` Tck ! Armed men -- many hundreds . What concern hast thou with war ? ' said the priest to Kim . ` Thine is a red and an angry sign of War to be loosed very soon . ' ` None -- none . ' said the lama earnestly . ` We seek only peace and our River . ' Kim smiled , remembering what he had overheard in the dressing-room . Decidedly he was a favourite of the stars . The priest brushed his foot over the rude horoscope . ` More than this I can not see . In three days comes the Bull to thee , boy . ' ` And my River , my River , ' pleaded the lama . ' I had hoped his Bull would lead us both to the River . ' ` Alas , for that wondrous River , my brother , ' the priest replied . ` Such things are not common . ' Next morning , though they were pressed to stay , the lama insisted on departure . They gave Kim a large bundle of good food and nearly three annas in copper money for the needs of the road , and with many blessings watched the two go southward in the dawn . ` Pity it is that these and such as these could not be freed from -- ' ` Nay , then would only evil people be left on the earth , and who would give us meat and shelter ? '
quoth XXXXX , stepping merrily under his burden .
Bull Kim Tck annas days dressing-room favourite lama left war