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For
an hour or more the lama's tam-o'shanter showed like a moon through
the haze; and, from all he heard, Kim gathered that the old woman
wept. One of the Ooryas half apologized for his rudeness overnight,
saying that he had never known his mistress of so bland a temper,
and he ascribed it to the presence of the strange priest.
Personally, he believed in Brahmins, though, like all natives, he
was acutely aware of their cunning and their greed. Still, when
Brahmins but irritated with begging demands the mother of his
master's wife, and when she sent them away so angry that they
cursed the whole retinue (which was the real reason of the second
off-side bullock going lame, and of the pole breaking the night
before), he was prepared to accept any priest of any other
denomination in or out of India. To this Kim assented with wise
nods, and bade the Oorya observe that the lama took no money, and
that the cost of his and Kim's food would be repaid a hundred times
in the good luck that would attend the caravan henceforward. He
also told stories of Lahore city, and sang a song or two which made
the escort laugh. As a town-mouse well acquainted with the latest
songs by the most fashionable composers - they are women for the
most part - Kim had a distinct advantage over men from a little
fruit-village behind Saharunpore, but he let that advantage be
inferred.

At noon they turned aside to eat, and the meal was good, plentiful,
and well-served on plates of clean leaves, in decency, out of drift
of the dust. They gave the scraps to certain beggars, that all
requirements might be fulfilled, and sat down to a long, luxurious
smoke. The old lady had retreated behind her curtains, but mixed
most freely in the talk, her servants arguing with and
contradicting her as servants do throughout the East. She compared
the cool and the pines of the Kangra and Kulu hills with the dust
and the mangoes of the South; she told a tale of some old local
Gods at the edge of her husband's territory; she roundly abused the
tobacco which she was then smoking, reviled all Brahmins, and
speculated without reserve on the coming of many grandsons.





Chapter 5


Here come I to my own again
Fed, forgiven, and known again
Claimed by bone of my bone again,
And sib to flesh of my flesh!
The fatted calf is dressed for me,
But the husks have greater zest for me ...
I think my pigs will be best for me,
So I'm off to the styes afresh.

The Prodigal Son.


Once more the lazy, string-tied, shuffling procession got under
way, and she slept till they reached the next halting-stage. It was
a very short march, and time lacked an hour to sundown, so Kim cast
about for means of amusement.

'But why not sit and rest?' said one of the escort. 'Only the
devils and the English walk to and fro without reason.'

'Never make friends with the Devil, a Monkey, or a Boy. No man
knows what they will do next,' said his fellow.

Kim turned a scornful back - he did not want to hear the old story

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