His tone made men respect Kim . ` Redcoats , ' said Kim at a venture . ` Redcoats and guns . ' ` But -- but the astrologer said no word of this , ' cried the lama , snuffing prodigiously in his excitement . ` But I know . The word has come to me , who am this Holy One 's disciple . There will rise a war -- a war of eight thousand redcoats . From Pindi and Peshawur they will be drawn . This is sure . ' ` The boy has heard bazar-talk , ' said the priest . ` But he was always by my side , ' said the lama . ` How should he know ? I did not know . ' ` He will make a clever juggler when the old man is dead , ' muttered the priest to the headman . ` What new trick is this ? ' ' A sign . Give me a sign , ' thundered the old soldier suddenly . ` If there were war my sons would have told me . ' ` When all is ready , thy sons , doubt not , will be told . But it is a long road from thy sons to the man in whose hands these things lie . '
XXXXX warmed to the game , for it reminded him of experiences in the letter-carrying line , when , for the sake of a few pice , he pretended to know more than he knew .
Kim Peshawur Pindi Redcoats astrologer bazar-talk headman juggler lama war