Naturallytheroundrobindidnotsparehim。
　　HehandedthelettertoDanaDatotranslateintodecentEnglish。
　　TheeffectonDanaDawascurious。Atfirsthewasfuriouslyangry，andthenhelaughedforfiveminutes。
　　“Ihadthought，“hesaid，“thattheywouldhavecometome。InanotherweekIwouldhaveshownthatIsenttheSending，andtheywouldhavediscrownedtheOldManoftheMountainswhohassentthisSendingofmine。Doyoudonothing。Thetimehascomeformetoact。WriteasIdictate，andIwillputthemtoshame。Butgivemetenmorerupees。“
　　AtDanaDa’sdictationtheEnglishmanwrotenothinglessthanaformalchallengetotheOldManoftheMountains。Itwoundup:
　　“Andifthismanifestationbefromyourhand，thenletitgoforward；butifitbefrommyhand，IwillthattheSendingshallceaseintwodays’time。Onthatdaythereshallbetwelvekittensandthenceforwardnoneatall。Thepeopleshalljudgebetweenus。“
　　ThiswassignedbyDanaDa，whoaddedpentaclesandpentagrams，andacruxansata，andhalfadozenswastikas，andaTripleTautohisname，justtoshowthathewasallhelaidclaimtobe。
　　Thechallengewasreadouttothegentlemenandladies，andtheyrememberedthenthatDanaDahadlaughedatthemsomeyearsago。
　　ItwasofficiallyannouncedthattheOldManoftheMountainswouldtreatthematterwithcontempt；DanaDabeinganindependentinvestigatorwithoutasingle“round“atthebackofhim。Butthisdidnotsoothehispeople。Theywantedtoseeafight。Theywereveryhumanforalltheirspirituality。LoneSahib，whowasreallybeingwornoutwithkittens，submittedmeeklytohisfate。Hefeltthathewasbeing“kittenedtoprovethepowerofDanaDa，“asthepoetsays。
　　Whenthestateddaydawned，theshowerofkittensbegan。Somewerewhiteandsomeweretabby，andallwereaboutthesameloathsomeage。Threewereonhishearth-rug，threeinhisbathroom，andtheothersixturnedupatintervalsamongthevisitorswhocametoseetheprophecybreakdown。NeverwasamoresatisfactorySending。
　　Onthenextdaytherewerenokittens，andthenextdayandalltheotherdayswerekittenlessandquiet。ThepeoplemurmuredandlookedtotheOldManoftheMountainsforanexplanation。A
　　letter，writtenonapalmleaf，droppedfromtheceiling，buteveryoneexceptLoneSahibfeltthatletterswerenotwhattheoccasiondemanded。Thereshouldhavebeencats，thereshouldhavebeencats——full-grownones。Theletterprovedconclusivelythattherehadbeenahitchinthepsychiccurrentwhich，collidingwithadualidentity，hadinterferedwiththepercipientactivityallalongthemainline。Thekittenswerestillgoingon，butowingtosomefailureinthedevelopingfluid，theywerenotmaterialized。
　　Theairwasthickwithlettersforafewdaysafterwards。UnseenhandsplayedGluckandBeethovenonfinger-bowlsandclockshades；
　　butallmenfeltthatpsychiclifewasamockerywithoutmaterializedkittens。EvenLoneSahibshoutedwiththemajorityonthishead。DanaDa’sletterswereveryinsulting，andifhehadthenofferedtoleadanewdeparture，thereisnoknowingwhatmightnothavehappened。
　　ButDanaDawasdyingofwhiskyandopiumintheEnglishman’sgo-
　　down，andhadsmallheartfornewcreeds。
　　“Theyhavebeenputtoshame，“saidhe。“NeverwassuchaSending。
　　Ithaskilledme。“
　　“Nonsense，“saidtheEnglishman，“youaregoingtodie，DanaDa，andthatsortofstuffmustbeleftbehind。I’lladmitthatyouhavemadesomequeerthingscomeabout。Tellmehonestly，now，howwasitdone？“
　　“Givemetenmorerupees，“saidDanaDa，faintly，“andifIdiebeforeIspendthem，burythemwithme。“ThesilverwascountedoutwhileDanaDawasfightingwithdeath。Hishandcloseduponthemoneyandhesmiledagrimsmile。
　　“Bendlow，“hewhispered。TheEnglishmanbent。
　　“Bunnia——missionschool——expelled——box-wallahpeddler——Ceylonpearlmerchant——allmineEnglisheducation——outcasted，andmadeupnameDanaDa——EnglandwithAmericanthought-readingmanand——and——
　　yougavemetenrupeesseveraltimes——IgavetheSahib’sbearertwo-eightamonthforcats——little，littlecats。Iwrote，andheputthemabout——verycleverman。Veryfewkittensnowinthebazaar。AskLoneSahib’ssweeper’swife。“
　　Sosaying，DanaDagaspedandpassedawayintoalandwhere，ifallbetrue，therearenomaterializationsandthemakingofnewcreedsisdiscouraged。
　　Butconsiderthegorgeoussimplicityofitall！
　　INTHEHOUSEOFSUDDHOO
　　Astone’sthrowoutoneitherhandFromthatwell-orderedroadwetread，Andalltheworldiswildandstrange；
　　ChurelandghoulandDjinnandspriteShallbearuscompanyto-night，ForwehavereachedtheOldestLandWhereinthePowersofDarknessrange。
