his roving life had made him as methodical as an old
hunter in matters of the road. Then with double care he packed away
the books at the bottom of the food-bag.

The woman rapped at the door.

'But thou hast made no charm,' she said, looking about.

'There is no need.' Kim had completely overlooked the necessity for a
little patter-talk. The woman laughed at his confusion irreverently.

'None--for thee. Thou canst cast a spell by the mere winking of an
eye. But think of us poor people when thou art gone. They were all
too drunk last night to hear a woman. Thou art not drunk?'

'I am a priest.' Kim had recovered himself, and, the woman being aught
but unlovely, thought best to stand on his office.

'I warned them that the Sahibs will be angry and will make an
inquisition and a report to the Rajah. There is also the Babu with
them. Clerks have long tongues.'

'Is that all thy trouble?' The plan rose fully formed in Kim's mind,
and he smiled ravishingly.

'Not all,' quoth the woman, putting out a hard brown hand all covered
with turquoises set in silver.

'I can finish that in a breath,' he went on quickly. 'The Babu is the
very hakim (thou hast heard of him?) who was wandering among the hills
by Ziglaur. I know him.'

'He will tell for the sake of a reward. Sahibs cannot distinguish one
hillman from another, but Babus have eyes for men--and women.'

'Carry a word to him from me.'

'There is nothing I would not do for thee.'

He accepted the compliment calmly, as men must in lands where women
make the love, tore a leaf from a note-book, and with a patent
indelible pencil wrote in gross Shikast--the script that bad little
boys use when they write dirt on walls: 'I have everything that they
have written: their pictures of the country, and many letters.
Especially the murasla. Tell me what to do. I am at
Shamlegh-under-the-Snow. The old man is sick.'

'Take this to him. It will altogether shut his mouth. He cannot have
gone far.'

'Indeed no. They are still in the forest across the spur. Our
children went to watch them when the light came, and have cried the
news as they moved.'

Kim looked his astonishment; but from the edge of the sheep-pasture
floated a shrill, kite-like trill. A child tending cattle had picked
it up from a brother or sister on the far side of the slope that
commanded Chini valley.

'My husbands are also out there gathering wood.' She drew a handful of
walnu