TheColonelSahibislookingatit。’
　　`Whatgoodisallthistome？’saidKimwearily。`Thouwiltgoaway，andtheywillreturnmetothoseemptyroomswherethereisnogoodplacetosleepandwheretheboysbeatme。’
　　`Idonotthinkthat。Havepatience，child。AllPathansarenotfaithless-exceptinhorseflesh。’
　　Five-ten-fifteenminutespassed，FatherVictortalkingenergeticallyoraskingquestionswhichtheColonelanswered。
　　`NowI’vetoldyoueverythingthatIknowabouttheboyfrombeginnin’
　　toend；andit’sablessedrelieftome。Didyeeverhearthelike？’
　　`Atanyrate，theoldmanhassentthemoney。GobindSahai’snotesofhandaregoodfromheretoChina，’saidtheColonel。`Themoreoneknowsaboutnativesthelesscanonesaywhattheywillorwon’tdo。’
　　`That’sconsolin’-fromtheheadoftheEthnologicalSurvey。It’sthismixtureofRedBullsandRiversofHealingpoorheathen，Godhelphim！
　　an’notesofhandandMasoniccertificates。AreyouaMason，byanychance？’
　　`ByJove，Iam，nowIcometothinkofit。That’sanadditionalreason，’
　　saidtheColonelabsently。
　　`I’mgladyeseeareasoninit。ButasIsaid，it’sthemixtureo’
　　thingsthat’sbeyondme。An’hisprophesyin’toourColonel，sittingonmybedwithhislittleshimmytornopenshowinghiswhiteskin；an’theprophecycomin’true！They’llcureallthatnonsenseatStXavier’s，eh？’
　　`Sprinklehimwithholywater，’theColonellaughed。
　　`Onmyword，IfancyIoughttosometimes。ButI’mhopinghe’llbebroughtupasagoodCatholic。Allthattroublesmeiswhat’llhappeniftheoldbeggar-man-’
　　`Lama，lama，mydearsir；andsomeofthemaregentlemenintheirowncountry。’
　　`Thelama，then，failstopaynextyear。He’safinebusinessheadtoplanonthespurofthemoment，buthe’sboundtodiesomeday。An’takin’
　　aheathen’smoneytogiveachildaChristianeducation-’
　　`Buthesaidexplicitlywhathewanted。Assoonasheknewtheboywaswhiteheseemstohavemadehisarrangementsaccordingly。I’dgiveamonth’spaytohearhowheexplaineditallattheTirthankars’TempleatBenares。
　　Lookhere，Padre，Idon’tpretendtoknowmuchaboutnatives，butifhesayshe’llpay，he’llpay-deadoralive。Imean，hisheirswillassumethedebt。Myadvicetoyouis，sendtheboydowntoLucknow。IfyourAnglicanChaplainthinksyou’vestolenamarchonhim-’
　　`BadlucktoBennett！HewassenttotheFrontinsteado’me。Doughtycertifiedmemedicallyunfit。I’llexcommunicateDoughtyifhecomesbackalive！SurelyBennettoughttobecontentwith-’
　　`Glory，leavingyouthereligion。Quiteso！AsamatteroffactIdon’tthinkBennettwillmind。Puttheblameonme。I-er-stronglyrecommendsendingtheboytoStXavier’s。Hecangodownonpassasasoldier’sorphan，sotherailwayfarewillbesaved。YoucanbuyhimanoutfitfromtheRegimentalsubscriptionTheLodgewillbesavedtheexpenseofhiseducation，andthatwillputtheLodgeinagoodtemper。It’sperfectlyeasy。I’vegottogodowntoLucknownextweek。I’lllookaftertheboyontheway-givehiminchargeofmyservants，andsoon。’
　　`You’reagoodman。’
　　`Notintheleast。Don’tmakethatmistake。Thelamahassentusmoneyforadefiniteend。Wecan’tverywellreturnit。Weshallhavetodoashesays。Well，that’ssettled，isn’tit？Shallwesaythat，Tuesdaynext，you’llhandhimovertomeatthenighttrainsouth？That’sonlythreedays。Hecan’tdomuchharminthreedays。’
　　`It’saweightoffmymind，but-thisthinghere？’-hewavedthenoteofhand-`Idon’tknowGobindSahai：orhisbank，whichmaybeaholeinawall。’
　　`You’veneverbeenasubalternindebt。I’llcashitifyoulike，andsendyouthevouchersinproperorder。’
　　`Butwithallyourownworktoo！It’saskin’-’
　　`It’snottheleasttroubleindeed。Yousee，asanethnologist，thething’sveryinterestingtome。I’dliketomakeanoteofitforsomeGovernmentworkthatI’mdoing。ThetransformationofaregimentalbadgelikeyourRedBullintoasortoffetishthattheboyfollowsisveryinteresting。’
