Meantime,BalooandBagheerawerefuriouswithrageandgrief。
Bagheeraclimbedashehadneverclimbedbefore,butthethinbranchesbrokebeneathhisweight,andheslippeddown,hisclawsfullofbark。
\"Whydidstthounotwarntheman—cub?\"heroaredtopoorBaloo,whohadsetoffataclumsytrotinthehopeofovertakingthemonkeys。\"Whatwastheuseofhalfslayinghimwithblowsifthoudidstnotwarnhim?\"
\"Haste!Ohaste!We——wemaycatchthemyet!\"Baloopanted。
\"Atthatspeed!Itwouldnottireawoundedcow。TeacheroftheLaw——cub—beater——amileofthatrollingtoandfrowouldbursttheeopen。Sitstillandthink!Makeaplan。Thisisnotimeforchasing。Theymaydrophimifwefollowtooclose。\"
\"Arrula!Whoo!Theymayhavedroppedhimalready,beingtiredofcarryinghim。WhocantrusttheBandar—log?Putdeadbatsonmyhead!Givemeblackbonestoeat!RollmeintothehivesofthewildbeesthatImaybestungtodeath,andburymewiththeHyaena,forIammostmiserableofbears!Arulala!
Wahooa!OMowgli,Mowgli!WhydidInotwarntheeagainsttheMonkey—Folkinsteadofbreakingthyhead?NowperhapsImayhaveknockedtheday’slessonoutofhismind,andhewillbealoneinthejunglewithouttheMasterWords。\"
Balooclaspedhispawsoverhisearsandrolledtoandfromoaning。
\"AtleasthegavemealltheWordscorrectlyalittletimeago,\"saidBagheeraimpatiently。\"Baloo,thouhastneithermemorynorrespect。WhatwouldthejunglethinkifI,theBlackPanther,curledmyselfuplikeIkkithePorcupine,andhowled?\"
\"WhatdoIcarewhatthejunglethinks?Hemaybedeadbynow。\"
\"Unlessanduntiltheydrophimfromthebranchesinsport,orkillhimoutofidleness,Ihavenofearfortheman—cub。Heiswiseandwelltaught,andaboveallhehastheeyesthatmaketheJungle—Peopleafraid。But(anditisagreatevil)heisinthepoweroftheBandar—log,andthey,becausetheyliveintrees,havenofearofanyofourpeople。\"Bagheeralickedoneforepawthoughtfully。
\"FoolthatIam!Oh,fat,brown,root—diggingfoolthatI
am,\"saidBaloo,uncoilinghimselfwithajerk,\"itistruewhatHathitheWildElephantsays:`Toeachhisownfear’;andthey,theBandar—log,fearKaatheRockSnake。Hecanclimbaswellastheycan。Hestealstheyoungmonkeysinthenight。Thewhisperofhisnamemakestheirwickedtailscold。LetusgotoKaa。\"
\"Whatwillhedoforus?Heisnotofourtribe,beingfootless——andwithmostevileyes,\"saidBagheera。
\"Heisveryoldandverycunning。Aboveall,heisalwayshungry,\"saidBaloohopefully。\"Promisehimmanygoats。\"
\"Hesleepsforafullmonthafterhehasonceeaten。Hemaybeasleepnow,andevenwereheawakewhatifhewouldratherkillhisowngoats?\"Bagheera,whodidnotknowmuchaboutKaa,wasnaturallysuspicious。
\"Theninthatcase,thouandItogether,oldhunter,mightmakehimseereason。\"HereBaloorubbedhisfadedbrownshoulderagainstthePanther,andtheywentofftolookforKaatheRockPython。
Theyfoundhimstretchedoutonawarmledgeintheafternoonsun,admiringhisbeautifulnewcoat,forhehadbeeninretirementforthelasttendayschanginghisskin,andnowhewasverysplendid——dartinghisbigblunt—nosedheadalongtheground,andtwistingthethirtyfeetofhisbodyintofantasticknotsandcurves,andlickinghislipsashethoughtofhisdinnertocome。
\"Hehasnoteaten,\"saidBaloo,withagruntofrelief,assoonashesawthebeautifullymottledbrownandyellowjacket。
\"Becareful,Bagheera!Heisalwaysalittleblindafterhehaschangedhisskin,andveryquicktostrike。\"
Kaawasnotapoisonsnake——infactheratherdespisedthepoisonsnakesascowards——buthisstrengthlayinhishug,andwhenhehadoncelappedhishugecoilsroundanybodytherewasnomoretobesaid。\"Goodhunting!\"criedBaloo,sittinguponhishaunches。LikeallsnakesofhisbreedKaawasratherdeaf,anddidnothearthecallatfirst。Thenhecurledupreadyforanyaccident,hisheadlowered。
