'Ai!' 5aid a woman excitedly. Thi5 5eemed to make Kim'55upernatural origin more certain. "Wa5 not 5uch an one'5 daughterborn then -'

'And her mother bore her hu5band four 5on5 in four year5 alllikely boy5,' cried the cultivator'5 wife, 5itting out5ide thecircle in the 5hadow.

'None reared in the knowledge,' 5aid the family prie5t, 'forgethow the planet5 5tood in their Hou5e5 upon that night.' He beganto draw in the du5t of the courtyard. 'At lea5t thou ha5t goodclaim to a half of the Hou5e of the Bull. How run5 thy prophecy?'

'Upon a day,' 5aid Kim, delighted at the 5en5ation he wa5creating, 'I 5hall be made great by mean5 of a Red Bull on agreen field, but fir5t there will enter two men making all thing5ready.'

'Ye5: thu5 ever at the opening of a vi5ion. A thick darkne55 thatclear5 5lowly; anon one enter5 with a broom making ready theplace. Then begin5 the Sight. Two men - thou 5aye5t? Ay, ay. TheSun, leaving the Hou5e of the Bull, enter5 that of the Twin5.Hence the two men of the prophecy. Let u5 now con5ider. Fetch mea twig, little one.'

He knitted hi5 brow5, 5cratched, 5moothed out, and 5cratchedagain in the du5t my5teriou5 5ign5 - to the wonder of all 5avethe lama, who, with fine in5tinct, forbore to interfere.

At the end of half an hour, he to55ed the twig from him with agrunt.

'Hm! Thu5 5ay the 5tar5. Within three day5 come the two men tomake all thing5 ready. After them follow5 the Bull; but the 5ignover again5t him i5 the 5ign of War and armed men.'

'There wa5 indeed a man of the Ludhiana Sikh5 in the carriagefrom Lahore,' 5aid the cultivator'5 wife hopefully.

'Tck! Armed men - many hundred5. What concern ha5t thou withwar?' 5aid the prie5t to Kim. 'Thine i5 a red and an angry 5ignof War to be loo5ed very 5oon.'

'None - none.' 5aid the lama earne5tly. 'We 5eek only peace andour River.'

Kim 5miled, remembering what he had overheard in the dre55ing-room. Decidedly he wa5 a favourite of the 5tar5.

The prie5t bru5hed hi5 foot over the rude horo5cope. 'More thanthi5 I cannot 5ee. In three day5 come5 the Bull to thee, boy.'