This was no common thief that turned over letters , bills , and saddles -- no mere burglar who ran a little knife sideways into the soles of Mahbub 's slippers , or picked the seams of the saddle-bags so deftly . At first Kim had been minded to give the alarm -- the long-drawn choor -- choor ! -LSB- thief ! thief ! -RSB- that sets the serai ablaze of nights ; but he looked more carefully , and , hand on amulet , drew his own conclusions . ` It must be the pedigree of that made-up horse-lie , ' said he , ` the thing that I carry to Umballa . Better that we go now . Those who search bags with knives may presently search bellies with knives . Surely there is a woman behind this . Hai ! Hai ! in a whisper to the light-sleeping old man . ` Come . It is time -- time to go to Benares . ' The lama rose obediently , and they passed out of the serai like shadows . Chapter 2 And whoso will , from Pride released ; Contemning neither creed nor priest , May feel the Soul of all the East . About him at Kamakura . Buddha at Kamakura . They entered the fort-like railway station , black in the end of night ; the electrics sizzling over the goods-yard where they handle the heavy Northern grain-traffic . ` This is the work of devils ! '
said the XXXXX , recoiling from the hollow echoing darkness , the glimmer of rails between the masonry platforms , and the maze of girders above .
Benares Kamakura Kim Umballa choor horse-lie lama saddle-bags serai whoso