But had it not been proven at Umballa that his sign in the high heavens portended War and armed men?
Was he not the Friend of the Stars as well as of all the World, crammed to the teeth with dreadful secrets?
Lastly--and firstly as the undercurrent of all his quick thoughts--this adventure, though he did not know the English word, was a stupendous lark--a delightful continuation of his old flights across the housetops, as well as the fulfilment of sublime prophecy.

He lay belly-flat and wriggled towards the Mess-tent door, a hand on the amulet round his neck.
It was as he suspected.

The Sahibs prayed to their God; for in the centre of the Mess-table--its sole ornament when they were on the line of march--stood a golden bull fashioned from old-time loot of the Summer Palace at Pekin--a red-gold bull with lowered head, ramping upon a field of Irish green.

To him the Sahibs held out their glasses and cried aloud confusedly.
Now the Reverend Arthur Bennett always left Mess after that toast, and being rather tired by his march his movements were more abrupt than usual.

Kim, with slightly raised head, was still staring at his totem on the table, when the Chaplain stepped on his right shoulder-blade.
Kim flinched under the leather, and, rolling sideways, brought down the Chaplain, who, ever a man of action, caught him by the throat and nearly choked the life out of him.