Part 19 (1/2)

'And wast thou?'

'O fool! I was the ht for the matter of the letter! I ran into the Fleshers' Ward and came out by the House of the Jeho feared a riot and pushed me forth I came afoot to Somna Road - I had only money for my tikkut to Delhi - and there, while I lay in a ditch with a fever, one sprang out of the bushes and beat me and cut me and searched me from head to foot Within earshot of the te- rain it was!'

'Why did he not slay thee out of hand?'

'They are not so foolish If I am taken in Delhi at the instance of lawyers, upon a proven charge of murder, o back guarded, and then - I die slowly for an example to the rest of Us The South is not oat with one eye I have not eaten for two days I a - 'so that they will know me at Delhi'

'Thou art safe in the te-rain, at least'

'Live a year at the Great Gaainstupon me Twenty - a hundred, if need be - will have seen h of native methods of attack not to doubt that the case would be deadly coers with pain frolared sullenly; the la doctor-fashi+on at the ht out his plan between invocations

'Hast thou a chare my shape? Else I am dead Five - ten ht -'

'Is he cured yet, miracle-worker?' said the Kah'

'Nay There is no cure for his hurts, as I see, except he sit for three days in the habit of a bairagi' This is a common penance, often imposed on a fat trader by his spiritual teacher

'One priest always goes about to rossly superstitious folk, the Ka his Church

'Will thy son be a priest, then? It is time he took more of my quinine'

'We Jats are all buffaloes,' said the Kaer-tip of bitterness on the child's trusting little lips 'I have asked for nothing,' he said sternly to the father, 'except food Dost thou grudge o to heal another e paws in supplication 'Nay - nay Do not mock me thus'

'It pleasesWhat colour ash is there in thy pipe-bowl? White That is auspicious Was there raw tur thy foodstuffs?'

'I - I -'

'Open thy bundle!'

It was the usual collection of ss, a clothful of atta - greyish, rough- ground native flour - twists of down-country tobacco, tawdry pipe- stems, and a packet of curry-stuff, all wrapped in a quilt Ki a Mohammedan invocation

'This is wisdom I learned from the Sahibs,' he whispered to the laan's, he spoke no reat evil in this man's fortune, as shown by the Stars, which - which troubles him Shall I take it away?'

'Friend of the Stars, thou hast done well in all things Let it be at thy pleasure Is it another healing?'

'Quick! Be quick!' gasped the Mahratta 'The train ainst the shadow of death,' said Kiled charcoal and tobacco ash in the red- earth bowl of the pipe E, without a word, slipped off his turban and shook down his long black hair

'That is rowled

'A buffalo in the temple! Hast thou dared to look even thus far?' said Kim 'I must do mysteries before fools; but have a care for thine eyes Is there a film before them already? I save the babe, and for return thou - oh, shaaze, for Kim holly in earnest

'Shall I curse thee, or shall I -' He picked up the outer cloth of the bundle and threw it over the bowed head 'Dare so much as to think a wish to see, and - and - even I cannot save thee Sit! Be dumb!'

'I am blind - dua Do not, for my sake, look from under the cloth'

'I see hope,' said E23 'What is thy sche the thin body-shi+rt E23 hesitated, with all a North-Westhis body

'What is caste to a cut throat?' said Ki it to the waist 'We must make thee a yellow Saddhu all over Strip - strip swiftly, and shake thy hair over thine eyes while I scatter the ash Now, a caste-mark on thy forehead' He drew from his bosom the little Survey paint-box and a cake of criinner?' said E23, labouring literally for the dear life, as he slid out of his body-wrappings and stood clear in the loin-cloth while Kim splashed in a noble caste-mark on the ash- smeared brow

'But two days entered to the Game, brother,' Kim replied 'Smear more ash on the bosom'

'Hast thou , tight-rolled turban-cloth and, with swiftest hands, rolled it over and under about his loins into the intricate devices of a Saddhu's cincture

'Hah! Dost thou know his touch, then? He was s Ash cures wounds Sain'

'I was his pride once, but thou art almost better The Gods are kind to us! Givethe rubbish of the Jat's bundle E23 gulped down a half handful 'They are good against hunger, fear, and chill And they make the eyes red too,' he explained 'Now I shall have heart to play the Gas What of the old clothes?'

Kim rolled them small, and stuffed them into the slack folds of his tunic With a yellow-ochre paint cake he sainst the background of flour, ash, and tur thee, brother'

'Maybe; but no need to throw them out of theIt is finished' His voice thrilled with a boy's pure delight in the Game 'Turn and look, O Jat!'

'The Gods protect us,' said the hooded Ka like a buffalo from the reeds 'But - whither went the Mahratta? What hast thou done?'

Kian Sahib; E23, by virtue of his business, was no bad actor In place of the treainst the corner an all but naked, ash- smeared, ochre-barred, dusty-haired Saddhu, his swollen eyes - opium takes quick effect on an empty stomach - lus crossed under him, Kim's brown rosary round his neck, and a scant yard of worn, flowered chintz on his shoulders The child buried his face in his a! We travel arlocks, but they will not hurt thee Oh, do not cryWhat is the sense of curing a child one day and killing hiht the next?'

'The child will be fortunate all his life He has seen a great healing When I was a child I made clay men and horses'

'I have ht and makes them all alive at the back of our kitchen-htened at anything Eh, Prince?'