The narrator of the story is an Indian journalist in 19th century India-Kipling himself, in all but name. Whilst on a tour of some Indian native states he meets two scruffy adventurers, Daniel Dravot and Peachey Carnehan. Softened by their stories, he agrees to help them in a minor errand, but later he regrets this and informs the authorities about them-preventing them from blackmailing a minor rajah. A few months later the pair appear at his newspaper...