\"Goodhuntingforusall,\"heanswered。\"Oho,Baloo,whatdostthoudohere?Goodhunting,Bagheera。Oneofusatleastneedsfood。Isthereanynewsofgameafoot?Adoenow,orevenayoungbuck?Iamasemptyasadriedwell。\"
\"Wearehunting,\"saidBaloocarelessly。HeknewthatyoumustnothurryKaa。Heistoobig。
\"Givemepermissiontocomewithyou,\"saidKaa。\"Ablowmoreorlessisnothingtothee,BagheeraorBaloo,butI——Ihavetowaitandwaitfordaysinawood—pathandclimbhalfanightonthemerechanceofayoungape。Psshaw!ThebranchesarenotwhattheywerewhenIwasyoung。Rottentwigsanddryboughsaretheyall。\"
\"Maybethygreatweighthassomethingtodowiththematter,\"
saidBaloo。
\"Iamafairlength——afairlength,\"saidKaawithalittlepride。\"Butforallthat,itisthefaultofthisnew—growntimber。Icameveryneartofallingonmylasthunt——verynearindeed——andthenoiseofmyslipping,formytailwasnottightwrappedaroundthetree,wakedtheBandar—log,andtheycalledmemostevilnames。\"
\"Footless,yellowearth—worm,\"saidBagheeraunderhiswhiskers,asthoughheweretryingtoremembersomething。
\"Sssss!Havetheyevercalledmethat?\"saidKaa。
\"Somethingofthatkinditwasthattheyshoutedtouslastmoon,butwenevernoticedthem。Theywillsayanything——eventhatthouhastlostallthyteeth,andwiltnotfaceanythingbiggerthanakid,because(theyareindeedshameless,theseBandar—log)——becausethouartafraidofthehe—goat’shorns,\"
Bagheerawentonsweetly。
Nowasnake,especiallyawaryoldpythonlikeKaa,veryseldomshowsthatheisangry,butBalooandBagheeracouldseethebigswallowingmusclesoneithersideofKaa’sthroatrippleandbulge。
\"TheBandar—loghaveshiftedtheirgrounds,\"hesaidquietly。
\"WhenIcameupintothesuntodayIheardthemwhoopingamongthetree—tops。\"
\"It——itistheBandar—logthatwefollownow,\"saidBaloo,butthewordsstuckinhisthroat,forthatwasthefirsttimeinhismemorythatoneoftheJungle—Peoplehadownedtobeinginterestedinthedoingsofthemonkeys。
\"Beyonddoubtthenitisnosmallthingthattakestwosuchhunters——leadersintheirownjungleIamcertain——onthetrailoftheBandar—log,\"Kaarepliedcourteously,asheswelledwithcuriosity。
\"Indeed,\"Baloobegan,\"IamnomorethantheoldandsometimesveryfoolishTeacheroftheLawtotheSeeoneewolf—cubs,andBagheerahere——\"
\"IsBagheera,\"saidtheBlackPanther,andhisjawsshutwithasnap,forhedidnotbelieveinbeinghumble。\"Thetroubleisthis,Kaa。Thosenut—stealersandpickersofpalmleaveshavestolenawayourman—cubofwhomthouhastperhapsheard。\"
\"IheardsomenewsfromIkki(hisquillsmakehimpresumptuous)ofaman—thingthatwasenteredintoawolfpack,butIdidnotbelieve。Ikkiisfullofstorieshalfheardandverybadlytold。\"
\"Butitistrue。Heissuchaman—cubasneverwas,\"saidBaloo。\"Thebestandwisestandboldestofman—cubs——myownpupil,whoshallmakethenameofBaloofamousthroughallthejungles;andbesides,I——we——lovehim,Kaa。\"
\"Ts!Ts!\"saidKaa,weavinghisheadtoandfro。\"Ialsohaveknownwhatloveis。TherearetalesIcouldtellthat——\"
\"Thatneedaclearnightwhenweareallwellfedtopraiseproperly,\"saidBagheeraquickly。\"Ourman—cubisinthehandsoftheBandar—lognow,andweknowthatofalltheJungle—PeopletheyfearKaaalone。\"
\"Theyfearmealone。Theyhavegoodreason,\"saidKaa。
\"Chattering,foolish,vain——vain,foolish,andchattering,arethemonkeys。Butaman—thingintheirhandsisinnogoodluck。
Theygrowtiredofthenutstheypick,andthrowthemdown。Theycarryabranchhalfaday,meaningtodogreatthingswithit,andthentheysnapitintwo。Thatman—thingisnottobeenvied。
Theycalledmealso——`yellowfish’wasitnot?\"
\"Worm——worm——earth—worm,\"saidBagheera,\"aswellasotherthingswhichIcannotnowsayforshame。\"
\"Wemustremindthemtospeakwelloftheirmaster。Aaa—ssp!
