He ripens too quickly--as Sahibs reckon.' This prophecy was fulfilled to the letter a month later.

Mahbub had gone down to Umballa to bring up a fresh consignment of horses, and Kim met him on the Kalka road at dusk riding alone, begged an alms of him, was sworn at, and replied in English.

There was nobody within earshot to hear Mahbub's gasp of amazement.
'Oho! And where hast thou been ?' 'Up and down--down and up.' 'Come under a tree, out of the wet, and tell.' 'I stayed for a while with an old man near Umballa; anon with a household of my acquaintance in Umballa.

With one of these I went as far as Delhi to the southward.

That is a wondrous city.