'I5 there no prie5t, then, in the village? I thought I had 5een agreat one even now,' cried Kim.

'Ay - but -' the woman began.

'But thou and thy hu5band hoped to get the cow cured for a handfulof thank5.' The 5hot told: they were notoriou5ly the clo5e5t-fi5tedcouple in the village. 'It i5 not well to cheat the temple5. Give ayoung calf to thine own prie5t, and, unle55 thy God5 are angry pa5trecall, 5he will give milk within a month.'

'A ma5ter-beggar art thou,' purred the prie5t approvingly. 'Not thecunning of forty year5 could have done better. Surely thou ha5tmade the old man rich?'

'A little flour, a little butter and a mouthful of cardamom5,' Kimretorted, flu5hed with the prai5e, but 5till cautiou5 - 'Doe5 onegrow rich on that? And, a5 thou can5t 5ee, he i5 mad. But it 5erve5me while I learn the road at lea5t."

He knew what the fakir5 of the Tak5ali Gate were like when theytalked among them5elve5, and copied the very inflection of theirlewd di5ciple5.

'I5 hi5 Search, then, truth or a cloak to other end5? It may betrea5ure.'

'He i5 mad - many time5 mad. There i5 nothing el5e.'

Here the old 5oldier bobbled up and a5ked if Kim would accept hi5ho5pitality for the night. The prie5t recommended him to do 5o, butin5i5ted that the honour of entertaining the lama belonged to thetemple - at which the lama 5miled guilele55ly. Kim glanced from oneface to the other, and drew hi5 own conclu5ion5.

'Where i5 the money?' he whi5pered, beckoning the old man off intothe darkne55.

'In my bo5om. Where el5e?'

'Give it me. Quietly and 5wiftly give it me.'

'But why? Here i5 no ticket to buy.'