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？’