Dynamite was milky and innocuous beside that report of C25 ; and even an Oriental , with an Oriental 's views of the value of time , could see that the sooner it was in the proper hands the better . Mahbub had no particular desire to die by violence , because two or three family blood-feuds across the Border hung unfinished on his hands , and when these scores were cleared he intended to settle down as a more or less virtuous citizen . He had never passed the serai gate since his arrival two days ago , but had been ostentatious in sending telegrams to Bombay , where he banked some of his money ; to Delhi , where a sub-partner of his own clan was selling horses to the agent of a Rajputana state ; and to Umballa , where an Englishman was excitedly demanding the pedigree of a white stallion . The public letter-writer , who knew English , composed excellent telegrams , such as : ` Creighton , Laurel Bank , Umballa . Horse is Arabian as already advised . Sorrowful delayed pedigree which am translating . ' And later to the same address : ` Much sorrowful delay . Will forward pedigree . ' To his sub-partner at Delhi he wired : ` Lutuf Ullah . Have wired two thousand rupees your credit Luchman Narain 's bank -- ' This was entirely in the way of trade , but every one of those telegrams was discussed and rediscussed , by parties who conceived themselves to be interested , before they went over to the railway station in charge of a foolish Balti , who allowed all sorts of people to read them on the road . When , in Mahbub 's own picturesque language , he had muddied the wells of inquiry with the stick of precaution , Kim had dropped on him , sent from Heaven ; and , being as prompt as he was unscrupulous , Mahbub Ali used to taking all sorts of gusty chances , pressed him into service on the spot . A wandering lama with a low-caste boy-servant might attract a moment 's interest as they wandered about India , the land of pilgrims ; but no one would suspect them or , what was more to the point , rob . He called for a new light-ball to his hookah , and considered the case . If the worst came to the worst , and the boy came to harm , the paper would incriminate nobody . And he would go up to Umballa leisurely and -- at a certain risk of exciting fresh suspicion -- repeat his tale by word of mouth to the people concerned . But R17 's report was the kernel of the whole affair , and it would be distinctly inconvenient if that failed to come to hand . However , God was great , and Mahbub Ali felt he had done all he could for the time being . Kim was the one soul in the world who had never told him a lie . That would have been a fatal blot on Kim 's character if Mahbub had not known that to others , for his own ends or Mahbub 's business , Kim could lie like an Oriental . Then Mahbub Ali rolled across the serai to the Gate of the Harpies who paint their eyes and trap the stranger , and was at some pains to call on the one girl who , he had reason to believe , was a particular friend of a smooth-faced Kashmiri pundit who had waylaid his simple Balti in the matter of the telegrams .
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 XXXXX , searched him from head to foot most thoroughly .
Balti Creighton Delhi English Narain Ullah Umballa hookah letter-writer pundit