`Stop！’hecried。`Stayhere。Idonotgototheschoolatonce。’
　　`Butwhatistopaymeforthiscomingandre-coming？’saidthedriverpetulantly。`Istheboymad？Lasttimeitwasadancing-girl。Thistimeitisapriest。’
　　Kimwasintheroadheadlong，pattingthedustyfeetbeneaththedirtyyellowrobe。
　　`Ihavewaitedhereadayandahalf，’thelama’slevelvoicebegan。
　　`Nay，Ihadadisciplewithme。HethatwasmyfriendattheTempleoftheTirthankarsgavemeaguideforthisjourney。IcamefromBenaresinthete-rain，whenthyletterwasgivenme。Yes，Iamwellfed。I
　　neednothing。’
　　`ButwhydidstthounotstaywiththeKuluwoman，OHolyOne？InwhatwaydidstthougettoBenares？Myhearthasbeenheavysinceweparted。’
　　`Thewomanweariedmebyconstantfluxoftalkandrequiringcharmsforchildren。Iseparatedmyselffromthatcompany，permittinghertoacquiremeritbygifts。Sheisatleastawomanofopenhands，andImadeapromisetoreturntoherhouseifneedarose。Then，perceivingmyselfaloneinthisgreatandterribleworld，Ibethoughtmeofthete-raintoBenares，whereIknewoneabodeintheTirthankars’TemplewhowasaSeeker，evenasI。’
　　`Ah！ThyRiver，’saidKim。`IhadforgottentheRiver。’
　　`Sosoon，mychela？Ihaveneverforgottenit。ButwhenIhadlefttheeitseemedbetterthatIshouldgototheTempleandtakecounsel，for，lookyou，Indiaisverylarge，anditmaybethatwisemenbeforeus，sometwoorthree，haveleftarecordoftheplaceofourRiver。ThereisdebateintheTempleoftheTirthankarsonthismatter；somesayingonething，andsomeanother。Theyarecourteousfolk。’
　　`Sobeit；butwhatdostthoudonow？’
　　`IacquiremeritinthatIhelpthee，mychela，towisdom。ThepriestofthatbodyofmenwhoservetheRedBullwrotemethatallshouldbeasIdesiredforthee。Isentthemoneytosufficeforoneyear，andthenIcame，asthouseestme，towatchfortheegoingupintotheGatesofLearning。AdayandahalfhaveIwaited-notbecauseIwasledbyanyaffectiontowardsthee-thatisnopartoftheWay-but，astheysaidattheTirthankars’Temple，because，moneyhavingbeenpaidforlearning，itwasrightthatIshouldoverseetheendofthematter。Theyresolvedmydoubtsmostclearly。Ihadafearthat，perhaps，IcamebecauseIwishedtoseethee-misguidedbytheRedMistofaffection。Itisnotso……Moreover，Iamtroubledbyadream。’
　　`Butsurely，HolyOne，thouhastnotforgottentheRoadandallthatbefellonit。Surelyitwasalittletoseemethatthoudidstcome？’
　　`Thehorsesarecold，anditispasttheirfeeding-time，’whinedthedriver。
　　`GotoJehannumandabidetherewiththyreputationlessaunt！’Kimsnarledoverhisshoulder。`Iamallaloneinthisland；IknownotwhereIgonorwhatshallbefallme。MyheartwasinthatletterIsentthee。ExceptforMahbubAli，andheisaPathan，Ihavenofriendsavethee，HolyOne。
　　Donotaltogethergoaway。’
　　`Ihaveconsideredthatalso，’thelamareplied，inashakingvoIce。
　　`ItismanifestthatfromtimetotimeIshallacquiremerit-ifbeforethatIhavenotfoundmyRiver-byassuringmyselfthatthyfeetaresetonwisdom。WhattheywillteachtheeIdonotknow，butthepriestwrotemethatnosonofaSahibinallIndiawillbebettertaughtthanthou。
　　Sofromtimetotime，therefore，Iwillcomeagain。MaybethouwiltbesuchaSahibashewhogavemethesespectacles’-thelamawipedthemelaborately-`intheWonderHouseatLahore。Thatismyhope，forhewasaFountainofWisdom-wiserthanmanyabbots……Again，maybethouwiltforgetmeandourmeetings。’
　　`IfIeatthybread，’criedKimpassionately，`howshallIeverforgetthee？’
