go with her, Holy One?'

'Is there any reason against? I can still step aside and try all the
rivers that the road overpasses. She desires that I should come. She
very greatly desires it.'

Kim stifled a laugh in the quilt. When once that imperious old lady
had recovered from her natural awe of a lama he thought it probable
that she would be worth listening to.

He was nearly asleep when the lama suddenly quoted a proverb: 'The
husbands of the talkative have a great reward hereafter.' Then Kim
heard him snuff thrice, and dozed off, still laughing.

The diamond-bright dawn woke men and crows and bullocks together. Kim
sat up and yawned, shook himself, and thrilled with delight. This was
seeing the world in real truth; this was life as he would have
it--bustling and shouting, the buckling of belts, and beating of
bullocks and creaking of wheels, lighting of fires and cooking of food,
and new sights at every turn of the approving eye. The morning mist
swept off in a whorl of silver, the parrots shot away to some distant
river in shrieking green hosts: all the well-wheels within ear-shot
went to work. India was awake, and Kim was in the middle of it, more
awake and more excited than anyone, chewing on a twig that he would
presently use as a toothbrush; for he borrowed right- and left-handedly
from all the customs of the country he knew and loved. There was no
need to worry about food--no need to spend a cowrie at the crowded
stalls. He was the disciple of a holy man annexed by a strong-willed
old lady. All things would be prepared for them, and when they were
respectfully invited so to do they would sit and eat. For the
rest--Kim giggled here as he cleaned his teeth--his hostess would
rather heighten the enjoyment of the road. He inspected her bullocks
critically, as they came up grunting and blowing under the yokes. If
they went too fast--it was not likely--there would be a pleasant seat
for himself along the pole; the lama would sit beside the driver. The
escort, of course, would walk. The old lady, equally of course, would
talk a great deal, and by what he had heard that conversation would not
lack salt. She was already ordering, haranguing, rebuking, and, it
must be said, cursing her servants for delays.

'Get her her pipe. In the name of the Gods, get her her pipe and stop
her ill-omened mouth,' cried an Oorya, tying up his shapeless bundles
of bedding. 'She and the parrots are alike. They scr