   There had been disagreements between them about work that Beatty Balestier had done for the Kiplings, resulting in an argument in which it appears that Balestier threatened violence to Kipling. RK had Balestier arrested for assault, Balestier being made to give bail of $400 to keep the peace, and $400 to ensure his appearence at a later hearing, however the Kiplings left America before it came to substantive judgement. See Lord Birkenhead's biography of Kipling ( 'Rudyard Kipling', 1978, Weidenfeld and Nicolson)