A most amazin ' young bird , ' said the sergeant . ` He turns up in charge of a yellow-headed buck-Brahmin priest , with his father 's Lodge certificates round his neck , talkin ' God knows what all of a red bull . The buck-Brahmin evaporates without explanations , an ' the bhoy sets cross-legged on the Chaplain 's bed prophesyin ' bloody war to the men at large . Injia 's a wild land for a God-fearin ' man . I 'll just tie his leg to the tent-pole in case he 'll go through the roof . What did ye say about the war ? ' ` Eight thousand men , besides guns , ' said Kim . ` Very soon you will see . ' ` You 're a consolin ' little imp . Lie down between the Drums an ' go to bye-bye . Those two boys will watch your slumbers . ' Chapter 6 Now I remember comrades -- Old playmates on new seas -- Whenas we traded orpiment Among the savages . Ten thousand leagues to southward , And thirty years removed -- They knew not noble Valdez , But me they knew and loved . Song of Diego Valdez . Very early in the morning the white tents came down and disappeared as the Mavericks took a side-road to Umballa . It did not skirt the resting-place , and Kim , trudging beside a baggage-cart under fire of comments from soldiers ' wives , was not so confident as overnight . He discovered that he was closely watched -- Father Victor on the one side , and Mr Bennett on the other . In the forenoon the column checked . A camel-orderly handed the Colonel a letter . He read it , and spoke to a Major .
Half a mile in the rear , XXXXX heard a hoarse and joyful clamour rolling down on him through the thick dust .
Bennett Chaplain Injia Kim Mavericks orpiment overnight resting-place slumbers tent-pole