　　`No-no。’Heputtheboyaside。`ImustgobacktoBenares。Fromtimetotime，nowthatIknowthecustomsofletter-writersinthisland，I
　　willsendtheealetter，andfromtimetotimeIwillcomeandseethee。’
　　`ButwhithershallIsendmyletters？’wailedKim，clutchingattherobe，allforgetfulthathewasaSahib。
　　`TotheTempleoftheTirthankarsatBenares。ThatistheplaceIhavechosentillIfindmyRiver。Donotweep；for，lookyou，allDesireisIllusionandanewbindingupontheWheel。GouptotheGatesofLearning。
　　Letmeseetheego……Dostthouloveme？Thengo，ormyheartcracks……
　　Iwillcomeagain。SurelyIwillcomeagain。’
　　Thelamawatchedtheticca-gharrirumbleintothecompound，andstrodeoff，snuffingbetweeneachlongstride。
　　TheGatesofLearningshutwithaclang。Thecountrybornandbredboyhashisownmannersandcustoms，whichdonotresemblethoseofanyotherland；andhisteachersapproachhimbyroadswhichanEnglishmasterwouldnotunderstand。Therefore，youwouldscarcelybeinterestedinKim’sexperiencesasaStXavier’sboyamongtwoorthreehundredprecociousyouths，mostofwhomhadneverseenthesea。Hesufferedtheusualpenaltiesforbreakingoutofboundswhentherewascholerainthecity。ThiswasbeforehehadlearnedtowritefairEnglish，andsowasobligedtofindabazarletter-writer。Hewas，ofcourse，indictedforsmokingandfortheuseofabusemorefull-flavouredthanevenStXavier’shadeverheard。HelearnedtowashhimselfwiththeLeviticalscrupulosityofthenative-born，whoinhisheartconsiderstheEnglishmanratherdirty。
　　Heplayedtheusualtricksonthepatientcooliespullingthepunkahsinthesleeping-roomswheretheboysthreshedthroughthehotnightstellingtalestillthedawn；andquietlyhemeasuredhimselfagainsthisself-reliantmates。
　　TheyweresonsofsubordinateofficialsintheRailway，Telegraph，andCanalServices；ofwarrant-officers，sometimesretiredandsometimesactingascommanders-in-chieftoafeudatoryRajah’sarmy；ofcaptainsoftheIndianMarineGovernmentpensioners，planters，Presidencyshopkeepers，andmissionaries。AfewwerecadetsoftheoldEurasianhousesthathavetakenstrongrootinDhurrumtollah-Pereiras，DeSouzas，andD’Silvas。
　　TheirparentscouldwellhaveeducatedtheminEngland，buttheylovedtheschoolthathadservedtheirownyouth，andgenerationfollowedsallow-huedgenerationatStXavier’s。TheirhomesrangedfromHowrahoftherailwaypeopletoabandonedcantonmentslikeMonghyrandChunar；losttea-gardensShillong-way；villageswheretheirfatherswerelargelandholdersinOudhortheDeccan；Mission-stationsaweekfromthenearestrailwayline；seaportsathousandmilessouth，facingthebrazenIndiansurf，andcinchona-plantationssouthofall。Themerestoryoftheiradventures，whichtothemwerenoadventures，ontheirroadtoandfromschoolwouldhavecrispedaWesternboy’shair。Theywereusedtojoggingoffalonethroughahundredmilesofjungle，wheretherewasalwaysthedelightfulchanceofbeingdelayedbytigers；buttheywouldnomorehavebathedintheEnglishChannelinanEnglishAugustthantheirbrothersacrosstheworldwouldhavelainstillwhilealeopardsnuffedattheirpalanquin。Therewereboysoffifteenwhohadspentadayandahalfonanisletinthemiddleofafloodedriver，takingcharge，asbyright，ofacampoffranticpilgrimsreturningfromashrine。Therewereseniorswhohadrequisitionedachance-metRajah’selephant，inthenameofStFrancisXavier，whentheRainsonceblottedoutthecart-trackthatledtotheirfather’sestate，andhadallbutlostthehugebeastinaquicksand。Therewasaboywho，hesaid，andnonedoubted，hadhelpedhisfathertobeatoffwithriflesfromtheverandaarushofAkasinthedayswhenthosehead-hunterswereboldagainstlonelyplantations。