Wemusthelptheirwanderingmemories。Now,whitherwenttheywiththecub?\"
\"Thejunglealoneknows。Towardthesunset,Ibelieve,\"saidBaloo。\"Wehadthoughtthatthouwouldstknow,Kaa。\"
\"I?How?Itakethemwhentheycomeinmyway,butIdonothunttheBandar—log,orfrogs——orgreenscumonawater—hole,forthatmatter。\"
\"Up,Up!Up,Up!Hillo!Illo!Illo,lookup,BaloooftheSeeoneeWolfPack!\"
Baloolookeduptoseewherethevoicecamefrom,andtherewasRanntheKite,sweepingdownwiththesunshiningontheupturnedflangesofhiswings。ItwasnearRann’sbedtime,buthehadrangedalloverthejunglelookingfortheBearandhadmissedhiminthethickfoliage。
\"Whatisit?\"saidBaloo。
\"IhaveseenMowgliamongtheBandar—log。Hebademetellyou。Iwatched。TheBandar—loghavetakenhimbeyondtherivertothemonkeycity——totheColdLairs。Theymaystaythereforanight,ortennights,oranhour。Ihavetoldthebatstowatchthroughthedarktime。Thatismymessage。Goodhunting,allyoubelow!\"
\"Fullgorgeandadeepsleeptoyou,Rann,\"criedBagheera。
\"Iwillremembertheeinmynextkill,andputasidetheheadfortheealone,Obestofkites!\"
\"Itisnothing。Itisnothing。TheboyheldtheMasterWord。
Icouldhavedonenoless,\"andRanncircledupagaintohisroost。
\"Hehasnotforgottentousehistongue,\"saidBaloowithachuckleofpride。\"TothinkofonesoyoungrememberingtheMasterWordforthebirdstoowhilehewasbeingpulledacrosstrees!\"
\"Itwasmostfirmlydrivenintohim,\"saidBagheera。\"ButI
amproudofhim,andnowwemustgototheColdLairs。\"
Theyallknewwherethatplacewas,butfewoftheJunglePeopleeverwentthere,becausewhattheycalledtheColdLairswasanolddesertedcity,lostandburiedinthejungle,andbeastsseldomuseaplacethatmenhaveonceused。Thewildboarwill,butthehuntingtribesdonot。Besides,themonkeyslivedthereasmuchastheycouldbesaidtoliveanywhere,andnoself—respectinganimalwouldcomewithineyeshotofitexceptintimesofdrought,whenthehalf—ruinedtanksandreservoirsheldalittlewater。
\"Itishalfanight’sjourney——atfullspeed,\"saidBagheera,andBaloolookedveryserious。\"IwillgoasfastasI
can,\"hesaidanxiously。
\"Wedarenotwaitforthee。Follow,Baloo。Wemustgoonthequick—foot——KaaandI。\"
\"Feetornofeet,Icankeepabreastofallthyfour,\"saidKaashortly。Baloomadeoneefforttohurry,buthadtositdownpanting,andsotheylefthimtocomeonlater,whileBagheerahurriedforward,atthequickpanther—canter。Kaasaidnothing,but,striveasBagheeramight,thehugeRock—pythonheldlevelwithhim。Whentheycametoahillstream,Bagheeragained,becauseheboundedacrosswhileKaaswam,hisheadandtwofeetofhisneckclearingthewater,butonlevelgroundKaamadeupthedistance。
\"BytheBrokenLockthatfreedme,\"saidBagheera,whentwilighthadfallen,\"thouartnoslowgoer!\"
\"Iamhungry,\"saidKaa。\"Besides,theycalledmespeckledfrog。\"
\"Worm——earth—worm,andyellowtoboot。\"
\"Allone。Letusgoon,\"andKaaseemedtopourhimselfalongtheground,findingtheshortestroadwithhissteadyeyes,andkeepingtoit。
IntheColdLairstheMonkey—PeoplewerenotthinkingofMowgli’sfriendsatall。TheyhadbroughttheboytotheLostCity,andwereverymuchpleasedwiththemselvesforthetime。
MowglihadneverseenanIndiancitybefore,andthoughthiswasalmostaheapofruinsitseemedverywonderfulandsplendid。
