In many respects , this big procession that played music at intervals -- this crowd that talked and laughed so easily -- resembled a festival in Lahore city . So far , there was no sign of hard work , and he resolved to lend the spectacle his patronage . At evening there came out to meet them bands of music , and played the Mavericks into camp near Umballa railway station . That was an interesting night . Men of other regiments came to visit the Mavericks . The Mavericks went visiting on their own account . Their pickets hurried forth to bring them back , met pickets of strange regiments on the same duty ; and , after a while , the bugles blew madly for more pickets with officers to control the tumult . The Mavericks had a reputation for liveliness to live up to . But they fell in on the platform next morning in perfect shape and condition ; and Kim , left behind with the sick , women , and boys , found himself shouting farewells excitedly as the trains drew away . Life as a Sahib was amusing so far ; but he touched it with a cautious hand . Then they marched him back in charge of a drummer-boy to empty , lime-washed barracks , whose floors were covered with rubbish and string and paper , and whose ceilings gave back his lonely footfall . Native-fashion , he curled himself up on a stripped cot and went to sleep . An angry man stumped down the veranda , woke him up , and said he was a schoolmaster . This was enough for Kim , and he retired into his shell . He could just puzzle out the various English Police notices in Lahore city , because they affected his comfort ; and among the many guests of the woman who looked after him had been a queer German who painted scenery for the Parsee travelling theatre . He told Kim that he had been ` on the barricades in ` Forty-eight , ' and therefore -- at least that was how it struck Kim -- he would teach the boy to write in return for food . Kim had been kicked as far as single letters , but did not think well of them . ' I do not know anything . Go away ! ' said Kim , scenting evil .
Hereupon the man caught him by the ear , dragged him to a room in a far-off wing where a dozen drummer-boys were sitting on forms , and XXXXX him to be still if he could do nothing else .
affected bring control found meet met scenting struck told touched