is called the Friend of all
the World. He is also called the Friend of the Stars. He walks as a
physician--his time being ripe. Great is his wisdom.'

'And a Son of the Charm,' said Kim under his breath, as the Kamboh made
haste to prepare a pipe lest the Mahratta should beg.

'And who is that?' the Mahratta asked, glancing sideways nervously.

'One whose child I--we have cured, who lies under great debt to us. Sit
by the window, man from Jullundur. Here is a sick one.'

'Humph! I have no desire to mix with chance-met wastrels. My ears are
not long. I am not a woman wishing to overhear secrets.' The Jat slid
himself heavily into a far corner.

'Art thou anything of a healer? I am ten leagues deep in calamity,'
cried the Mahratta, picking up the cue.

'This man is cut and bruised all over. I go about to cure him,' Kim
retorted. 'None interfered between thy babe and me.'

'I am rebuked,' said the Kamboh meekly. 'I am thy debtor for the life
of my son. Thou art a miracle-worker--I know it.'

'Show me the cuts.' Kim bent over the Mahratta's neck, his heart
nearly choking him; for this was the Great Game with a vengeance. 'Now,
tell thy tale swiftly, brother, while I say a charm.'

'I come from the South, where my work lay. One of us they slew by the
roadside. Hast thou heard?' Kim shook his head. He, of course, knew
nothing of E's predecessor, slain down South in the habit of an Arab
trader. 'Having found a certain letter which I was sent to seek, I
came away. I escaped from the city and ran to Mhow. So sure was I
that none knew, I did not change my face. At Mhow a woman brought
charge against me of theft of jewellery in that city which I had left.
Then I saw the cry was out against me. I ran from Mhow by night,
bribing the police, who had been bribed to hand me over without
question to my enemies in the South. Then I lay in old Chitor city a
week, a penitent in a temple, but I could not get rid of the letter
which was my charge. I buried it under the Queen's Stone, at Chitor,
in the place known to us all.'

Kim did not know, but not for worlds would he have broken the thread.

'At Chitor, look you, I was all in Kings' country; for Kotah to the
east is beyond the Queen's law, and east again lie Jaipur and Gwalior.
Neither love spies, and there is no justice. I was hunted like a wet
jackal; but I broke through at Bandakui, where I heard there was a
charge against me of murder in the ci