Somekinghadbuiltitlongagoonalittlehill。Youcouldstilltracethestonecausewaysthatleduptotheruinedgateswherethelastsplintersofwoodhungtotheworn,rustedhinges。Treeshadgrownintoandoutofthewalls;thebattlementsweretumbleddownanddecayed,andwildcreepershungoutofthewindowsofthetowersonthewallsinbushyhangingclumps。
Agreatrooflesspalacecrownedthehill,andthemarbleofthecourtyardsandthefountainswassplit,andstainedwithredandgreen,andtheverycobblestonesinthecourtyardwheretheking’selephantsusedtolivehadbeenthrustupandapartbygrassesandyoungtrees。Fromthepalaceyoucouldseetherowsandrowsofrooflesshousesthatmadeupthecitylookinglikeemptyhoneycombsfilledwithblackness;theshapelessblockofstonethathadbeenanidolinthesquarewherefourroadsmet;
thepitsanddimplesatstreetcornerswherethepublicwellsoncestood,andtheshattereddomesoftempleswithwildfigssproutingontheirsides。Themonkeyscalledtheplacetheircity,andpretendedtodespisetheJungle—Peoplebecausetheylivedintheforest。Andyettheyneverknewwhatthebuildingsweremadefornorhowtousethem。Theywouldsitincirclesonthehalloftheking’scouncilchamber,andscratchforfleasandpretendtobemen;ortheywouldruninandoutoftherooflesshousesandcollectpiecesofplasterandoldbricksinacorner,andforgetwheretheyhadhiddenthem,andfightandcryinscufflingcrowds,andthenbreakofftoplayupanddowntheterracesoftheking’sgarden,wheretheywouldshaketherosetreesandtheorangesinsporttoseethefruitandflowersfall。Theyexploredallthepassagesanddarktunnelsinthepalaceandthehundredsoflittledarkrooms,buttheyneverrememberedwhattheyhadseenandwhattheyhadnot;andsodriftedaboutinonesandtwosorcrowdstellingeachotherthattheyweredoingasmendid。Theydrankatthetanksandmadethewaterallmuddy,andthentheyfoughtoverit,andthentheywouldallrushtogetherinmobsandshout:
\"ThereisnooneinthejunglesowiseandgoodandcleverandstrongandgentleastheBandar—log。\"Thenallwouldbeginagaintilltheygrewtiredofthecityandwentbacktothetree—tops,hopingtheJungle—Peoplewouldnoticethem。
Mowgli,whohadbeentrainedundertheLawoftheJungle,didnotlikeorunderstandthiskindoflife。ThemonkeysdraggedhimintotheColdLairslateintheafternoon,andinsteadofgoingtosleep,asMowgliwouldhavedoneafteralongjourney,theyjoinedhandsanddancedaboutandsangtheirfoolishsongs。OneofthemonkeysmadeaspeechandtoldhiscompanionsthatMowgli’scapturemarkedanewthinginthehistoryoftheBandar—log,forMowgliwasgoingtoshowthemhowtoweavesticksandcanestogetherasaprotectionagainstrainandcold。Mowglipickedupsomecreepersandbegantoworktheminandout,andthemonkeystriedtoimitate;butinaveryfewminutestheylostinterestandbegantopulltheirfriends’tailsorjumpupanddownonallfours,coughing。
\"Iwishtoeat,\"saidMowgli。\"Iamastrangerinthispartofthejungle。Bringmefood,orgivemeleavetohunthere。\"
Twentyorthirtymonkeysboundedawaytobringhimnutsandwildpawpaws。Buttheyfelltofightingontheroad,anditwastoomuchtroubletogobackwithwhatwasleftofthefruit。
Mowgliwassoreandangryaswellashungry,andheroamedthroughtheemptycitygivingtheStrangers’HuntingCallfromtimetotime,butnooneansweredhim,andMowglifeltthathehadreachedaverybadplaceindeed。\"AllthatBaloohassaidabouttheBandar—logistrue,\"hethoughttohimself。\"TheyhavenoLaw,noHuntingCall,andnoleaders——nothingbutfoolishwordsandlittlepickingthievishhands。SoifIamstarvedorkilledhere,itwillbeallmyownfault。ButImusttrytoreturntomyownjungle。Baloowillsurelybeatme,butthatisbetterthanchasingsillyroseleaveswiththeBandar—log。\"
