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us govern it。〃
〃Would two lunatics make a Contrack like that？〃 said Carnehan； with
subdued pride； showing me a greasy half…sheet of notepaper on which was
written the following。 I copied it； then and there； as a curiosity。
This Contracx between me and you persuing witnesseth in the
name of GodAmen and so forth。
（One） That me and you will settle this matter
together； i。e。； to be Kings of Kafiristan。
（Two） That you and me will not； while this
matter is being settled； look at any Liquor； nor any
Woman； black； white； or brown； so as to get mixed up
with one or the other harmful。
（Three） That we conduct ourselves with Dignity
and Discretion； and if one of us gets into trouble the
other will stay by him。
Signed by you and me this day。 Peachey
Taliaferro Carnehan。 Daniel Dravot。
Both Gentlemen at Large。
〃There was no need for the last article；〃 said Carnehan； blushing
modestly； 〃but it looks regular。 Now you know the sort of men that loafers
are；we /are/ loafers； Dan； until we get out of India；and /do/ you think
that we would sign a Contrack like that unless we was in earnest？ We have
kept away from the two things that make life worth having。〃
〃You won't enjoy your lives much longer if you are going to try this
idiotic adventure。 Don't set the office on fire；〃 I said； 〃and go away before
nine o'clock。〃
I left them still poring over the maps and making notes on the back of
the 〃Contrack。〃 〃Be sure to come down to the Serai to…morrow；〃 were
their parting words。
The Kumharsen Serai is the great foursquare sink of humanity where
the strings of camels and horses from the North load and unload。 All the
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nationalities of Central Asia may be found there； and most of the folk of
India proper。 Balkh and Bokhara there meet Bengal and Bombay； and try
to draw eye…teeth。 You can buy ponies； turquoises； Persian pussy… cats；
saddle…bags； fat…tailed sheep； and musk in the Kumharsen Serai； and get
many strange things for nothing。 In the afternoon I went down to see
whether my friends intended to keep their word or were lying there drunk。
A priest attired in fragments of ribbons and rags stalked up to me；
gravely twisting a child's paper whirligig。 Behind him was his servant
bending under the load of a crate of mud toys。 The two were loading up
two camels； and the inhabitants of the Serai watched them with shrieks of
laughter。
〃The priest is mad；〃 said a horse…dealer to me。 〃He is going up to
Kabul to sell toys to the Amir。 He will either be raised to honour or have
his head cut off。 He came in here this morning and has been behaving
madly ever since。〃
〃The witless are under the protection of God；〃 stammered a flat…
cheeked Usbeg in broken Hindi。 〃They foretell future events。〃
〃Would they could have foretold that my caravan would have been cut
up by the Shinwaris almost within shadow of the Pass！〃 grunted the
Eusufzai agent of a Rajputana trading…house whose goods had been
diverted into the hands of other robbers just across the Border； and whose
misfortunes were the laughing…stock of the bazaar。 〃Ohe； priest； whence
come you and whither do you go？〃
〃From Roum have I come；〃 shouted the priest； waving his whirligig；
〃from Roum； blown by the breath of a hundred devils across the sea！ O
thieves； robbers； liars； the blessing of Pir Khan on pigs； dogs； and
perjurers！ Who will take the Protected of God to the North to sell charms
that are never still to the Amir？ The camels shall not gall； the sons shall
not fall sick； and the wives shall remain faithful while they are away； of
the men who give me place in their caravan。 Who will assist me to slipper
the King of the Roos with a golden slipper with a silver heel？ The
protection of Pir Khan be upon his labours！〃 He spread out the skirts of his
gabardine and pirouetted between the lines of tethered horses。
〃There starts a caravan from Peshawar to Kabul in twenty days；
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/Huzrut/；〃 said the Eusufzai trader。 〃My camels go therewith。 Do thou also
go and bring us good luck。〃
〃I will go even now！〃 shouted the priest。 〃I will depart upon my
winged camels； and be at Peshawar in a day！ Ho！ Hazar Mir Khan；〃 he
yelled to his servant； 〃drive out the camels； but let me first mount my
own。〃
He leaped on the back of his beast as it knelt； and； turning round to me；
cried； 〃Come thou also； Sahib； a little along the road； and I will sell thee a
charman amulet that shall make thee King of Kafiristan。〃
Then the light broke upon me； and I followed the two camels out of
the Serai till we reached open road and the priest halted。
〃What d' you think o' that？〃 said he in English。 〃Carnehan can't talk
their patter； so I've made him my servant。 He makes a handsome servant。
'T isn't for nothing that I've been knocking about the country for fourteen
years。 Didn't I do that talk neat？ We'll hitch on to a caravan at Peshawar
till we get to Jagdallak； and then we'll see if we can get donkeys for our
camels； and strike into Kafiristan。 Whirligigs for the Amir； O Lor'！ Put
your hand under the camelbags and tell me what you feel。〃
I felt the butt of a Martini； and another and another。
〃Twenty of 'em；〃 said Dravot； placidly。 〃Twenty of 'em and
ammunition to correspond； under the whirligigs and the mud dolls。〃
〃Heaven help you if you are caught with those things！〃 I said。 〃A
Martini is worth her weight in silver among the Pathans。〃
〃Fifteen hundred rupees of capitalevery rupee we could beg； borrow；
or stealare invested on these two camels；〃 said Dravot。 〃We won't get
caught。 We're going through the Khaiber with a regular caravan。 Who'd
touch a poor mad priest？〃 〃Have you got everything you want？〃 I asked；
overcome with astonishment。
〃Not yet； but we shall soon。 Give us a momento of your kindness；
/Brother/。 You did me a service yesterday； and that time in Marwar。 Half
my Kingdom shall you have； as the saying is。〃 I slipped a small charm
compass from my watch…chain and handed it up to the priest。
〃Good…bye；〃 said Dravot； giving me hand cautiously。 〃It's the last time
we'll shake hands with an Englishman these many days。 Shake hands with
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him； Carnehan；〃 he cried； as the second camel passed me。
Carnehan leaned down and shook hands。 Then the camels passed away
along the dusty road； and I was left alone to wonder。 My eye could detect
no failure in the disguises。 The scene in the Serai proved that they were
complete to the native mind。 There was just the chance； therefore； that
Carnehan and Dravot would be able to wander through Afghanistan
without detection。 But； beyond； they would find death certain and awful
death。
Ten days later a native correspondent； giving me the news of the day
from Peshawar； wound up his letter with： 〃There has been much laughter
here on account of a certain mad priest who is going in his estimation to
sell petty gauds and insignificant trinkets which he ascribes as great
charms to H。 H。 the Amir of Bokhara。 He passed through Peshawar and
associated himself to the Second Summer caravan that goes to Kabul。 The
merchants are pleased because through superstition they imagine that such
mad fellows bring good fortune。〃
The two； then； were beyond the Border。 I would have prayed for them；
but that night a real King died in Europe； and demanded an obituary
notice。
The wheel