ll come to see me at the
madrissah--'

'A beggar and his bowl in the presence of those young Sa--'

'Not all!' Kim cut in with a snort. 'Their eyes are blued and their
nails are blackened with low-caste blood, many of them. Sons of
mehteranees--brothers-in-law to the bhungi [sweeper].'

We need not follow the rest of the pedigree; but Kim made his little
point clearly and without heat, chewing a piece of sugar-cane the while.

'Friend of all the World,' said Mahbub, pushing over the pipe for the
boy to clean, 'I have met many men, women, and boys, and not a few
Sahibs. I have never in all my days met such an imp as thou art.'

'And why? When I always tell thee the truth.'

'Perhaps the very reason, for this is a world of danger to honest men.'
Mahbub Ali hauled himself off the ground, girt in his belt, and went
over to the horses.

'Or sell it?'

There was that in the tone that made Mahbub halt and turn. 'What new
devilry?'

'Eight annas, and I will tell,' said Kim, grinning. 'It touches thy
peace.'

'O Shaitan!' Mahbub gave the money.

'Rememberest thou the little business of the thieves in the dark, down
yonder at Umballa?'

'Seeing they sought my life, I have not altogether forgotten. Why?'

'Rememberest thou the Kashmir Serai?'

'I will twist thy ears in a moment--Sahib.'

'No need--Pathan. Only, the second fakir, whom the Sahibs beat
senseless, was the man who came to search thy bulkhead at Lahore. I
saw his face as they helped him on the engine. The very same man.'

'Why didst thou not tell before?'

'Oh, he will go to jail, and be safe for some years. There is no need
to tell more than is necessary at any one time. Besides, I did not
then need money for sweetmeats.'

'Allah kerim!' said Mahbub Ah. 'Wilt thou some day sell my head for a
few sweetmeats if the fit takes thee?'

Kim will remember till he dies that long, lazy journey from Umballa,
through Kalka and the Pinjore Gardens near by, up to Simla. A sudden
spate in the Gugger River swept down one horse (the most valuable, be
sure), and nearly drowned Kim among the dancing boulders. Farther up
the road the horses were stampeded by a Government elephant, and being
in high condition of grass food, it cost a day and a half to get them
together again. Then they met Sikandar Khan coming down with a few
unsaleable screws--remnants of his string--and Mahbub, who has more of
horse-coping in his little fingernail than Sikanda