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to his room； having hurled the kitten down the hillside； and wrote
out the incidents of the day for the benefit of his coreligionists。
Those people were so absolutely free from superstition that they
ascribed anything a little out of the common to agencies。 As it
was their business to know all about the agencies； they were on
terms of almost indecent familiarity with manifestations of every
kind。 Their letters dropped from the ceilingun…stampedand
spirits used to squatter up and down their staircases all night。
But they had never come into contact with kittens。 Lone Sahib
wrote out the facts； noting the hour and the minute； as every
psychical observer is bound to do； and appending the Englishman's
letter because it was the most mysterious document and might have
had a bearing upon anything in this world or the next。 An outsider
would have translated all the tangle thus： 〃Look out！ You laughed
at me once； and now I am going to make you sit up。〃
Lone Sahib's coreligionists found that meaning in it； but their
translation was refined and full of four…syllable words。 They held
a sederunt； and were filled with tremulous joy； for； in spite of
their familiarity with all the other worlds and cycles； they had a
very human awe of things sent from ghostland。 They met in Lone
Sahib's room in shrouded and sepulchral gloom； and their conclave
was broken up by a clinking among the photo frames on the
mantelpiece。 A wee white kitten； nearly blind； was looping and
writhing itself between the clock and the candlesticks。 That
stopped all investigations or doubtings。 Here was the
manifestation in the flesh。 It was； so far as could be seen；
devoid of purpose； but it was a manifestation of undoubted
authenticity。
They drafted a round robin to the Englishman； the backslider of old
days； adjuring him in the interests of the creed to explain whether
there was any connection between the embodiment of some Egyptian
god or other （I have forgotten the name） and his communication。
They called the kitten Ra； or Toth； or Shem； or Noah； or something；
and when Lone Sahib confessed that the first one had； at his most
misguided instance； been drowned by the sweeper； they said
consolingly that in his next life he would be a 〃bounder；〃 and not
even a 〃rounder〃 of the lowest grade。 These words may not be quite
correct； but they express the sense of the house accurately。
When the Englishman received the round robinit came by posthe
was startled and bewildered。 He sent into the bazaar for Dana Da；
who read the letter and laughed。 〃That is my Sending；〃 said he。
〃I told you I would work well。 Now give me another ten rupees。〃
〃But what in the world is this gibberish about Egyptian gods？〃
asked the Englishman。
〃Cats；〃 said Dana Da； with a hiccough； for he had discovered the
Englishman's whisky bottle。 〃Cats and cats and cats！ Never was
such a Sending。 A hundred of cats。 Now give me ten more rupees
and write as I dictate。〃
Dana Da's letter was a curiosity。 It bore the Englishman's
signature； and hinted at catsat a Sending of cats。 The mere
words on paper were creepy and uncanny to behold。
〃What have you done； though？〃 said the Englishman； 〃I am as much in
the dark as ever。 Do you mean to say that you can actually send
this absurd Sending you talk about？〃
〃Judge for yourself；〃 said Dana Da。 〃What does that letter mean？
In a little time they will all be at my feet and yours； and I； oh；
glory！ will be drugged or drunk all day long。〃
Dana Da knew his people。
When a man who hates cats wakes up in the morning and finds a
little squirming kitten on his breast； or puts his hand into his
ulster pocket and finds a little half…dead kitten where his gloves
should be； or opens his trunk and finds a vile kitten among his
dress shirts； or goes for a long ride with his mackintosh strapped
on his saddle…bow and shakes a little sprawling kitten from its
folds when he opens it； or goes out to dinner and finds a little
blind kitten under his chair； or stays at home and finds a writhing
kitten under the quilt； or wriggling among his boots； or hanging；
head downward； in his tobacco jar； or being mangled by his terrier
in the verandawhen such a man finds one kitten； neither more nor
less； once a day in a place where no kitten rightly could or should
be； he is naturally upset。 When he dare not murder his daily trove
because he believes it to be a manifestation； an emissary； an
embodiment； and half a dozen other things all out of the regular
course of nature； he is more than upset。 He is actually
distressed。 Some of Lone Sahib's coreligionists thought that he
was a highly favored individual； but many said that if he had
treated the first kitten with proper respectas suited a Toth…Ra
Tum…Sennacherib Embodimentall his trouble would have been
averted。 They compared him to the Ancient Mariner； but none the
less they were proud of him and proud of the Englishman who had
sent the manifestation。 They did not call it a Sending because
Icelandic magic was not in their programme。
After sixteen kittensthat is to say； after one fortnight； for
there were three kittens on the first day to impress the fact of
the Sending； the whole camp was uplifted by a letterit came
flying through a windowfrom the Old Man of the Mountainsthe
head of all the creedexplaining the manifestation in the most
beautiful language and soaking up all the credit of it for himself。
The Englishman； said the letter； was not there at all。 He was a
backslider without power or asceticism； who couldn't even raise a
table by force of volition； much less project an army of kittens
through space。 The entire arrangement； said the letter； was
strictly orthodox； worked and sanctioned by the highest authorities
within the pale of the creed。 There was great joy at this； for
some of the weaker brethren seeing that an outsider who had been
working on independent lines could create kittens； whereas their
own rulers had never gone beyond crockeryand broken at thatwere
showing a desire to break line on their own trail。 In fact； there
was the promise of a schism。 A second round robin was drafted to
the Englishman； beginning： 〃Oh； Scoffer；〃 and ending with a
selection of curses from the rites of Mizraim and Memphis and the
Commination of Jugana； who was a 〃fifth rounder；〃 upon whose name
an upstart 〃third rounder〃 once traded。 A papal excommunication is
a billet…doux compared to the Commination of Jugana。 The
Englishman had been proved under the hand and seal of the Old Man
of the Mountains to have appropriated virtue and pretended to have
power which； in reality； belonged only to the supreme head。
Naturally the round robin did not spare him。
He handed the letter to Dana Da to translate into decent English。
The effect on Dana Da was curious。 At first he was furiously
angry； and then he laughed for five minutes。
〃I had thought；〃 he said； 〃that they