Kim countered with the old proverb , ' I will change my faith and my bedding , but thou must pay for it . ' The dealer laughed till he nearly fell from his horse . At a shop on the outskirts of the city the change was made , and Kim stood up , externally at least , a Mohammedan . Mahbub hired a room over against the railway station , sent for a cooked meal of the finest with the almond-curd sweet-meats -LSB- balushai we call it -RSB- and fine-chopped Lucknow tobacco . ` This is better than some other meat that I ate with the Sikh , ' said Kim , grinning as he squatted , ` and assuredly they give no such victuals at my madrissah . ' ' I have a desire to hear of that same madrissah . ' Mahbub stuffed himself with great boluses of spiced mutton fried in fat with cabbage and golden-brown onions . ` But tell me first , altogether and truthfully , the manner of thy escape . For , O Friend of all the World , ' -- he loosed his cracking belt -- ' I do not think it is often that a Sahib and the son of a Sahib runs away from there . ' ` How should they ? They do not know the land . It was nothing , ' said Kim , and began his tale . When he came to the disguisement and the interview with the girl in the bazar , Mahbub Ali 's gravity went from him . He laughed aloud and beat his hand on his thigh . ` Shabash ! Shabash ! Oh , well done , little one ! What will the healer of turquoises say to this ? Now , slowly , let us hear what befell afterwards -- step by step , omitting nothing . ' Step by step then , Kim told his adventures between coughs as the full-flavoured tobacco caught his lungs . '
I XXXXX , ' growled Mahbub Ali to himself , ' I said it was the pony breaking out to play polo .
befell came caught cracking omitting said stood stuffed tell went