Kim

'I went into their camp and was caught, and by means of the charm about

my neck, which thou knowest, it was established that I was the son of

some man in the regiment: according to the prophecy of the Red Bull,

which thou knowest was common talk of our bazar.' Kim waited for this

shaft to sink into the letter-writer's heart, cleared his throat, and

continued: 'A priest clothed me and gave me a new name ... One

priest, however, was a fool. The clothes are very heavy, but I am a

Sahib and my heart is heavy too. They send me to a school and beat me.

I do not like the air and water here. Come then and help me, Mahbub

Ali, or send me some money, for I have not sufficient to pay the writer

who writes this.'

'"Who writes this." It is my own fault that I was tricked. Thou art

as clever as Husain Bux that forged the Treasury stamps at Nucklao.

But what a tale! What a tale! Is it true by any chance?'

'It does not profit to tell lies to Mahbub Ali. It is better to help

his friends by lending them a stamp. When the money comes I will

repay.'

The writer grunted doubtfully, but took a stamp out of his desk, sealed

the letter, handed it over to Kim, and departed. Mahbub Ali's was a

name of power in Umballa.

'That is the way to win a good account with the Gods,' Kim shouted

after him.

'Pay me twice over when the money comes,' the man cried over his

shoulder.

'What was you bukkin' to that nigger about?' said the drummer-boy when

Kim returned to the veranda. 'I was watch-in' you.'

'I was only talkin' to him.'

'You talk the same as a nigger, don't you?'

'No-ah! No-ah! I onlee speak a little. What shall we do now?'

'The bugles'll go for dinner in arf a minute. My Gawd! I wish I'd

gone up to the Front with the Regiment. It's awful doin' nothin' but

school down 'ere. Don't you 'ate it?'

'Oah yess!'

I'd run away if I knew where to go to, but, as the men say, in this

bloomin' Injia you're only a prisoner at large. You can't desert

without bein' took back at once. I'm fair sick of it.'

'You have been in Be--England?'

'W'y, I only come out last troopin' season with my mother. I should

think I 'ave been in England. What a ignorant little beggar you are!

You was brought up in the gutter, wasn't you?'

'Oah yess. Tell me something about England. My father he came from

there.'

Though he would not say so, Kim of course disbelieved every word the

drummer-boy spoke about the Liverpool suburb which was his England. It

passed the heavy time till dinner--a most unappetizing meal served to

the boys and a few invalids in a corner of a barrack-room. But that he

had written to Mahbub Ali, Kim would have been almost depressed. The

indifference of native crowds he was used to; but this strong

loneliness among white men preyed on him. He was grateful when, in the

course of the afternoon, a big soldier took him over to Father Victor,

who lived in another wing across another dusty parade-ground. The

priest was reading an English letter written in purple ink. He looked

at Kim more curiously than ever.

'An' how do you like it, my son, as far as you've gone? Not much, eh?

It must be hard--very hard on a wild animal. Listen now. I've an

amazin' epistle from your friend.'

'Where is he? Is he well? Oah! If he knows to write me letters, it

is all right.'

'You're fond of him then?'

'Of course I am fond of him. He was fond of me.'

'It seems so by the look of this. He can't write English, can he?'

'Oah no. Not that I know, but of course he found a letter-writer who

can write English verree well, and so he wrote. I do hope you

understand.'

'That accounts for it. D'you know anything about his money affairs?'

Kim's face showed that he did not.

'How can I tell?'

'That's what I'm askin'. Now listen if you can make head or tail o'

this. We'll skip the first part ... It's written from Jagadhir Road

... "Sitting on wayside in grave meditation, trusting to be favoured

with your Honour's applause of present step, which recommend your

Honour to execute for Almighty God's sake. Education is greatest

blessing if of best sorts. Otherwise no earthly use." Faith, the old

man's hit the bull's-eye that time! "If your Honour condescending

giving my boy best educations Xavier" (I suppose that's St Xavier's in

Partibus) "in terms of our conversation dated in your tent 15th

instant" (a business-like touch there!) "then Almighty God blessing

your Honour's succeedings to third an' fourth generation and"--now

listen!--"confide in your Honour's humble servant for adequate

remuneration per hoondi per annum three hundred rupees a year to one

expensive education St Xavier, Lucknow, and allow small time to forward

same per hoondi sent to any part of India as your Honour shall address

yourself. This servant of your Honour has presently no place to lay

crown of his head, but going to Benares by train on account of

persecution of old woman talking so much and unanxious residing

Saharunpore in any domestic capacity." Now what in the world does that

mean?'

'She has asked him to be her puro--her clergyman--at Saharunpore, I

think. He would not do that on account of his River. She did talk.'

'It's clear to you, is it? It beats me altogether. "So going to

Benares, where will find address and forward rupees for boy who is

apple of eye, and for Almighty God's sake execute this education, and

your petitioner as in duty bound shall ever awfully pray. Written by

Sobrao Satai, Failed Entrance Allahabad University, for Venerable

Teshoo Lama the priest of Such-zen looking for a River, address care of

Tirthankars' Temple, Benares. P. M.--Please note boy is apple of eye,

and rupees shall be sent per hoondi three hundred per annum. For God

Almighty's sake." Now, is that ravin' lunacy or a business

proposition? I ask you, because I'm fairly at my wits' end.'

'He says he will give me three hundred rupees a year? So he will give

me them.'

'Oh, that's the way you look at it, is it?'

'Of course. If he says so!'

The priest whistled; then he addressed Kim as an equal. 'I don't

believe it; but we'll see. You were goin' off today to the Military

Orphanage at Sanawar, where the Regiment would keep you till you were

old enough to enlist. Ye'd be brought up to the Church of England.

Bennett arranged for that. On the other hand, if ye go to St Xavier's

ye'll get a better education an--an can have the religion. D'ye see my

dilemma? Kim saw nothing save a vision of the lama going south in a

train with none to beg for him.

'Like most people, I'm going to temporize. If your friend sends the

money from Benares--Powers of Darkness below, where's a street-beggar

to raise three hundred rupees?--ye'll go down to Lucknow and I'll pay

your fare, because I can't touch the subscription-money if I intend, as

I do, to make ye a Catholic. If he doesn't, ye'll go to the Military

Orphanage at the Regiment's expense. I'll allow him three days' grace,

though I don't believe it at all. Even then, if he fails in his

payments later on ... but it's beyond me. We can only walk one step

at a time in this world, praise God! An' they sent Bennett to the Front

an' left me behind. Bennett can't expect everything.'

'Oah yess,' said Kim vaguely.

The priest leaned forward. 'I'd give a month's pay to find what's

goin' on inside that little round head of yours.'

'There is nothing,' said Kim, and scratched it. He was wondering