andthatnothingmightbelacking，russia-leatherslippers，smellingdivinely，witharrogantlycurledtips。
`UponaWednesday，andinthemorning，toputonnewclothesisauspicious，’
saidMahbubsolemnly。`Butwemustnotforgetthewickedfolkintheworld。
So！’
Hecappedallthesplendour，thatwastakingKim’sdelightedbreathaway，withamother-of-pearl，nickel-plated，self-extracting。450revolver。
`Ihadthoughtofasmallerbore，butreflectedthatthistakesGovernmentbullets。Amancanalwayscomebythose-especiallyacrosstheBorder。
Standupandletmelook。’HeclappedKimontheshoulder。`Mayyouneverbetired，Pathan！Oh，theheartstobebroken！Oh，theeyesundertheeyelashes，lookingsideways！’
Kimturnedabout，pointedhistoes，stretched，andfeltmechanicallyforthemoustachethatwasjustbeginning。ThenhestoopedtowardsMahbub’sfeettomakeproperacknowledgmentwithfluttering，quick-pattinghands；
hishearttoofullforwords。Mahbubforestalledandembracedhim。
`Myson’saidhe，`whatneedofwordsbetweenus？Butisnotthelittlegunadelight？Allsixcartridgescomeoutatonetwist。Itisborneinthebosomnexttheskin，which，asitwere，keepsitogled。Neverputitelsewhere，andpleaseGod，thoushaltsomedaykillamanwithit。’
`Haimai！’saidKimruefully。`IfaSahibkillsamanheishangedinthejail。’
`True：butonepacebeyondtheBorder，menarewiser。Putitaway；butfillitfirst。Ofwhatuseisagununfed？’
`WhenIgobacktothemadrissahImustreturnit。Theydonotallowlittleguns。Thouwiltkeepitforme？’
`Son，Iamweariedofthatmadrissah，wheretheytakethebestyearsofamantoteachhimwhathecanonlylearnupontheRoad。ThefollyoftheSahibshasneithertopnorbottom。Nomatter。Maybethywrittenreportshallsavetheefurtherbondage；andGodHeknowsweneedmenmoreandmoreintheGame。’
Theymarched，jaw-boundagainstblowingsand，acrossthesaltdeserttoJodhpur，whereMahbubandhishandsomenephewHabibUllahdidmuchtrading；
andthensorrowfully，inEuropeanclothes，whichhewasfastoutgrowing，Kimwentsecond-classtoStXavier’s。Threeweekslater，ColonelCreighton，pricingTibetanghost-daggersatLurgan’sshop，facedMahbubAliopenlymutinous。LurganSahiboperatedassupportinreserve。
`Theponyismade-finished-mouthedandpaced，Sahib！Fromnowon，daybyday，hewilllosehismannersifheiskeptattricks。Dropthereinonhisbackandletgo，’saidthehorse-dealer。`Weneedhim。’
`Butheissoyoung，Mahbub-notmorethansixteen-ishe？’
`WhenIwasfifteen，Ihadshotmymanandbegotmyman，Sahib。’
`Youimpenitentoldheathen！’CreightonturnedtoLurgan。TheblackbeardnoddedassenttothewisdomoftheAfghan’sdyedscarlet。
`Ishouldhaveusedhimlongago，’saidLurgan。`Theyoungerthebetter。
ThatiswhyIalwayshavemyreallyvaluablejewelswatchedbyachild。
Yousenthimtometotry。Itriedhimineveryway：heistheonlyboyIcouldnotmaketoseethings。’
`Inthecrystal-intheink-pool？’demandedMahbub。
`No。Undermyhand，asItoldyou。Thathasneverhappenedbefore。Itmeansthatheisstrongenough-butyouthinkitskittles，ColonelCreighton-tomakeanyonedoanythinghewants。Andthatisthreeyearsago。Ihavetaughthimagooddealsince，ColonelCreighton。Ithinkyouwastehimnow。’
`Hmm！Maybeyou’reright。But，asyouknow，thereisnoSurveyworkforhimatpresent。’
`Lethimout-lethimgo，’Mahbubinterrupted。`Whoexpectsanycolttocarryheavyweightatfirst？Lethimrunwiththecaravans-likeourwhitecamel-colts-forluck。Iwouldtakehimmyself；but-’
`Thereisalittlebusinesswherehewouldbemostuseful-intheSouth，’
saidLurgan，withpeculiarsuavity，droppinghisheavybluedeyelids。
`E23hasthatinhand，’saidCreightonquickly。`Hemustnotgodownthere。Besides，heknowsnoTurki。’
`Onlytellhimtheshapeandthesmelloftheletterswewantandhewillbringthemback，’Lurganinsisted。
`No。Thatisaman’sjob，’saidCreighton。
Itwasawry-neckedmatterofunauthorizedandincendiarycorrespondencebetweenapersonwhoclaimedtobetheultimateauthorityinallmattersoftheMohammedanreligionthroughouttheworld，andayoungermemberofaroyalhousewhohadbeenbroughttobookforkidnappingwomenwithinBritishterritory。TheMoslemArchbishophadbeenemphaticandover-arrogant；
