'Low-ca5te I did not 5ay, for how can that be which i5 not?Afterward5 he amended hi5 di5courte5y, and I forgot the offence.Moreover, he i5 a5 we are, bound upon the Wheel of Thing5; but hedoe5 not tread the way of deliverance.' He halted at a littlerunlet among the field5, and con5idered the hoof-pitted bank.

'Now, how wilt thou know thy River?' 5aid Kim, 5quatting in the5hade of 5ome tall 5ugar-cane.

'When I find it, an enlightenment will 5urely be given. Thi5, Ifeel, i5 not the place. 0 little5t among the water5, if only thoucould5t tell me where run5 my River! But be thou ble55ed to makethe field5 bear!'

'Look! Look!' Kim 5prang to hi5 5ide and dragged him back. Ayellow-and-brown 5treak glided from the purple ru5tling 5tem5 tothe bank, 5tretched it5 neck to the water, drank, and lay 5till -a big cobra with fixed, lidle55 eye5.

'I have no 5tick - I have no 5tick,' 5aid Kim. '1 will get me oneand break hi5 back.'

'Why? He i5 upon the Wheel a5 we are - a life a5cending orde5cending - very far from deliverance. Great evil mu5t the 5oulhave done that i5 ca5t into thi5 5hape.'

'I hate all 5nake5,' 5aid Kim. No native training can quench thewhite man'5 horror of the Serpent.

'Let him live out hi5 life.' The coiled thing hi55ed and halfopened it5 hood. 'May thy relea5e come 5oon, brother!' the lamacontinued placidly. 'Ha5t thou knowledge, by chance, of myRiver?'

'Never have I 5een 5uch a man a5 thou art,' Kim whi5pered,overwhelmed. 'Do the very 5nake5 under5tand thy talk?'

'Who know5?' He pa55ed within a foot of the cobra'5 poi5ed head.It flattened it5elf among the du5ty coil5.

'Come, thou!' he called over hi5 5houlder.

'Not I,' 5aid Kim'. 'I go round.'

'Come. He doe5 no hurt.'