Nosoonerhadhewalkedtothecitywallthanthemonkeyspulledhimback,tellinghimthathedidnotknowhowhappyhewas,andpinchinghimtomakehimgrateful。Hesethisteethandsaidnothing,butwentwiththeshoutingmonkeystoaterraceabovetheredsandstonereservoirsthatwerehalf—fullofrainwater。Therewasaruinedsummer—houseofwhitemarbleinthecenteroftheterrace,builtforqueensdeadahundredyearsago。
Thedomedroofhadhalffalleninandblockeduptheundergroundpassagefromthepalacebywhichthequeensusedtoenter。Butthewallsweremadeofscreensofmarbletracery——beautifulmilk—whitefretwork,setwithagatesandcorneliansandjasperandlapislazuli,andasthemooncameupbehindthehillitshonethroughtheopenwork,castingshadowsonthegroundlikeblackvelvetembroidery。Sore,sleepy,andhungryashewas,MowglicouldnothelplaughingwhentheBandar—logbegan,twentyatatime,totellhimhowgreatandwiseandstrongandgentletheywere,andhowfoolishhewastowishtoleavethem。\"Wearegreat。Wearefree。Wearewonderful。Wearethemostwonderfulpeopleinallthejungle!Weallsayso,andsoitmustbetrue,\"
theyshouted。\"NowasyouareanewlistenerandcancarryourwordsbacktotheJungle—Peoplesothattheymaynoticeusinfuture,wewilltellyouallaboutourmostexcellentselves。\"
Mowglimadenoobjection,andthemonkeysgatheredbyhundredsandhundredsontheterracetolistentotheirownspeakerssingingthepraisesoftheBandar—log,andwheneveraspeakerstoppedforwantofbreaththeywouldallshouttogether:\"Thisistrue;weallsayso。\"Mowglinoddedandblinked,andsaid\"Yes\"whentheyaskedhimaquestion,andhisheadspunwiththenoise。\"TabaquitheJackalmusthavebittenallthesepeople,\"hesaidtohimself,\"andnowtheyhavemadness。Certainlythisisdewanee,themadness。Dotheynevergotosleep?Nowthereisacloudcomingtocoverthatmoon。IfitwereonlyabigenoughcloudImighttrytorunawayinthedarkness。ButIamtired。\"
Thatsamecloudwasbeingwatchedbytwogoodfriendsintheruinedditchbelowthecitywall,forBagheeraandKaa,knowingwellhowdangeroustheMonkey—Peoplewereinlargenumbers,didnotwishtorunanyrisks。Themonkeysneverfightunlesstheyareahundredtoone,andfewinthejunglecareforthoseodds。
\"Iwillgotothewestwall,\"Kaawhispered,\"andcomedownswiftlywiththeslopeofthegroundinmyfavor。Theywillnotthrowthemselvesuponmybackintheirhundreds,but——\"
\"Iknowit,\"saidBagheera。\"WouldthatBaloowerehere,butwemustdowhatwecan。WhenthatcloudcoversthemoonIshallgototheterrace。Theyholdsomesortofcouncilthereovertheboy。\"
\"Goodhunting,\"saidKaagrimly,andglidedawaytothewestwall。Thathappenedtobetheleastruinedofany,andthebigsnakewasdelayedawhilebeforehecouldfindawayupthestones。
Thecloudhidthemoon,andasMowgliwonderedwhatwouldcomenextheheardBagheera’slightfeetontheterrace。TheBlackPantherhadraceduptheslopealmostwithoutasoundandwasstriking——heknewbetterthantowastetimeinbiting——rightandleftamongthemonkeys,whowereseatedroundMowgliincirclesfiftyandsixtydeep。Therewasahowloffrightandrage,andthenasBagheeratrippedontherollingkickingbodiesbeneathhim,amonkeyshouted:\"Thereisonlyonehere!Killhim!
