It was quite clear that she was not taking her daughter down to be wedded , or the curtains would have been laced home and the guard would have allowed no one near the car . A merry and a high-spirited dame , thought Kim , balancing the dung-cake in one hand , the cooked food in the other , and piloting the lama with a nudging shoulder . Something might be made out of the meeting . The lama would give him no help , but , as a conscientious chela , Kim was delighted to beg for two . He built his fire as close to the cart as he dared , waiting for one of the escort to order him away . The lama dropped wearily to the ground , much as a heavy fruit-eating bat cowers , and returned to his rosary . ` Stand farther off , beggar ! ' The order was shouted in broken Hindustani by one of the hillmen . ` Huh ! It is only a pahari -LSB- a hillman -RSB- ' , said Kim over his shoulder . ` Since when have the hill-asses owned all Hindustan ? ' The retort was a swift and brilliant sketch of Kim 's pedigree for three generations . ` Ah ! ' Kim 's voice was sweeter than ever , as he broke the dung-cake into fit pieces . ` In my country we call that the beginning of love-talk . ' A harsh , thin cackle behind the curtains put the hillman on his mettle for a second shot . ` Not so bad -- not so bad , ' said Kim with calm . ` But have a care , my brother , lest we -- we , I say -- be minded to give a curse or so in return . And our curses have the knack of biting home . ' The Ooryas laughed ; the hillman sprang forward threateningly .
The XXXXX suddenly raised his head , bringing his huge tam-o ' - shanter hat into the full light of Kim 's new-started fire .
Hindustan Hindustani cackle chela cowers fire hill-asses lama love-talk second