Nowandagain，despiteallmunicipalregulations，thefragmentofahalf-burnedbodybobbedbyonthefullcurrent。
`Butforthee，’saidtheKambohtoKim，drawingthechildintohishairybreast，`Imighttodayhavegonethither-withthisone。TheprieststellusthatBenaresisholywhichnonedoubt-anddesirabletodiein。ButIdonotknowtheirGods，andtheyaskformoney；andwhenonehasdoneoneworshipashaved-headvowsitisofnoneeffectexceptonedoanother。
Washhere！Washthere！Pour，drink，lave，andscatterflowers-butalwayspaythepriests。No，thePunjabforme，andthesoiloftheJullundur-doabforthebestsoilinit。’
`Ihavesaidmanytimes-intheTemple，Ithink-thatifneedbe，theRiverwillopenatourfeet。WewillthereforegoNorth，’saidthelama，rising。`Irememberapleasantplace，setaboutwithfruit-trees，whereonecanwalkinmeditation-andtheairiscoolerthere。ItcomesfromtheHillsandthesnowoftheHills。’
`Whatisthename？’saidKim。
`HowshouldIknow？Didstthounot-no，thatwasaftertheArmyroseoutoftheearthandtooktheeaway。Iabodethereinmeditationinaroomagainstthedovecot-exceptwhenshetalkedeternally。’
`Oho！thewomanfromKulu。ThatisbySaharunpore。’Kimlaughed。
`Howdoesthespiritmovethymaster？Doeshegoafoot，forthesakeofpastsins？’theJatdemandedcautiously。`ItisafarcrytoDelhi。’
`No，’saidKim。`Iwillbegatikkutforthete-rain。’OnedoesnotowntothepossessionofmoneyinIndia。
`Then，inthenameoftheGods，letustakethefire-carriage。Mysonisbestinhismother’sarms。TheGovernmenthasbroughtonusmanytaxes，butitgivesusonegoodthing-thete-rainthatjoinsfriendsandunitestheanxious。Awonderfulmatteristhete-rain。’
Theyallpiledintoitacoupleofhourslater，andsleptthroughtheheatoftheday。TheKambohpliedKimwithtenthousandquestionsastothelama’swalkandworkinlife，andreceivedsomecuriousanswers。Kimwascontenttobewherehewas，tolookoutupontheflatNorth-Westernlandscape，andto-talktothechangingmoboffellow-passengers。Eventoday，ticketsandticket-clippingaredarkoppressiontoIndianrustics。Theydonotunderstandwhy，whentheyhavepaidforamagicpieceofpaper，strangersshouldpunchgreatpiecesoutofthecharm。So，longandfuriousarethedebatesbetweentravellersandEurasianticket-collectors。Kimassistedattwoorthreewithgraveadvice，meanttodarkencounselandtoshowoffhiswisdombeforethelamaandtheadmiringKamboh。ButatSomnaRoadtheFatessenthimamattertothinkupon。Theretumbledintothecompartment，asthetrainwasmovingoff，amean，leanlittleperson-aMahratta，sofarasKimcouldjudgebythecockofthetightturban。
Hisfacewascut，hismuslinupper-garmentwasbadlytorn，andonelegwasbandaged。Hetoldthemthatacountry-carthadupsetandnearlyslainhim：hewasgoingtoDelhi，wherehissonlived。Kimwatchedhimclosely。
If；asheasserted，hehadbeenrolledoverandoverontheearth，thereshouldhavebeensignsofgravel-rashontheskin。Butallhisinjuriesseemedcleancuts，andamerefallfromacartcouldnotcastamanintosuchextremityofterror。As，withshakingfingers，heknottedupthetornclothabouthisneckhelaidbareanamuletofthekindcalledakeeper-upoftheheart。Now，amuletsarecommonenough，buttheyarenotgenerallystrungonsquare-plaitedcopperwire，andstillfeweramuletsbearblackenamelonsilver。TherewerenoneexcepttheKambohandthelamainthecompartment，which，luckily，wasofanoldtypewithsolidends。Kimmadeastoscratchinhisbosom，andtherebyliftedhisownamulet。TheMahratta’sfacechangedaltogetheratthesight，andhedisposedtheamuletfairlyonhisbreast。
`Yes，’hewentontotheKamboh，`Iwasinhaste，andthecart，drivenbyabastard，bounditswheelinawater-cut，andbesidestheharmdonetometherewaslostafulldishoftarkeean。IwasnotaSonoftheCharm[aluckyman]thatday。’
`Thatwasagreatloss，’saidtheKamboh，withdrawinginterest。HisexperienceofBenareshadmadehimsuspicious。
`Whocookedit？’saidKim。
`Awoman。’TheMahrattaraisedhiseyes。
`Butallwomencancooktarkeean，’saidtheKamboh。`Itisagoodcurry，asIknow。’
`Ohyes，itisagoodcurry，’saidtheMahratta。
`Andcheap，’saidKim。`Butwhataboutcaste？’
`Oh，thereisnocastewheremengoto-lookfortarkeean，’
theMahrattareplied，intheprescribedcadence。`Ofwhoseserviceartthou？’
`OftheserviceofthisHolyOne。’Kimpointedtothehappy，drowsylama，whowokewithajerkatthewell-lovedword。
