It was an utterly foolish thing to do ; because they fell to drinking perfumed brandy against the Law of the Prophet , and Mahbub grew wonderfully drunk , and the gates of his mouth were loosened , and he pursued the Flower of Delight with the feet of intoxication till he fell flat among the cushions , where the Flower of Delight , aided by a smooth-faced Kashmiri pundit , searched him from head to foot most thoroughly . About the same hour Kim heard soft feet in Mahbub 's deserted stall . The horse-trader , curiously enough , had left his door unlocked , and his men were busy celebrating their return to India with a whole sheep of Mahbub 's bounty . A sleek young gentleman from Delhi , armed with a bunch of keys which the Flower had unshackled from the senseless one 's belt , went through every single box , bundle , mat , and saddle-bag in Mahbub 's possession even more systematically than the Flower and the pundit were searching the owner . ` And I think . ' said the Flower scornfully an hour later , one rounded elbow on the snoring carcass , ` that he is no more than a pig of an Afghan horse-dealer , with no thought except women and horses . Moreover , he may have sent it away by now -- if ever there were such a thing . ' ` Nay -- in a matter touching Five Kings it would be next his black heart , ' said the pundit . ` Was there nothing ? ' The Delhi man laughed and resettled his turban as he entered . ' I searched between the soles of his slippers as the Flower searched his clothes . This is not the man but another . I leave little unseen . ' ` They did not say he was the very man , ' said the pundit thoughtfully . ` They said , `` Look if he be the man , since our counsels are troubled . '' ' ` That North country is full of horse-dealers as an old coat of lice . There is Sikandar Khan , Nur Ali Beg , and Farrukh Shah all heads of kafilas -LSB- caravans -RSB- -- who deal there , ' said the Flower . ` They have not yet come in , ' said the pundit . ` Thou must ensnare them later . ' Phew ! '
said the Flower with deep disgust , rolling XXXXX 's head from her lap . '
Delhi Flower India Kim Mahbub horse-dealer horse-trader intoxication left pundit