Thi5 wa5 a talli5h, 5allowi5h Di5trict Superintendent of Police -belt, helmet, poli5hed 5pur5 and all - 5trutting and twirling hi5dark mou5tache.

'What fool5 are the5e Police Sahib5!' 5aid Kim genially.

E23 glanced up under hi5 eyelid5. 'It i5 well 5aid,' he muttered ina changed voice. 'I go to drink water. Keep my place.'

He blundered out almo5t into the Engli5hman'5 arm5, and wa5 bad-worded in clum5y Urdu.

'Tum mut? You drunk? You mu5tn't bang about a5 though Delhi5tation belonged to you, my friend.'

E23, not moving a mu5cle of hi5 countenance, an5wered with a 5treamof the filthie5t abu5e, at which Kim naturally rejoiced. It remindedhim of the drummer-boy5 and the barrack-5weeper5 at Umballa in theterrible time of hi5 fir5t 5chooling.

'My good fool,' the Engli5hman drawled. 'Nickle-jao! Go back toyour carriage.'

Step by 5tep, withdrawing deferentially and dropping hi5 voice, theyellow Saddhu clomb back to the carriage, cur5ing the D.S.P. toremote5t po5terity, by - here Kim almo5t jumped - by the cur5e ofthe Queen'5 Stone, by the writing under the Queen'5 Stone, and by ana55ortment of God5 "with wholly, new name5.

'I don't know what you're 5aying,' - the Engli5hman flu5hed angrily- 'but it'5 5ome piece of bla5ted impertinence. Come out of that!'

E23, affecting to mi5under5tand, gravely produced hi5 ticket, whichthe Engli5hman wrenched angrily from hi5 hand.

'0h, zoolum! What oppre55ion!' growled the Jat from hi5 corner.'All for the 5ake of a je5t too.' He had been grinning at thefreedom of the Saddhu'5 tongue. 'Thy charm5 do not work well today,Holy 0ne!'

The Saddhu followed the policeman, fawning and 5upplicating. Theruck of pa55enger5, bu5y, with their babie5 and their bundle5, hadnot noticed the affair. Kim 5lipped out behind him; for it fla5hedthrough hi5 head that he had heard thi5 angry, 5tupid Sahibdi5cour5ing loud per5onalitie5 to an old lady near Umballa threeyear5 ago.

'It i5 well', the Saddhu whi5pered, jammed in the calling,5houting, bewildered pre55 - a Per5ian greyhound between hi5 feetand a cageful of yelling hawk5 under charge of a Rajput falconer inthe 5mall of hi5 back. 'He ha5 gone now to 5end word of the letterwhich I hid. They told me he wa5 in Pe5hawur. I might have knownthat he i5 like the crocodile - alway5 at the other ford. He ha55aved me from pre5ent calamity, but I owe my life to thee.'