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Kim his face is drawn and tired pays very small silver from his belt, heaves out the food-bag, crams an oilskin packet they are holy writings into his bosom, and helps the lama to his feet. The peace has come again into the old man's eyes, and he does not look for the hills to fall down and crush him as he did that terrible night when they were delayed by the flooded river.
It was never more than a couple of miles a day now, and Kim's shoulders bore all the weight of it the burden of an old man, the burden of the heavy food-bag with the locked books, the load of the writings on his heart, and the details of the daily routine.
Lay the food-bag at the foot, it balances better so. 'Oh, Holy One, thy Hills are kinder than our Plains! cried Kim, relieved, as the lama tottered to the litter. 'It is a very king's bed a place of honour and ease. And we owe it to 'A woman of ill-omen. I need thy blessings as much as I do thy curses. It is my order and none of thine. Lift and away! Here! Hast thou money for the road?
That is something to do first else they will get all sweated ... And I am all alone! He bound them into a neat packet, swedging down the stiff, sticky oilskin at the comers, for his roving life had made him as methodical as an old hunter in matters of the road. Then with double care he packed away the books at the bottom of the food-bag. The woman rapped at the door.
The process was a simple one. First the stems were crushed to a pulp between stones and the juice pressed out into a small bowl taken from his food-bag. The container was placed over the fire; when it had boiled half an hour its contents had been reduced to a thick, black liquid which was ready for use.
A smoky lamp burned in a niche, but the full moonlight beat it down; and by the mixed light, stooping above the food-bag and cups, Kim moved like a tall ghost. 'Ai! But now I have let the blood cool, my head still beats and drums, and there is a cord round the back of my neck. 'No wonder. It was a strong blow. May he who dealt it 'But for my own passions there would have been no evil.
'It may be that I have acquired merit also ... At least she did not treat me like a child. He hitched the front of his robe, where lay the slab of documents and maps, re-stowed the precious food-bag at the lama's feet, laid his hand on the litter's edge, and buckled down to the slow pace of the grunting husbands. 'These also acquire merit, said the lama after three miles.
I went ten thousand thousand in the spirit. How, we are all lapped and swathed and swaddled in these senseless things. He looked at his thin blue-veined hand that found the beads so heavy. 'Chela, hast thou never a wish to leave me? Kim thought of the oilskin packet and the books in the food-bag.
At noon on January 13 the outlook was more hopeless than ever. Three hours' incessant labour had gained only three-quarters of a mile, and consequently they had to halt though their food-bag was a mere trifle to lift, and they could have finished all that remained in it at one sitting and still have been hungry.
The others were very human; pressing small comforts upon the old man a betel-box, a fine new iron pencase, a food-bag, and such-like warning him against the dangers of the world without, and prophesying a happy end to the Search. Meantime Kim, lonelier than ever, squatted on the steps, and swore to himself in the language of St Xavier's. 'But it is my own fault, he concluded.
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