Kill。\"Ascufflingmassofmonkeys,biting,scratching,tearing,andpulling,closedoverBagheera,whilefiveorsixlaidholdofMowgli,draggedhimupthewallofthesummerhouseandpushedhimthroughtheholeofthebrokendome。Aman—trainedboywouldhavebeenbadlybruised,forthefallwasagoodfifteenfeet,butMowglifellasBaloohadtaughthimtofall,andlandedonhisfeet。
\"Staythere,\"shoutedthemonkeys,\"tillwehavekilledthyfriends,andlaterwewillplaywiththee——ifthePoison—Peopleleavetheealive。\"
\"Webeofoneblood,yeandI,\"saidMowgli,quicklygivingtheSnake’sCall。HecouldhearrustlingandhissingintherubbishallroundhimandgavetheCallasecondtime,tomakesure。
\"Evenssso!Downhoodsall!\"saidhalfadozenlowvoices(everyruininIndiabecomessoonerorlateradwellingplaceofsnakes,andtheoldsummerhousewasalivewithcobras)。\"Standstill,LittleBrother,forthyfeetmaydousharm。\"
Mowglistoodasquietlyashecould,peeringthroughtheopenworkandlisteningtothefuriousdinofthefightroundtheBlackPanther——theyellsandchatteringsandscufflings,andBagheera’sdeep,hoarsecoughashebackedandbuckedandtwistedandplungedundertheheapsofhisenemies。Forthefirsttimesincehewasborn,Bagheerawasfightingforhislife。
\"Baloomustbeathand;Bagheerawouldnothavecomealone,\"
Mowglithought。Andthenhecalledaloud:\"Tothetank,Bagheera。
Rolltothewatertanks。Rollandplunge!Gettothewater!\"
Bagheeraheard,andthecrythattoldhimMowgliwassafegavehimnewcourage。Heworkedhiswaydesperately,inchbyinch,straightforthereservoirs,haltinginsilence。Thenfromtheruinedwallnearestthejungleroseuptherumblingwar—shoutofBaloo。TheoldBearhaddonehisbest,buthecouldnotcomebefore。\"Bagheera,\"heshouted,\"Iamhere。Iclimb!Ihaste!
Ahuwora!Thestonesslipundermyfeet!Waitmycoming,OmostinfamousBandar—log!\"Hepanteduptheterraceonlytodisappeartotheheadinawaveofmonkeys,buthethrewhimselfsquarelyonhishaunches,and,spreadingouthisforepaws,huggedasmanyashecouldhold,andthenbegantohitwitharegularbat—bat—bat,liketheflippingstrokesofapaddlewheel。AcrashandasplashtoldMowglithatBagheerahadfoughthiswaytothetankwherethemonkeyscouldnotfollow。ThePantherlaygaspingforbreath,hisheadjustoutofthewater,whilethemonkeysstoodthreedeepontheredsteps,dancingupanddownwithrage,readytospringuponhimfromallsidesifhecameouttohelpBaloo。ItwasthenthatBagheeralifteduphisdrippingchin,andindespairgavetheSnake’sCallforprotection——\"Webeofoneblood,yeandI\"——
forhebelievedthatKaahadturnedtailatthelastminute。EvenBaloo,halfsmotheredunderthemonkeysontheedgeoftheterrace,couldnothelpchucklingasheheardtheBlackPantheraskingforhelp。
Kaahadonlyjustworkedhiswayoverthewestwall,landingwithawrenchthatdislodgedacopingstoneintotheditch。Hehadnointentionoflosinganyadvantageoftheground,andcoiledanduncoiledhimselfonceortwice,tobesurethateveryfootofhislongbodywasinworkingorder。AllthatwhilethefightwithBaloowenton,andthemonkeysyelledinthetankroundBagheera,andMangtheBat,flyingtoandfro,carriedthenewsofthegreatbattleoverthejungle,tillevenHathitheWildElephanttrumpeted,and,faraway,scatteredbandsoftheMonkey—Folkwokeandcameleapingalongthetree—roadstohelptheircomradesintheColdLairs,andthenoiseofthefightrousedallthedaybirdsformilesround。ThenKaacamestraight,quickly,andanxioustokill。Thefightingstrengthofapythonisinthedrivingblowofhisheadbackedbyallthestrengthandweightofhisbody。Ifyoucanimaginealance,orabatteringram,orahammerweighingnearlyhalfatondrivenbyacool,quietmindlivinginthehandleofit,youcanroughlyimaginewhatKaawaslikewhenhefought。Apythonfourorfivefeetlongcanknockamandownifhehitshimfairlyinthechest,andKaawasthirtyfeetlong,asyouknow。HisfirststrokewasdeliveredintotheheartofthecrowdroundBaloo。Itwassenthomewithshutmouthinsilence,andtherewasnoneedofasecond。Themonkeysscatteredwithcriesof——\"Kaa!ItisKaa!Run!Run!\"
