He repacked the kilta with all he meant to lose , and hove it up on to the windowsill . A thousand feet below lay a long , lazy , round-shouldered bank of mist , as yet untouched by the morning sun . A thousand feet below that was a hundred-year-old pine-forest . He could see the green tops looking like a bed of moss when a wind-eddy thinned the cloud . ` No ! I do n't think any one will go after you ! ' The wheeling basket vomited its contents as it dropped . The theodolite hit a jutting cliff-ledge and exploded like a shell ; the books , inkstands , paint-boxes , compasses , and rulers showed for a few seconds like a swarm of bees . Then they vanished ; and , though Kim , hanging half out of the window , strained his young ears , never a sound came up from the gulf . ` Five hundred -- a thousand rupees could not buy them , ' he thought sorrowfully . ` It was verree wasteful , but I have all their other stuff -- everything they did -- I hope . Now how the deuce am I to tell Hurree Babu , and whatt the deuce am I to do ? And my old man is sick . I must tie up the letters in oilskin . 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 . ` But thou hast made no charm , ' she said , looking about . ` There is no need . '
XXXXX had completely overlooked the necessity for a little patter-talk .
Kim compasses deuce food-bag inkstands kilta oilskin sun theodolite windowsill