`Ah，hewassentfromHeaventoaidme。HeiscalledtheFriendofalltheWorld。HeisalsocalledtheFriendoftheStars。Hewalksasaphysician-histimebeingripe。Greatishiswisdom。’
`AndaSonoftheCharm，’saidKimunderhisbreath，astheKambohmadehastetoprepareapipelesttheMahrattashouldbeg。
`Andwhoisthat？’theMahrattaasked，glancingsidewaysnervously。
`OnewhosechildI-wehavecured，wholiesundergreatdebttous-
Sitbythewindow，manfromJullundur。Hereisasickone。’
`Humph！Ihavenodesiretomixwithchance-metwastrels。Myearsarenotlong。Iamnotawomanwishingtooverhearsecrets。’
TheJatslidhimselfheavilyintoafarcorner。
`Artthouanythingofahealer？Iamtenleaguesdeepincalamity，’
criedtheMahratta，pickingupthecue。
`Thismaniscutandbruisedallover。Igoabouttocurehim，’Kimretorted。`Noneinterferedbetweenthybabeandme。’
`Iamrebuked，’saidtheKambohmeekly。`Iamthydebtorforthelifeofmyson。Thouartamiracle-worker-Iknowit。’
`Showmethecuts。’KimbentovertheMahratta’sneck，hisheartnearlychokinghim；forthiswastheGreatGamewithavengeance。`Now，tellthytaleswiftly，brother，whileIsayacharm。’
`IcomefromtheSouth，wheremyworklay。Oneofustheyslewbytheroadside。Hastthouheard？’Kimshookhishead。He，ofcourse，knewnothingofE23’spredecessor，slaindownSouthinthehabitofanArabtrader。
`HavingfoundacertainletterwhichIwassenttoseek，Icameaway。I
escapedfromthecityandrantoMhow。SosurewasIthatnoneknew，I
didnotchangemyface。AtMhowawomanbroughtchargeagainstmeoftheftofjewelleryinthatcitywhichIhadleft。ThenIsawthecrywasoutagainstme。IranfromMhowbynight，bribingthepolice，whohadbeenbribedtohandmeoverwithoutquestiontomyenemiesintheSouth。ThenIlayinoldChitorcityaweek，apenitentinatemple，butIcouldnotgetridoftheletterwhichwasmycharge。IburieditundertheQueen’sStone，atChitor，intheplaceknowntousall。’
Kimdidnotknow，butnotforworldswouldhehavebrokenthethread。
`AtChitor，lookyou，IwasallinKings’country；forKotahtotheeastisbeyondtheQueen’slaw，andeastagainlieJaipurandGwalior。
Neitherlovespies，andthereisnojustice。Iwashuntedlikeawetjackal；
butIbrokethroughatBandakui，whereIheardtherewasachargeagainstmeofmurderinthecityIhadleft-ofthemurderofaboy。Theyhaveboththecorpseandthewitnesseswaiting。’
`ButcannottheGovernmentprotect？’
`WeoftheGamearebeyondprotection。Ifwedie，wedie。Ournamesareblottedfromthebook。Thatisall。AtBandakui，wherelivesoneofUs，Ithoughttoslipthescentbychangingmyface，andsomademeaMahratta。
ThenIcametoAgra，andwouldhaveturnedbacktoChitortorecovertheletter。SosureIwasIhadslippedthem。ThereforeIdidnotsendatar[telegram]toanyonesayingwheretheletterlay。Iwishedthecreditofitall。’
Kimnodded。Heunderstoodthatfeelingwell。
`ButatAgra，walkinginthestreets，amancriedadebtagainstme，andapproachingwithmanywitnesses，wouldhalemetothecourtsthenandthere。Oh，theyarecleverintheSouth！Herecognizedmeashisagentforcotton。MayheburninHellforit！’
`Andwastthou？’
`Ofool！Iwasthemantheysoughtforthematteroftheletter！IranintotheFleshers’WardandcameoutbytheHouseoftheJew，whofearedariotandpushedmeforth。IcameafoottoSomnaRoad-IhadonlymoneyformytikkuttoDelhi-andthere，whileIlayinaditchwithafever，onesprangoutofthebushesandbeatmeandcutmeandsearchedmefromheadtofoot。Withinearshotofthete-rainitwas！’
`Whydidhenotslaytheeoutofhand？’
`Theyarenotsofoolish。IfIamtakeninDelhiattheinstanceoflawyers，uponaprovenchargeofmurder，mybodyishandedovertotheStatethatdesiresit。Igobackguarded，andthen-IdieslowlyforanexampletotherestofUs。TheSouthisnotmycountry。Irunincircles-likeagoatwithoneeye。Ihavenoteatenfortwodays。Iammarked’-
hetouchedthefilthybandageonhisleg-`sothattheywillknowmeatDelhi。’
`Thouartsafeinthete-rain，atleast。’
`LiveayearattheGreatGameandtellmethatagain！ThewireswillbeoutagainstmeatDelhi，describingeverytearandraguponme。Twenty-ahundred，ifneedbe-willhaveseenmeslaythatboy。Andthouartuseless！’
Kimknewenoughofnativemethodsofattacknottodoubtthatthecasewouldbedeadlycomplete-eventothecorpse。TheMahrattatwitchedhisfingerswithpainfromtimetotime。TheKambohinhiscornerglaredsullenly；