　　Andeverytalewastoldintheeven，passionlessvoiceofthenative-born，mixedwithquaintreflections，borrowedunconsciouslyfromnativefoster-mothers，andturnsofspeechthatshowedtheyhadbeenthatinstanttranslatedfromthevernacular。Kimwatched，listened，andapproved。Thiswasnotinsipid，single-wordtalkofdrummer-boys。Itdealtwithalifeheknewandinpartunderstood。Theatmospheresuitedhim，andhethrovebyinches。Theygavehimawhitedrillsuitastheweatherwarmed，andherejoicedinthenew-foundbodilycomfortsasherejoicedtousehissharpenedmindoverthetaskstheysethim。HisquicknesswouldhavedelightedanEnglishmaster；butatStXavier’stheyknowthefirstrushofmindsdevelopedbysunandsurroundings，astheyknowthehalf-collapsethatsetsinattwenty-twoortwenty-three。
　　Nonethelessherememberedtoholdhimselflowly。Whentalesweretoldofhotnights，Kimdidnotsweeptheboardwithhisreminiscences；forStXavier’slooksdownonboyswhogonativeall-together。OnemustneverforgetthatoneisaSahib，andthatsomeday，whenexaminationsarepassed，onewillcommandnatives。Kimmadeanoteofthis，forhebegantounderstandwhereexaminationsled。
　　ThencametheholidaysfromAugusttoOctober-thelongholidaysimposedbytheheatandtheRains。KimwasinformedthathewouldgonorthtosomestationinthehillsbehindUmballa，whereFatherVictorwouldarrangeforhim。
　　`Abarrack-school？’saidKim，whohadaskedmanyquestionsandthoughtmore。
　　`Yes，Isupposeso，’saidthemaster。`Itwillnotdoyouanyharmtokeepyououtofmischief。YoucangoupwithyoungDeCastroasfarasDelhi。’
　　Kimconsidereditineverypossiblelight。Hehadbeendiligent，evenastheColoneladvised。Aboy’sholidaywashisownproperty-ofsomuchthetalkofhiscompanionshadadvisedhim，-andabarrack-schoolwouldbetormentafterStXavier’s。Moreover-thiswasmagicworthanythingelse-hecouldwrite。Inthreemonthshehaddiscoveredhowmencanspeaktoeachotherwithoutathirdparty，atthecostofhalfanannaandalittleknowledge。Nowordhadcomefromthelama，butthereremainedtheRoad。Kimyearnedforthecaressofsoftmudsquishingupbetweenthetoes，ashismouthwateredformuttonstewedwithbutterandcabbages，forricespeckledwithstrong-scentedcardamoms，forthesaffron-tintedrice，garlicandonions，andtheforbiddengreasysweetmeatsofthebazars。Theywouldfeedhimrawbeefonaplatteratthebarrack-school，andhemustsmokebystealth。Butagain，hewasaSahibandwasatStXavier’s，andthatpigMahbub……No，hewouldnottestMahbub’shospitality-andyet……
　　Hethoughtitoutaloneinthedormitory，andcametotheconclusionhehadbeenunjusttoMahbub。
　　Theschoolwasempty；nearlyallthemastershadgoneaway；ColonelCreighton’srailwaypasslayinhishand，andKimpuffedhimselfthathehadnotspentColonelCreighton’sorMahbub’smoneyinriotousliving。
　　Hewasstilllordoftworupeessevenannas。Hisnewbullock-trunk，markedK。O’H。，andbedding-rolllayintheemptysleeping-room。`Sahibsarealwaystiedtotheirbaggage，’saidKim，noddingatthem。`Youwillstayhere。’Hewentoutintothewarmrain，smilingsinfully，andsoughtacertainhousewhoseoutsidehehadnoteddownsometimebefore……
　　`Arré；！Dostthouknowwhatmannerofwomenwebeinthisquarter？Oh，shame！’