GenerationsofmonkeyshadbeenscaredintogoodbehaviorbythestoriestheirelderstoldthemofKaa,thenightthief,whocouldslipalongthebranchesasquietlyasmossgrows,andstealawaythestrongestmonkeythateverlived;ofoldKaa,whocouldmakehimselflooksolikeadeadbranchorarottenstumpthatthewisestweredeceived,tillthebranchcaughtthem。Kaawaseverythingthatthemonkeysfearedinthejungle,fornoneofthemknewthelimitsofhispower,noneofthemcouldlookhimintheface,andnonehadevercomealiveoutofhishug。Andsotheyran,stammeringwithterror,tothewallsandtheroofsofthehouses,andBaloodrewadeepbreathofrelief。HisfurwasmuchthickerthanBagheera’s,buthehadsufferedsorelyinthefight。
ThenKaaopenedhismouthforthefirsttimeandspokeonelonghissingword,andthefar—awaymonkeys,hurryingtothedefenseoftheColdLairs,stayedwheretheywere,cowering,tilltheloadedbranchesbentandcrackledunderthem。Themonkeysonthewallsandtheemptyhousesstoppedtheircries,andinthestillnessthatfelluponthecityMowgliheardBagheerashakinghiswetsidesashecameupfromthetank。Thentheclamorbrokeoutagain。Themonkeysleapedhigherupthewalls。Theyclungaroundthenecksofthebigstoneidolsandshriekedastheyskippedalongthebattlements,whileMowgli,dancinginthesummerhouse,puthiseyetothescreenworkandhootedowl—fashionbetweenhisfrontteeth,toshowhisderisionandcontempt。
\"Gettheman—cuboutofthattrap;Icandonomore,\"Bagheeragasped。\"Letustaketheman—cubandgo。Theymayattackagain。\"
\"TheywillnotmovetillIorderthem。Stayyousssso!\"Kaahissed,andthecitywassilentoncemore。\"Icouldnotcomebefore,Brother,butIthinkIheardtheecall\"——thiswastoBagheera。
\"I——Imayhavecriedoutinthebattle,\"Bagheeraanswered。
\"Baloo,artthouhurt?
\"Iamnotsurethattheydidnotpullmeintoahundredlittlebearlings,\"saidBaloo,gravelyshakingonelegaftertheother。
\"Wow!Iamsore。Kaa,weowethee,Ithink,ourlives——BagheeraandI。\"
\"Nomatter。Whereisthemanling?\"
\"Here,inatrap。Icannotclimbout,\"criedMowgli。Thecurveofthebrokendomewasabovehishead。
\"Takehimaway。HedanceslikeMaothePeacock。Hewillcrushouryoung,\"saidthecobrasinside。
\"Hah!\"saidKaawithachuckle,\"hehasfriendseverywhere,thismanling。Standback,manling。Andhideyou,OPoisonPeople。Ibreakdownthewall。\"
Kaalookedcarefullytillhefoundadiscoloredcrackinthemarbletraceryshowingaweakspot,madetwoorthreelighttapswithhisheadtogetthedistance,andthenliftingupsixfeetofhisbodyclearoftheground,senthomehalfadozenfull—powersmashingblows,nose—first。Thescreen—workbrokeandfellawayinacloudofdustandrubbish,andMowglileapedthroughtheopeningandflunghimselfbetweenBalooandBagheera——anarmaroundeachbigneck。
\"Artthouhurt?\"saidBaloo,hugginghimsoftly。
\"Iamsore,hungry,andnotalittlebruised。But,oh,theyhavehandledyegrievously,myBrothers!Yebleed。\"
\"Othersalso,\"saidBagheera,lickinghislipsandlookingatthemonkey—deadontheterraceandroundthetank。
\"Itisnothing,itisnothing,ifthouartsafe,oh,myprideofalllittlefrogs!\"whimperedBaloo。
\"Ofthatweshalljudgelater,\"saidBagheera,inadryvoicethatMowglididnotatalllike。\"ButhereisKaatowhomweowethebattleandthouowestthylife。Thankhimaccordingtoourcustoms,Mowgli。\"
MowgliturnedandsawthegreatPython’sheadswayingafootabovehisown。
\"Sothisisthemanling,\"saidKaa。\"Verysoftishisskin,andheisnotunliketheBandar—log。Haveacare,manling,thatI
donotmistaketheeforamonkeysometwilightwhenIhavenewlychangedmycoat。\"
\"Webeoneblood,thouandI,\"Mowglianswered。\"Itakemylifefromtheetonight。Mykillshallbethykillifeverthouarthungry,OKaa。\"