theyoungprincewasmerelysulkyatthecurtailmentofhisprivileges，buttherewasnoneedheshouldcontinueacorrespondencewhichmightsomedaycompromisehim。Oneletterindeedhadbeenprocured，butthefinderwaslaterfounddeadbytheroadsideinthehabitofanArabtrader，asE23，takingupthework，dulyreported。
Thesefacts，andafewothersnottobepublished，madebothMahbubandCreightonshaketheirheads。
`LethimgooutwithhisRedLama，’saidthehorse-dealerwithvisibleeffort。`Heisfondoftheoldman。Hecanlearnhispacesbytherosaryatleast。’
`Ihavehadsomedealingswiththeoldman-byletter，’saidColonelCreighton，smilingtohimself。`Whithergoeshe？’
`Upanddowntheland，ashehasthesethreeyears。HeseeksaRiverofHealing。God’scurseuponall-’Mahbubcheckedhimself。`HebedsdownattheTempleoftheTirthankarsoratBuddhGayawhenheisinfromtheRoad。Thenhegoestoseetheboyatthemadrissah，asweknowfortheboywaspunishedforittwiceorthrice。Heisquitemad，butapeacefulman。Ihavemethim。TheBabualsohashaddealingswithhim。Wehavewatchedhimforthreeyears。RedLamasarenotsocommoninHindthatonelosestrack。’
`Babusareverycurious，’saidLurganmeditatively。`DoyouknowwhatHurreeBabureallywants？HewantstobemadeamemberoftheRoyalSocietybytakingethnologicalnotes。Itellyou，ItellhimaboutthelamaeverythingwhichMahbubandtheboyhavetoldme。HurreeBabugoesdowntoBenares-athisownexpense，Ithink。’
`Idon’t，’saidCreightonbriefly。HehadpaidHurree’stravellingexpenses，outofamostlivelycuriositytolearnwhatthelamamightbe。
`Andheappliestothelamaforinformationonlamaism，anddevil-dances，andspellsandcharms，severaltimesinthesefewyears。HolyVirgin！I
couldhavetoldhimallthatyeearsago。IthinkHurreeBabuisgettingtoooldfortheRoad。Helikesbettertocollectmannersandcustomsinformation。
Yes，hewantstobeanFRS。’
`Hurreethinkswelloftheboy，doesn’the？’
`Oh，veryindeed-wehavehadsomepleasanteveningsatmylittleplace-butIthinkitwouldbewastetothrowhimawaywithHurreeontheEthnologicalside。’
`Notforafirstexperience。Howdoesthatstrikeyou，Mahbub？Lettheboyrunwiththelamaforsixmonths。Afterthatwecansee。Hewillgetexperience。’
`Hehasitalready，Sahib-asafishcontrolsthewaterheswimsin。
Butforeveryreasonitwillbewelltoloosehimfromtheschool。’
`Verygood，then，’saidCreighton，halftohimself。`Hecangowiththelama，andifHurreeBabucarestokeepaneyeonthemsomuchthebetter。
Hewon’tleadtheboyintoanydangerasMahbubwould。Curious-hiswishtobeanFRS。Veryhuman，too。HeisbestontheEthnologicalside-Hurree。’
NomoneyandnoprefermentwouldhavedrawnCreightonfromhisworkontheIndianSurvey，butdeepinhisheartalsolaytheambitiontowriteFRSafterhisname。Honoursofasortheknewcouldbeobtainedbyingenuityandthehelpoffriends，but，tothebestofhisbelief；nothingsavework-papersrepresentingalifeofit-tookamanintotheSocietywhichhehadbombardedforyearswithmonographsonstrangeAsiaticcultsandunknowncustoms。NinemenoutoftenwouldfleefromaRoyalSocietysoireeinextremityofboredom；butCreightonwasthetenth，andattimeshissoulyearnedforthecrowdedroomsineasyLondonwheresilver-haired，baldheadedgentlemenwhoknownothingoftheArmymoveamongspectroscopicexperiments，thelesserplantsofthefrozentundras，electricflight-measuringmachines，andapparatusforslicingintofractionalmillimetresthelefteyeofthefemalemosquito。Byallrightandreason，itwastheRoyalGeographicalthatshouldhaveappealedtohim，butmenareaschancyaschildrenintheirchoiceofplaythings。SoCreightonsmiled，andthoughtthebetterofHurreeBabu，movedbylikedesire。
Hedroppedtheghost-daggerandlookedupatMahbub。
`Howsooncanwegetthecoltfromthestable？’saidthehorse-dealer，readinghiseyes。
`Hmm！IfIwithdrawhimbyordernow-whatwillhedo，thinkyou？I
haveneverbeforeassistedattheteachingofsuchanone。’
`Hewillcometome，’saidMahbubpromptly。`LurganSahibandIwillpreparehimfortheRoad。’
`Sobeit，then。Forsixmonthsheshallrunathischoice。Butwhowillbehissponsor？’