whichIdonotthinkisasin。’
`WhycouldnotItakeawaythelittlebookandbedonewithit？’
`Thenhewouldhavebeenfrightened，andhewouldhavetoldhismaster。
Thenweshouldmiss，perhaps，agreatnumberofnewrifleswhichseektheirwayupfromQuettatotheNorth。TheGameissolargethatoneseesbutalittleatatime。’
`Oho！’saidKim，andheldhistongue。Thatwasinthemonsoonholidays，afterhehadtakentheprizeformathematics。TheChristmasholidayshespent-deductingtendaysforprivateamusements-withLurganSahib，wherehesatforthemostpartinfrontofaroaringwood-fire-Jakkoroadwasfourfeetdeepinsnowthatyear-and-thesmallHinduhadgoneawaytobemarried-helpedLurgantothreadpearls。HemadeKimlearnwholechaptersoftheKoranbyheart，tillhecoulddeliverthemwiththeveryrollandcadenceofamullah。Moreover，hetoldKimthenamesandpropertiesofmanynativedrugs，aswellastherunespropertorecitewhenyouadministerthem。Andintheeveningshewrotecharmsonparchment-elaboratepentagramscrownedwiththenamesofdevils-Murra，andAwantheCompanionofKings-allfantasticallywritteninthecorners。Moretothepoint，headvisedKimastothecareofhisownbody，thecureoffever-fits，andsimpleremediesoftheRoad。Aweekbeforeitwastimetogodown，ColonelCreightonSahib-thiswasunfair-sentKimawrittenexamination-paperthatconcerneditselfsolelywithrodsandchainsandlinksandangles。
NextholidayshewasoutwithMahbub，andhere，bytheway，henearlydiedofthirst，ploddingthroughthesandonacameltothemysteriouscityofBikanir，wherethewellsarefourhundredfeetdeep，andlinedthroughoutwithcamel-bone。ItwasnotanamusingtripfromKim’spointofview，because-indefianceofthecontract-theColonelorderedhimtomakeamapofthatwild，walledcity；andsinceMohammedanhorse-boysandpipe-tendersarenotexpectedtodragSurvey-chainsroundthecapitalofanindependentNativeState，Kimwasforcedtopaceallhisdistancesbymeansofabeadrosary。Heusedthecompassforbearingsasoccasionserved-afterdarkchiefly，whenthecamelshadbeenfed-andbythehelpofhislittleSurveypaint-boxofsixcolour-cakesandthreebrushes，heachievedsomethingnotremotelyunlikethecityofJeysulmir。Mahbublaughedagreatdeal，andadvisedhimtomakeupawrittenreportaswell；
andinthebackofthebigaccount-bookthatlayundertheflapofMahbub’spetsaddleKimfelltowork。
`Itmustholdeverythingthatthouhastseenortouchedorconsidered。
WriteasthoughtheJung-i-LatSahibhimselfhadcomebystealthwithavastarmyoutsettingtowar。’
`Howgreatanarmy？’
`Oh，halfalakhofmen。’
`Folly！Rememberhowfewandbadwerethewellsinthesand。Notathousandthirstymencouldcomenearbyhere。’
`Thenwritethatdown-alsoalltheoldbreachesinthewallsandwhencethefirewoodiscut-andwhatisthetemperanddispositionoftheKing。
Istayheretillallmyhorsesaresold。Iwillhirearoombythegateway，andthoushaltbemyaccountant。Thereisagoodlocktothedoor。’
ThereportinitsunmistakableStXavier’srunningscript，andthebrown，yellow，andlake-daubedmap，wasonhandafewyearsagoacarelessclerkfileditwiththeroughnotesofE23’ssecondSeistansurvey，butbynowthepencilcharactersmustbealmostillegible。Kimtranslatedit，sweatingunderthelightofanoil-lamp，toMahbub，theseconddayoftheirreturn-journey。
ThePathanroseandstoopedoverhisdappledsaddle-bags。
`Iknewitwouldbeworthyadressofhonour，andsoImadeoneready，’
hesaid，smiling。`WereIAmirofAfghanistanandsomedaywemayseehim，Iwouldfillthymouthwithgold。’HelaidthegarmentsformallyatKim’sfeet。Therewasagold-embroideredPeshawurturban-cap，risingtoacone，andabigturban-clothendinginabroadfringeofgold。TherewasaDelhiembroideredwaistcoattoslipoveramilkywhiteshirt，fasteningtotheright，ampleandflowing；greenpyjamaswithtwistedsilkwaist-string；