This was the first book I have read that was part of a digital collection I own called 100 Classic Books for the Nintendo DS (which is a great piece of DS software by the way). I was able to read this over the course of a few hours on an interstate bus ride. It helped me realize that the best place to read this at the time of it's original publication would have been a train ride. The sense of adventure really grabs hold of your imagination and can make you feel as though you might come across any random person (just as in the story) who might be on their own high stakes adventure. The story never slows down and is extremely enthralling the entire time, there's no dead space and by the end you're left wanting more, as it should be. Unlike another short story I've read by Kipling, where the plot was secondary to the scenery and wonderful use of language, this story has the plot at front and center and very rarely gets too adventurous with it's use of language. Really though the plot on it's own merit is enough to carry the story. I loved every minute of it.
