yess. I am his good friend, I tell you. He was behaving very
strange when I came down after you, and I thought perhaps he might have
the papers. I followed him on his meditations, and to discuss
ethnological points also. You see, I am verree small person here
nowadays, in comparison with all his charms. By Jove, O'Hara, do you
know, he is afflicted with infirmity of fits. Yess, I tell you.
Cataleptic, too, if not also epileptic. I found him in such a state
under a tree in articulo mortem, and he jumped up and walked into a
brook and he was nearly drowned but for me. I pulled him out.'

'Because I was not there!' said Kim. 'He might have died.'

'Yes, he might have died, but he is dry now, and asserts he has
undergone transfiguration.' The Babu tapped his forehead knowingly. 'I
took notes of his statements for Royal Society--in posse. You must
make haste and be quite well and come back to Simla, and I will tell
you all my tale at Lurgan's. It was splendid. The bottoms of their
trousers were quite torn, and old Nahan Rajah, he thought they were
European soldiers deserting.'

'Oh, the Russians? How long were they with thee?'

'One was a Frenchman. Oh, days and days and days! Now all the
hill-people believe all Russians are all beggars. By Jove! they had
not one dam'-thing that I did not get them. And I told the common
people--oah, such tales and anecdotes!--I will tell you at old Lurgan's
when you come up. We will have--ah--a night out! It is feather in
both our caps! Yess, and they gave me a certificate. That is creaming
joke. You should have seen them at the Alliance Bank identifying
themselves! And thank Almighty God you got their papers so well! You
do not laugh verree much, but you shall laugh when you are well. Now I
will go straight to the railway and get out. You shall have all sorts
of credits for your game. When do you come along? We are very proud
of you though you gave us great frights. And especially Mahbub.'

'Ay, Mahbub. And where is he?'

'Selling horses in this vi-cinity, of course.'

'Here! Why? Speak slowly. There is a thickness in my head still.'

The Babu looked shyly down his nose. 'Well, you see, I am fearful man,
and I do not like responsibility. You were sick, you see, and I did
not know where deuce-an'-all the papers were, and if so, how many. So
when I had come down here I slipped in private wire to Mahbub--he was
at Meerut for races--and I tell him ho