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should do other than as the Sahibs do. He must go back to his own
people.'

'For a day and a night and a day,' Kim pleaded.

'No, ye don't!' Father Victor saw Kim edging towards the door, and
interposed a strong leg.

'I do not understand the customs of white men. The Priest of the
Images in the Wonder House in Lahore was more courteous than the
thin one here. This boy will be taken from me. They will make a
Sahib of my disciple? Woe to me! How shall I find my River? Have
they no disciples? Ask.'

'He says he is very sorree that he cannot find the River now any
more. He says, Why have you no disciples, and stop bothering him?
He wants to be washed of his sins.'

Neither Bennett nor Father Victor found any answer ready.

Said Kim in English, distressed for the lama's agony: 'I think if
you will let me go now we will walk away quietly and not steal. We
will look for that River like before I was caught. I wish I did not
come here to find the Red Bull and all that sort of thing. I do not
want it.'

'It's the very best day's work you ever did for yourself, young
man,' said Bennett.

'Good heavens, I don't know how to console him,' said Father
Victor, watching the lama intently. 'He can't take the boy away
with him, and yet he's a good man - I'm sure he's a good man.
Bennett, if you give him that rupee he'll curse you root and
branch!'

They listened to each other's breathing - three - five full
minutes. Then the lama raised his head, and looked forth across
them into space and emptiness.

'And I am a Follower of the Way,' he said bitterly. 'The sin is
mine and the punishment is mine. I made believe to myself for now I
see it was but make-belief - that thou wast sent to me to aid in
the Search. So my heart went out to thee for thy charity and thy
courtesy and the wisdom of thy little years. But those who follow
the Way must permit not the fire of any desire or attachment, for
that is all Illusion. As says ...' He quoted an old, old Chinese
text, backed it with another, and reinforced these with a third. 'I
stepped aside from the Way, my chela. It was no fault of thine. I
delighted in the sight of life, the new people upon the roads, and
in thy joy at seeing these things. I was pleased with thee who
should have considered my Search and my Search alone. Now I am
sorrowful because thou art taken away and my River is far from me.
It is the Law which I have broken!'

'Powers of Darkness below!' said Father Victor, who, wise in the
confessional, heard the pain in every sentence.

'I see now that the sign of the Red Bull was a sign for me as well
as for thee. All Desire is red - and evil. I will do penance and
find my River alone.'

'At least go back to the Kulu woman,' said Kim, 'otherwise thou
wilt be lost upon the roads. She will feed thee till I run back to
thee.'

The lama waved a hand to show that the matter was finally settled
in his mind.

'Now,' - his tone altered as he turned to Kim, - 'what will they do

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