g officer promptly. 'Everything waits
while a horse is concerned.'

'We shan't be more than twenty minutes,' said Kim's man. 'You can do
the honours--keep 'em amused, and all that.'

'Tell one of the troopers to wait,' said the tall man, and they both
passed into the dressing-room together as the landau rolled away. Kim
saw their heads bent over Mahbub Ali's message, and heard the
voices--one low and deferential, the other sharp and decisive.

'It isn't a question of weeks. It is a question of days--hours
almost,' said the elder. 'I'd been expecting it for some time, but
this'--he tapped Mahbub Ali's paper--'clinches it. Grogan's dining
here to-night, isn't he?'

'Yes, sir, and Macklin too.'

'Very good. I'll speak to them myself. The matter will be referred to
the Council, of course, but this is a case where one is justified in
assuming that we take action at once. Warn the Pined and Peshawar
brigades. It will disorganize all the summer reliefs, but we can't
help that. This comes of not smashing them thoroughly the first time.
Eight thousand should be enough.'

'What about artillery, sir?'

'I must consult Macklin.'

'Then it means war?'

'No. Punishment. When a man is bound by the action of his
predecessor--'

'But C25 may have lied.'

'He bears out the other's information. Practically, they showed their
hand six months back. But Devenish would have it there was a chance of
peace. Of course they used it to make themselves stronger. Send off
those telegrams at once--the new code, not the old--mine and Wharton's.
I don't think we need keep the ladies waiting any longer. We can
settle the rest over the cigars. I thought it was coming. It's
punishment--not war.'

As the trooper cantered off, Kim crawled round to the back of the
house, where, going on his Lahore experiences, he judged there would be
food--and information. The kitchen was crowded with excited scullions,
one of whom kicked him.

'Aie,' said Kim, feigning tears. 'I came only to wash dishes in return
for a bellyful.'

'All Umballa is on the same errand. Get hence. They go in now with
the soup. Think you that we who serve Creighton Sahib need strange
scullions to help us through a big dinner?'

'It is a very big dinner,' said Kim, looking at the plates.

'Small wonder. The guest of honour is none other than the Jang-i-Lat
Sahib [the Commander-in-Chief].'

'Ho!' said Kim, with the correct guttural note of wonder