though the demands of his sons, now grey-bearded officers on their own account, had impoverished him, he was still a person of consequence. English officials - Deputy Commissioners even - turned aside from the main road to visit him, and on those occasions he dressed himself in the uniform of ancient days, and stood up like a ramrod.

`But this shall be a great war - a war of eight thousand.' Kim's voice shrilled across the quick-gathering crowd, astonishing himself.

`Redcoats or our own regiments?' the old man snapped, as though he were asking an equal. His tone made men respect Kim.

`Redcoats,' said Kim at a venture. `Redcoats and guns.'

`But - but the astrologer said no word of this,' cried the lama, snuffing prodigiously in his excitement.

`But I know. The word has come to me, who am this Holy One's disciple. There will rise a war - a war of eight thousand redcoats. From Pindi and Peshawur they will be drawn. This is sure.'

`The boy has heard bazar-talk,' said the priest.

`But he was always by my side,' said the lama. `How should he know? I did not know.'

`He will make a clever juggler when the old man is dead,' muttered the priest to the headman. `What new trick is this?'

`A sign. Give me a sign,' thundered the old soldier suddenly. `If there were war my sons would have told me.'

`When all is ready, thy sons, doubt not, will be told. But it is a long road from thy sons to the man in whose hands these things lie.' Kim warmed to the game, for it reminded him of experiences in the letter- carrying line, when, for the sake of a few pice, he pretended to know more than he knew. But now he was playing for larger things - the sheer excitement and the sense of power. He drew a new breath and went on.

`Old man, give me a sign. Do underlings order the goings of eight thousand redcoats - with guns?'

`No.' Still the old man answered as though Kim were an equal.

`Dost thou know who He is, then, that gives the order?'

`I have seen Him.'

`To know again?'

`I have known Him since he was a lieutenant in the topkhana [the Artillery].'

`A tall man. A tall man with black hair, walking thus?' Kim took a few paces in a stiff, wooden style.

`Ay. But that anyone may have seen.' The crowd were breathless-still through all this talk.

`That is true,' said Kim. `But I will say more. Look now. First the great man walks thus. Then He thinks thus.' (Kim drew a forefinger over his forehead and downwards till it came to rest by the angle of the jaw.) `Anon He twitches his fingers thus. Anon He thrusts his hat under his left armpit.' Kim illustrated the motion and stood like a stork.

The old man groaned, inarticulate with amazement; and the crowd shivered.