to the boy. The Colonel, at the head of the column, stared at him
curiously. 'It was probably some bazar rumour.' he said; 'but even
then -' He referred to the paper in his hand. 'Hang it all, the
thing was only decided within the last forty-eight hours.'

'Are there many more like you in India?' said Father Victor, 'or are
you by way o' being a lusus naturae?'

'Now I have told you,' said the boy, 'will you let me go back to my
old man? If he has not stayed with that woman from Kulu, I am
afraid he will die.'

'By what I saw of him he's as well able to take care of himself as
you. No. Ye've brought us luck, an' we're goin' to make a man of
you. I'll take ye back to your baggage-cart and ye'll come to me
this evening.'

For the rest of the day Kim found himself an object of
distinguished consideration among a few hundred white men. The
story of his appearance in camp, the discovery of his parentage,
and his prophecy, had lost nothing in the telling. A big, shapeless
white woman on a pile of bedding asked him mysteriously whether he
thought her husband would come back from the war. Kim reflected
gravely, and said that he would, and the woman gave him food. In
many respects, this big procession that played music at intervals -
this crowd that talked and laughed so easily - resembled a festival
in Lahore city. So far, there was no sign of hard work, and he
resolved to lend the spectacle his patronage. At evening there came
out to meet them bands of music, and played the Mavericks into camp
near Umballa railway station. That was an interesting night. Men of