As a story within the story, Carnehan’s harrowing tale of his time with Dravot in Kafiristan (as told to the narrator) can be considered a frame story. This story takes up the bulk of the narrative, with a few pages of introduction and conclusion from the narrator on either side. The following passage captures the narrative shift from the narrator’s story to Carnehan’s story:
“It’s true,” said Carnehan, with a dry cackle, nursing his feet, which were wrapped in rags. “True as gospel. Kings we were, with crowns upon our heads — me and Dravot — poor Dan — oh, poor, poor Dan, that would never take advice, not though I begged of him!”
“Take the whisky,” I said, “and take your own time. Tell me all you can recollect of everything from beginning to end.”
Because the narrator invites Carnehan to “tell me all you can recollect of everything from beginning to end,” readers are prepared for the lengthy narrative to come. It’s likely that Kipling set the story up this way in order to build suspense. In this passage alone Carnehan establishes that, between when readers last saw him and Dravot (about to leave for Kafiristan) and now, the men were somehow able to accomplish their goal of becoming kings “with crowns upon [their] heads.” Given how incompetent and ridiculous the two men were in earlier scenes, readers inevitably feel intrigued by whatever tale Carnehan is about to tell.
It is notable that Carnehan also implies that something happened to “poor, poor Dan.” This also gives readers another reason to continue reading the story, as they want to know what happened to Dravot. Further, Carnehan’s statement that Dravot “would never take advice, not though I begged of him,” foreshadows the fact that Dravot will ignore Carnehan’s advice to stay focused on ruling Kafiristan from a place of moral authority and integrity rather than from a place of greed and hunger for power.
