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`Hiscountry-hisrace-hisvillage？MussalmanSikh-Hindu-Jain-lowcasteorhigh？’
`WhyshouldIask？ThereisneitherhighnorlowintheMiddleWay。
Ifheismychela-does-will-cananyonetakehimfromme？for，lookyou，withouthimIshallnotfindmyRiver。’Hewaggedhisheadsolemnly。
`Noneshalltakehimfromthee。Go，sitamongmyBaltis，’saidMahbubAli，andthelamadriftedoff’soothedbythepromise。
`Ishenotquitemad？’saidKim，comingforwardtothelightagain。
`WhyshouldIlietothee，Hajji？’
Mahbubpuffedhishookahinsilence。Thenhebegan，almostwhispering：
`UmballaisontheroadtoBenares-ifindeedyetwogothere。’
`Tck！Tck！Itelltheehedoesnotknowhowtolie-aswetwoknow。’
`AndifthouwiltcarryamessageformeasfarasUmballa，Iwillgivetheemoney。Itconcernsahorse-awhitestallionwhichIhavesoldtoanofficeruponthelasttimeIreturnedfromthePasses。Butthen-standnearerandholduphandsasbegging-thepedigreeofthewhitestallionwasnotfullyestablished，andthatofficer，whoisnowatUmballa，badememakeitclear。’(Mahbubheredescribedthehorseandtheappearanceoftheofficer。)`Sothemessagetothatofficerwillbe：`Thepedigreeofthewhitestallionisfullyestablished。’Bythiswillheknowthatthoucomestfromme。Hewillthensay`Whatproofhastthou？’andthouwiltanswer：`MahbubAlihasgivenmetheproof。’’
`Andallforthesakeofawhitestallion，’saidKim，withagiggle，hiseyesaflame。
`ThatpedigreeIwillgivetheenow-inmyownfashion-andsomehardwordsaswell。’AshadowpassedbehindKim，andafeedingcamel。MahbubAliraisedhisvoice。
`Allah！Artthoutheonlybeggarinthecity？Thymotherisdead。Thyfatherisdead。Soisitwithallofthem。Well，well-’Heturnedasfeelingonthefloorbesidehimandtossedaflapofsoft，greasyMussalmanbreadtotheboy。`Goandliedownamongmyhorseboysforto-night-thouandthelama。TomorrowImaygivetheeservice。’
Kimslunkaway，histeethinthebread，and，asheexpected，hefoundasmallwadoffoldedtissue-paperwrappedinoil-skin，withthreesilverrupees-enormouslargesse。Hesmiledandthrustmoneyandpaperintohisleatheramulet-case。Thelama，sumptuouslyfedbyMahbub’sBaltis，wasalreadyasleepinacornerofoneofthestalls。Kimlaydownbesidehimandlaughed。HeknewhehadrenderedaservicetoMahbubAli，andnotforonelittleminutedidhebelievethetaleofthestallion’spedigree。
ButKimdidnotsuspectthatMahbubAli，knownasoneofthebesthorse-dealersinthePunjab，awealthyandenterprisingtrader，whosecaravanspenetratedfarandfarintotheBackofBeyond，wasregisteredinoneofthelockedbooksoftheIndianSurveyDepartmentasC251B。TwiceorthriceyearlyC25wouldsendinalittlestory，baldlytoldbutmostinteresting，andgenerally-itwascheckedbythestatementsofR17andM4-quitetrue。
Itconcernedallmannerofout-of-the-waymountainprincipalities，explorersofnationalitiesotherthanEnglish，andthegun-trade-was，inbrief，asmallportionofthatvastmassofinformationreceivedonwhichtheIndianGovernmentacts。But，recently，fiveconfederatedKings，whohadnobusinesstoconfederate，hadbeeninformedbyakindlyNorthernPowerthattherewasaleakageofnewsfromtheirterritoriesintoBritishIndia。SothoseKings’PrimeMinisterswereseriouslyannoyedandtooksteps，aftertheOrientalfashion。