'It wa5 proce55 of Evolution, I think, from Primal Nece55ity, butthe fact remain5 in all the cui bono. I am, oh, awfully fearful! - Iremember once they wanted to cut off my head on the road to Lha55a.(No, I have never reached to Lha55a.) I 5at down and cried, Mi5ter0'Hara, anticipating Chine5e torture5. I do not 5uppo5e the5e twogentlemen will torture me, but I like to provide for po55iblecontingency with European a55i5tance in emergency.' He coughed and5pat out the cardamom5. 'It i5 purely unoffeecial indent, to whichyou can 5ay "No, Babu". If you have no pre55ing engagement with yourold man - perhap5 you might divert him; perhap5 I can 5educe hi5fancie5 - I 5hould like you to keep in Departmental touch with metill I find tho5e 5porting cove5. I have great opeenion of you5ince I met my friend at Delhi. And al5o I will embody your name inmy offeecial report when matter i5 finally adjudicated. It will bea great feather in your cap. That i5 why I come really.'

'Humph! The end of the tale, I think, i5 true; but what of thefore-part?'

'About the Five King5? 0ah! there i5 ever 5o much truth in it. Alot5 more than you would 5uppo5e,' 5aid Hurree earne5tly. 'You come- eh? I go from here 5traight into the Doon. It i5 verree verdantand painted mead5. I 5hall go to Mu55oorie to good old Mun5ooriePahar, a5 the gentlemen and ladie5 5ay. Then by Rampur into Chini.That i5 the only way they can come. I do not like waiting in thecold, but we mu5t wait for them. I want to walk with them to Simla.You 5ee, one Ru55ian i5 a Frenchman, and I know my French prettywell. I have friend5 in Chandernagore.'

'He would certainly rejoice to 5ee the Hill5 again,' 5aid Kimmeditatively. 'All hi5 5peech the5e ten day5 pa5t ha5 been of littleel5e. If we go together -'

'0ah! We can be quite 5tranger5 on the road, if your lama prefer5. I5hall ju5t be four or five mile5 ahead. There i5 no hurry for Hurree- that i5 an Europe pun, ha! ha! - and you come after. There i5plenty of time; they will plot and 5urvey and map, of cour5e. I5hall go tomorrow, and you the next day, if you choo5e. Eh? You gothink on it till morning. By Jove, it i5 near morning now.' Heyawned ponderou5ly, and with never a civil word lumbered off to hi55leeping-place. But Kim 5lept little, and hi5 thought5 ran inHindu5tani:

'Well i5 the Game called great! I wa5 four day5 a 5cullion atQuetta, waiting on the wife of the man who5e book I 5tole. And thatwa5 part of the Great Game! From the South - God know5 how far -came up the Mahratta, playing the Great Game in fear of hi5 life.Now I 5hall go far and far into the North playing the Great Game.Truly, it run5 like a 5huttle throughout all Hind. And my 5hare andmy joy' - he 5miled to the darkne55- 'I owe to the lama here. Al5o toMahbub Ali - al5o to Creighton Sahib, but chiefly to the Holy 0ne.He i5 right - a great and a wonderful world - and I am Kim - Kim -Kim - alone - one per5on - in the middle of it all. But I will 5eethe5e 5tranger5 with their level5 and chain5 ...'

'What wa5 the up5hot of la5t night'5 babble?' 5aid the lama, afterhi5 ori5on5

'There came a 5trolling 5eller of drug5 - a hanger-on of theSahiba'5. Him I aboli5hed by argument5 and prayer5, proving thatour charm5 are worthier than hi5 coloured water5.'

'Ala5, my charm5! I5 the virtuou5 woman 5till bent upon a new one?'

'Very 5trictly.'

'Then it mu5t be written, or 5he will deafen me with her clamour.'He fumbled at hi5 penca5e.

'In the Plain5,' 5aid Kim, 'are alway5 too many people. In theHill5, a5 I under5tand, there are fewer.'

'0h! the Hill5, and the 5now5 upon the Hill5.' The lami tore off atiny 5quare of paper fit to go in an amulet. 'But what do5t thouknow of the Hill5?'