Kim (Barnes & Noble Classics Series) - Rudyard Kipling [150]
‘Are they in thy hands?’ said Kim. It was all he cared for.
‘Just you jolly-well bet yourself they are.’ He stowed the entire trove about his body, as only Orientals can. ‘They are going up to the office too. The old lady thinks I am a permanent fixture here, but I shall go away with these straight off—immediately. Mr. Lurgan will be proud man. You are offeecially subordinate to me, but I shall embody your name in my verbal report. It is a pity we are not allowed written reports. We Bengalis excel in thee exact science.’ He tossed back the key and showed the box empty.
‘Good. That is good. I was very tired. My Holy One was sick, too. And did he fall into—’
‘Oah yess. I am his good friend, I tell you. He was behaving very strange when I came down after you, and I thought perhaps he might have the papers. I followed him on his meditations, and to discuss ethnological points also. You see, I am verree small person here nowadays, in comparison with all his charms. By Jove, O’Hara, do you know, he is afflicted with infirmity of fits. Yess, I tell you. Cataleptic, too, if not also epileptic. I found him in such a state under a tree in articulo mortem,361 and he jumped up and walked into a brook and he was nearly drowned but for me. I pulled him out.’
‘Because I was not there!’ said Kim. ‘He might have died.’
‘Yes, he might have died, but he is dry now, and asserts he has undergone transfiguration.’ The Babu tapped his forehead knowingly. ‘I took notes of his statements for Royal Society—in posse.362 You must make haste and be quite well and come back to Simla, and I will tell you all my tale at Lurgan’s. It was splendid. The bottoms of their trousers were quite torn, and old Nahan Rajah, he thought they were European soldiers deserting.’
‘Oh, the Russians? How long were they with thee?’
‘One was a Frenchman. Oh, days and days and days! Now all the hill-people believe all Russians are all beggars. By Jove! they had not one dam’-thing that I did not get them. And I told the common people—oah, such tales and anecdotes! I will tell you at old Lurgan’s when you come up. We will have—ah—a night out! It is feather in both our caps! Yess, and they gave me a certificate. That is creaming joke. You should have seen them at the Alliance Bank identifying themselves! And thank Almighty God you got their papers so well! You do not laugh verree much, but you shall laugh when you are well. Now I will go straight to the railway and get out. You shall have all sorts of credits for your game. When do you come along? We are very proud of you though you gave us great frights. And especially Mahbub.’
‘Ay, Mahbub. And where is he?’
‘Selling horses in this vi-cinity, of course.’
‘Here! Why? Speak slowly. There is a thickness in my head still.’ The Babu looked shyly down his nose. ‘Well, you see, I am a fearful man, and I do not like responsibility. You were sick, you see, and I did not know where deuce-an’-all the papers were, and if so, how many. So when I had come down here I slipped in private wire to Mahbub—he was at Meerut363 for races—and I tell him how case stands. He comes up with his men and he consorts with the lama, and then he calls me a fool, and is very rude—’
‘But wherefore—wherefore?’
‘That is what I ask. I only suggest that if any one steals the papers I should like some good strong, brave men to rob them back again. You see, they are vitally important, and Mahbub