Theysuspected，amongmanyothers，thebullying，red-beardedhorse-dealerwhosecaravansploughedthroughtheirfastnessesbelly-deepinsnow。Atleast，hiscaravanthatseasonhadbeenambushedandshotattwiceonthewaydown，whenMahbub’smenaccountedforthreestrangeruffianswhomight，ormightnot，havebeenhiredforthejob。ThereforeMahbubhadavoidedhaltingattheinsalubriouscityofPeshawur，andhadcomethroughwithoutstoptoLahore，where，knowinghiscountry-people，heanticipatedcuriousdevelopments。
AndtherewasthatonMahbubAliwhichhedidnotwishtokeepanhourlongerthanwasnecessary-awadofcloselyfoldedtissue-paper，wrappedinoilskin-animpersonal，unaddressedstatement，withfivemicroscopicpin-holesinonecorner，thatmostscandalouslybetrayedthefiveconfederatedKings，thesympatheticNorthernPower，aHindubankerinPeshawur，afirmofgun-makersinBelgium，andanimportant，semi-independentMohammedanrulertothesouth。ThislastwasR17’swork，whichMahbubhadpickedupbeyondtheDoraPassandwascarryinginforR17，who，owingtocircumstancesoverwhichhehadnocontrol，couldnotleavehispostofobservation。
DynamitewasmilkyandinnocuousbesidethatreportofC25；andevenanOriental，withanOriental’sviewsofthevalueoftime，couldseethatthesooneritwasintheproperhandsthebetter。Mahbubhadnoparticulardesiretodiebyviolence，becausetwoorthreefamilyblood-feudsacrosstheBorderhungunfinishedonhishands，andwhenthesescoreswereclearedheintendedtosettledownasamoreorlessvirtuouscitizen。Hehadneverpassedtheseraigatesincehisarrivaltwodaysago，buthadbeenostentatiousinsendingtelegramstoBombay，wherehebankedsomeofhismoney；toDelhi，whereasub-partnerofhisownclanwassellinghorsestotheagentofaRajputanastate；andtoUmballa，whereanEnglishmanwasexcitedlydemandingthepedigreeofawhitestallion。Thepublicletter-writer，whoknewEnglish，composedexcellenttelegrams，suchas：Creighton，LaurelBank，Umballa。HorseisArabianasalreadyadvised。Sorrowfuldelayedpedigreewhichamtranslating。Andlatertothesameaddress：Muchsorrowfuldelay。Willforwardpedigree。Tohissub-partneratDelhihewired：LutufUllah。HavewiredtwothousandrupeesyourcreditLuchmanNarain’sbank。Thiswasentirelyinthewayoftrade，buteveryoneofthosetelegramswasdiscussedandre-discussed，bypartieswhoconceivedthemselvestobeinterested，beforetheywentovertotherailwaystationinchargeofafoolishBalti，whoallowedallsortsofpeopletoreadthemontheroad。
When，inMahbub’sownpicturesquelanguage，hehadmuddiedthewellsofinquirywiththestickofprecaution，Kimhaddroppedonhim，sentfromHeaven；and，beingaspromptashewasunscrupulous，MahbubAli，usedtotakingallsortsofgustychances，pressedhimintoserviceonthespot。
Awanderinglamawithalow-casteboy-servantmightattractamoment’sinterestastheywanderedaboutIndia，thelandofpilgrims；butnoonewouldsuspectthemor，whatwasmoretothepoint，rob。
Hecalledforanewlight-balltohishookah，andconsideredthecase。
Iftheworstcametotheworst，andtheboycametoharm，thepaperwouldincriminatenobody。AndhewouldgouptoUmballaleisurelyand-atacertainriskofexcitingfreshsuspicion-repeathistalebywordofmouthtothepeopleconcerned。
