to take them in groups. One or two stories in each group will be taken
as typical of the rest. Thereby we shall avoid repetition and be able
to show some sort of plan to the maze of Mr Kipling's diversity of
subjects and manners.




II

SIMLA

Mr Kipling's Indian stories fall into three groups. There are (1) the
tales of Simla, (2) the Anglo-Indian tales, and (3) the tales of native
India. There is also _Kim_, which is more--much more--than a tale of
India.

Mr Kipling's Indian stories necessarily tend to fill a disproportionate
amount of space. They are of less account than their number or the
attention they have received would seem to imply. Their discussion in
this and the two following chapters will be more of a political than a
literary discussion. Mr Kipling as journalist and very efficient
colourman in words has made much of India in his time. He has
perceived in India a subject susceptible of being profitably worked
upon. Here was a vast continent, the particular concern of the
English, where all kinds of interesting work was being done, where
stories grew too thickly for counting, and where there was, ready to
the teller's eye, a richness and diversity of setting which beggared
the most eager penmanship. Moreover, this continent was virtually
untouched in the popular literature of the day. Naturally Mr Kipling