　　FromtheDusktotheDawn。
　　ThehouseofSuddhoo，neartheTaksaliGate，istwo-storied，withfourcarvedwindowsofoldbrownwood，andaflatroof。Youmayrecognizeitbyfiveredhand-printsarrangedliketheFiveofDiamondsonthewhitewashbetweentheupperwindows。BhagwanDass，thebunnia，andamanwhosayshegetshislivingbyseal-cutting，liveinthelowerstorywithatroopofwives，servants，friends，andretainers。ThetwoupperroomsusedtobeoccupiedbyJanooandAzizunandalittleblack-and-tanterrierthatwasstolenfromanEnglishman’shouseandgiventoJanoobyasoldier。To-day，onlyJanoolivesintheupperrooms。Suddhoosleepsontheroofgenerally，exceptwhenhesleepsinthestreet。HeusedtogotoPeshawarinthecoldweathertovisithisson，whosellscuriositiesneartheEdwardes’Gate，andthenhesleptunderarealmudroof。Suddhooisagreatfriendofmine，becausehiscousinhadasonwhosecured，thankstomyrecommendation，thepostofhead-
　　messengertoabigfirmintheStation。SuddhoosaysthatGodwillmakemeaLieutenant-Governoroneofthesedays。Idaresayhisprophecywillcometrue。Heisvery，veryold，withwhitehairandnoteethworthshowing，andhehasoutlivedhiswits——outlivednearlyeverythingexcepthisfondnessforhissonatPeshawar。
　　JanooandAzizunareKashmiris，LadiesoftheCity，andtheirswasanancientandmoreorlesshonorableprofession；butAzizunhassincemarriedamedicalstudentfromtheNorth-WestandhassettleddowntoamostrespectablelifesomewherenearBareilly。BhagwanDassisanextortionateandanadulterator。Heisveryrich。Themanwhoissupposedtogethislivingbyseal-cuttingpretendstobeverypoor。ThisletsyouknowasmuchasisnecessaryofthefourprincipaltenantsinthehouseofSuddhoo。ThenthereisMe，ofcourse；butIamonlythechorusthatcomesinattheendtoexplainthings。SoIdonotcount。
　　Suddhoowasnotclever。Themanwhopretendedtocutsealswasthecleverestofthemall——BhagwanDassonlyknewhowtolie——exceptJanoo。Shewasalsobeautiful，butthatwasherownaffair。
　　Suddhoo’ssonatPeshawarwasattackedbypleurisy，andoldSuddhoowastroubled。Theseal-cuttermanheardofSuddhoo’sanxietyandmadecapitaloutofit。Hewasabreastofthetimes。HegotafriendinPeshawartotelegraphdailyaccountsoftheson’shealth。
　　Andherethestorybegins。
　　Suddhoo’scousin’ssontoldme，oneevening，thatSuddhoowantedtoseeme；thathewastoooldandfeebletocomepersonally，andthatIshouldbeconferringaneverlastinghonorontheHouseofSuddhooifIwenttohim。Iwent；butIthink，seeinghowwell-offSuddhoowasthen，thathemighthavesentsomethingbetterthananekka，whichjoltedfearfully，tohauloutafutureLieutenant-GovernortotheCityonamuggyAprilevening。Theekkadidnotrunquickly。
　　ItwasfulldarkwhenwepulledupoppositethedoorofRanjitSingh’sTombnearthemaingateoftheFort。HerewasSuddhooandhesaidthat，byreasonofmycondescension，itwasabsolutelycertainthatIshouldbecomeaLieutenant-Governorwhilemyhairwasyetblack。Thenwetalkedabouttheweatherandthestateofmyhealth，andthewheatcrops，forfifteenminutes，intheHuzuriBagh，underthestars。
　　Suddhoocametothepointatlast。HesaidthatJanoohadtoldhimthattherewasanorderoftheSirkaragainstmagic，becauseitwasfearedthatmagicmightonedaykilltheEmpressofIndia。I
　　didn’tknowanythingaboutthestateofthelaw；butIfanciedthatsomethinginterestingwasgoingtohappen。IsaidthatsofarfrommagicbeingdiscouragedbytheGovernmentitwashighlycommended。
　　ThegreatestofficialsoftheStatepracticeditthemselves。IftheFinancialStatementisn’tmagic，Idon’tknowwhatis。Then，toencouragehimfurther，Isaidthat，iftherewasanyjadooafoot，Ihadnottheleastobjectiontogivingitmycountenanceandsanction，andtoseeingthatitwascleanjadoo——whitemagic，asdistinguishedfromtheuncleanjadoowhichkillsfolk。IttookalongtimebeforeSuddhooadmittedthatthiswasjustwhathehadaskedmetocomefor。Thenhetoldme，injerksandquavers，thatthemanwhosaidhecutsealswasasorcererofthecleanestkind；
　　thateverydayhegaveSuddhoonewsofthesicksoninPeshawarmorequicklythanthelightningcouldfly，andthatthisnewswasalwayscorroboratedbytheletters。Further，thathehadtoldSuddhoohowagreatdangerwasthreateninghisson，whichcouldberemovedbycleanjadoo；and，ofcourse，heavypayment。Ibegantoseehowthelandlay，andtoldSuddhoothatIalsounderstoodalittlejadoointheWesternline，andwouldgotohishousetoseethateverythingwasdonedecentlyandinorder。Wesetofftogether；andonthewaySuddhootoldmehehadpaidtheseal-