ButR17’sreportwasthekernelofthewholeaffair，anditwouldbedistinctlyinconvenientifthatfailedtocometohand。However，Godwasgreat，andMahbubAlifelthehaddoneallhecouldforthetimebeing。
Kimwastheonesoulintheworldwhohadnevertoldhimalie。ThatwouldhavebeenafatalblotonKim’scharacterifMahbubhadnotknownthattoothers，forhisownendsorMahbub’sbusiness，KimcouldlielikeanOriental。
ThenMahbubAlirolledacrosstheseraitotheGateoftheHarpieswhopainttheireyesandtrapthestranger，andwasatsomepainstocallontheonegirlwho，hehadreasontobelieve，wasaparticularfriendofasmooth-facedKashmiripunditwhohadwaylaidhissimpleBaltiinthematterofthetelegrams。Itwasanutterlyfoolishthingtodo；
becausetheyfelltodrinkingperfumedbrandyagainsttheLawoftheProphet，andMahbubgrewwonderfullydrunk，andthegatesofhismouthwereloosened，andhepursuedtheFlowerofDelightwiththefeetofintoxicationtillhefellflatamongthecushions，wheretheFlowerofDelight，aidedbyasmooth-facedKashmiripundit，searchedhimfromheadtofootmostthoroughly。
AboutthesamehourKimheardsoftfeetinMahbub’sdesertedstall。
Thehorse-trader，curiouslyenough，hadlefthisdoorunlocked，andhismenwerebusycelebratingtheirreturntoIndiawithawholesheepofMahbub’sbounty。AsleekyounggentlemanfromDelhi，armedwithabunchofkeyswhichtheFlowerhadunshackledfromthesenselessone’sbelt，wentthrougheverysinglebox，bundle，mat，andsaddle-baginMahbub’spossessionevenmoresystematicallythantheFlowerandthepunditweresearchingtheowner。
`AndIthink，’saidtheFlowerscornfullyanhourlater，oneroundedelbowonthesnoringcarcass，`thatheisnomorethanapigofanAfghanhorse-dealer，withnothoughtexceptwomenandhorses。Moreover，hemayhavesentitawaybynow-ifeverthereweresuchathing。’
`Nay-inamattertouchingFiveKingsitwouldbenexthisblackheart，’
saidthepundit。`Wastherenothing？’
TheDelhimanlaughedandresettledhisturbanasheentered。`IsearchedbetweenthesolesofhisslippersastheFlowersearchedhisclothes。Thisisnotthemanbutanother。Ileavelittleunseen。’
`Theydidnotsayhewastheveryman，’saidthepunditthoughtfully。
`Theysaid，`Lookifhebetheman，sinceourcounselsaretroubled。’’
`ThatNorthcountryisfullofhorse-dealersasanoldcoatoflice。
ThereisSikandarKhan，NurAliBeg，andFarrukhShah-allheadsofkafilas[caravans]-whodealthere，’saidtheFlower。
`Theyhavenotyetcomein，’saidthepundit。`Thoumustensnarethemlater。’
`Phew！’saidtheFlowerwithdeepdisgust，rollingMahbub’sheadfromherlap。`Iearnmymoney。FarrukhShahisabear，AliBegaswashbuckler，andoldSikandarKhan-yaie！Go！Isleepnow。Thisswinewillnotstirtilldawn。’
WhenMahbubwoke，theFlowertalkedtohimseverelyonthesinofdrunkenness。
Asiaticsdonotwinkwhentheyhaveoutmanoeuvredanenemy，butasMahbubAliclearedhisthroat，tightenedhisbelt，andstaggeredforthundertheearlymorningstars，hecameveryneartoit。
`Whatacolt’strick！’saidhetohimself。`AsifeverygirlinPeshawurdidnotuseit！But’twasprettilydone。NowGodHeknowshowmanymoretherebeupontheRoadwhohaveorderstotestme-perhapswiththeknife。
SoitstandsthattheboymustgotoUmballa-andbyrail-forthewritingissomethingurgent。Iabidehere，followingtheFloweranddrinkingwineasanAfghancopershould。’