　　`ButIcan’tthankyouenough。’
　　`There’sonethingyoucando。AllweEthnologicalmenareasjealousasjackdawsofoneanother’sdiscoveries。They’reofnointeresttoanyonebutourselves，ofcourse，butyouknowwhatbook-collectorsarelike。Well，don’tsayaword，directlyorindirectly，abouttheAsiaticsideoftheboy’scharacter-hisadventuresandhisprophecy，andsoon。I’llwormthemoutoftheboylateronand-yousee？’
　　`Ido。Ye’llmakeawonderfulaccountofit。NeverawordwillIsaytoanyonetillIseeitinprint。’
　　`Thankyou。Thatgoesstraighttoanethnologist’sheart。Well，Imustbegettingbacktomybreakfast。GoodHeavens！OldMahbubherestill？’
　　Heraisedhisvoice，andthehorse-dealercameoutfromundertheshadowofthetree，`Well，whatisit？’
　　`Asregardsthatyounghorse，’saidMahbub，`Isaythatwhenacoltisborntobeapolo-pony，closelyfollowingtheballwithoutteaching-whensuchacoltknowsthegamebydivination-thenIsayitisagreatwrongtobreakthatcolttoaheavycart，Sahib！’
　　`SosayIalso，Mahbub。Thecoltwillbeenteredforpoloonly。Thesefellowsthinkofnothingintheworldbuthorses，Padre。I’llseeyoutomorrow，Mahbub，ifyou’veanythinglikelyforsale。’
　　Thedealersaluted，horseman-fashion，withasweepoftheoffhand。
　　`Bepatientalittle，FriendofalltheWorld，’hewhisperedtotheagonizedKim。`Thyfortuneismade。InalittlewhilethougoesttoNucklao，and-hereissomethingtopaytheletter-writer。Ishallseetheeagain，I
　　think，manytimes，’andhecanteredoffdowntheroad。
　　`Listentome，’saidtheColonelfromtheveranda，speakinginthevernacular。
　　`InthreedaysthouwiltgowithmetoLucknow，seeingandhearingnewthingsallthewhile。Thereforesitstillforthreedaysanddonotrunaway。ThouwiltgotoschoolatLucknow。’
　　`ShallImeetmyHolyOnethere？’Kimwhimpered。
　　`AtleastLucknowisnearertoBenaresthanUmballa。Itmaybethouwiltgoundermyprotection。MahbubAliknowsthis，andhewillbeangryifthoureturnesttotheRoadnow。Remember-muchhasbeentoldmewhichIdonotforget。’
　　`Iwillwait，’saidKim，`buttheboyswillbeatme。’
　　Thenthebuglesblewfordinner。
　　Kipling：Kim，Chapter7Chapter7
　　UntowhoseusethepregnantsunsarepoisedWithidiotmoonsandstarsretracingstars？
　　Creepthoubetweene-thycoming’sallunnoised。
　　Heavenhathherhigh，asEarthherbaser，wars。
　　Heirtothesetumults，thisaffright，thatfrayeByAdam’s，fathers’，own，sinboundaway；
　　Peerup，drawoutthyhoroscopeandsayWhichplanetmendsthythreadbarefateormars！
　　SirJohnChristie。Intheafternoonthered-facedschoolmastertoldKimthathehadbeenstruckoffthestrength，whichconveyednomeaningtohimtillhewasorderedtogoawayandplay。Thenherantothebazar，andfoundtheyoungletter-writertowhomheowedastamp。
　　`NowIpay，’saidKimroyally，`andnowIneedanotherlettertobewritten。’
　　`MahbubAliisinUmballa，’saidthewriterjauntily。Hewas，byvirtueofhisoffice，abureauofgeneralmisinformation。
　　`ThisisnottoMahbub，buttoapriest。Takethypenandwritequickly。
　　`ToTeshooLama，theHolyOnefromBhotyaseekingforaRiver，whoisnowintheTempleoftheTirthankarsatBenares’。Takemoreink！`InthreedaysIamtogodowntoNucklaototheschoolatNucklao。ThenameoftheschoolisXavier。Idonotknowwherethatschoolis，butitisatNucklao’。’
　　`ButIknowNucklao，’thewriterinterrupted。`Iknowtheschool。’
　　`Tellhimwhereitis，andIgivehalfananna。’
　　Thereedpenscratchedbusily。`Hecannotmistake。’Themanliftedhishead。`Whowatchesusacrossthestreet？’
　　KimlookeduphurriedlyandsawColonelCreightonintennis-flannels。
　　`Oh，thatissomeSahibwhoknowsthefatpriestinthebarracks。Heisbeckoningme。’
　　`Whatdostthou？’saidtheColonel，whenKimtrottedup。
　　`I-Iamnotrunningaway。IsendalettertomyHolyOneatBenares。’
　　`Ihadnotthoughtofthat。HastthousaidthatItaketheetoLucknow？’