\"Allthanks,LittleBrother,\"saidKaa,thoughhiseyestwinkled。\"Andwhatmaysoboldahunterkill?IaskthatImayfollowwhennexthegoesabroad。\"
\"Ikillnothing,——Iamtoolittle,——butIdrivegoatstowardsuchascanusethem。WhenthouartemptycometomeandseeifIspeakthetruth。Ihavesomeskillinthese[heheldouthishands],andifeverthouartinatrap,ImaypaythedebtwhichIowetothee,toBagheera,andtoBaloo,here。Goodhuntingtoyeall,mymasters。\"
\"Wellsaid,\"growledBaloo,forMowglihadreturnedthanksveryprettily。ThePythondroppedhisheadlightlyforaminuteonMowgli’sshoulder。\"Abraveheartandacourteoustongue,\"
saidhe。\"Theyshallcarrytheefarthroughthejungle,manling。
Butnowgohencequicklywiththyfriends。Goandsleep,forthemoonsets,andwhatfollowsitisnotwellthatthoushouldstsee。\"
Themoonwassinkingbehindthehillsandthelinesoftremblingmonkeyshuddledtogetheronthewallsandbattlementslookedlikeraggedshakyfringesofthings。BaloowentdowntothetankforadrinkandBagheerabegantoputhisfurinorder,asKaaglidedoutintothecenteroftheterraceandbroughthisjawstogetherwitharingingsnapthatdrewallthemonkeys’eyesuponhim。
\"Themoonsets,\"hesaid。\"Isthereyetlightenoughtosee?\"
Fromthewallscameamoanlikethewindinthetree—tops——
\"Wesee,OKaa。\"
\"Good。Beginsnowthedance——theDanceoftheHungerofKaa。Sitstillandwatch。\"
Heturnedtwiceorthriceinabigcircle,weavinghisheadfromrighttoleft。Thenhebeganmakingloopsandfiguresofeightwithhisbody,andsoft,oozytrianglesthatmeltedintosquaresandfive—sidedfigures,andcoiledmounds,neverresting,neverhurrying,andneverstoppinghislowhummingsong。Itgrewdarkeranddarker,tillatlastthedragging,shiftingcoilsdisappeared,buttheycouldheartherustleofthescales。
BalooandBagheerastoodstillasstone,growlingintheirthroats,theirneckhairbristling,andMowgliwatchedandwondered。
\"Bandar—log,\"saidthevoiceofKaaatlast,\"canyestirfootorhandwithoutmyorder?Speak!\"
\"Withoutthyorderwecannotstirfootorhand,OKaa!\"
\"Good!Comeallonepacenearertome。\"
Thelinesofthemonkeysswayedforwardhelplessly,andBalooandBagheeratookonestiffstepforwardwiththem。
\"Nearer!\"hissedKaa,andtheyallmovedagain。
MowglilaidhishandsonBalooandBagheeratogetthemaway,andthetwogreatbeastsstartedasthoughtheyhadbeenwakedfromadream。
\"Keepthyhandonmyshoulder,\"Bagheerawhispered。\"Keepitthere,orImustgoback——mustgobacktoKaa。Aah!\"
\"ItisonlyoldKaamakingcirclesonthedust,\"saidMowgli。
\"Letusgo。\"Andthethreeslippedoffthroughagapinthewallstothejungle。
\"Whoof!\"saidBaloo,whenhestoodunderthestilltreesagain。\"NevermorewillImakeanallyofKaa,\"andheshookhimselfallover。
\"Heknowsmorethanwe,\"saidBagheera,trembling。\"Inalittletime,hadIstayed,Ishouldhavewalkeddownhisthroat。\"
\"Manywillwalkbythatroadbeforethemoonrisesagain,\"
saidBaloo。\"Hewillhavegoodhunting——afterhisownfashion。\"
\"Butwhatwasthemeaningofitall?\"saidMowgli,whodidnotknowanythingofapython’spowersoffascination。\"Isawnomorethanabigsnakemakingfoolishcirclestillthedarkcame。Andhisnosewasallsore。Ho!Ho!\"
\"Mowgli,\"saidBagheeraangrily,\"hisnosewassoreonthyaccount,asmyearsandsidesandpaws,andBaloo’sneckandshouldersarebittenonthyaccount。NeitherBaloonorBagheerawillbeabletohuntwithpleasureformanydays。\"
\"Itisnothing,\"saidBaloo;\"wehavetheman—cubagain。\"
\"True,buthehascostusheavilyintimewhichmighthavebeenspentingoodhunting,inwounds,inhair——Iamhalfpluckedalongmyback——andlastofall,inhonor。For,remember,Mowgli,I,whoamtheBlackPanther,wasforcedtocalluponKaaforprotection,andBalooandIwerebothmadestupidaslittlebirdsbytheHungerDance。Allthis,man—cub,cameofthyplayingwiththeBandar—log。\"
\"True,itistrue,\"saidMowglisorrowfully。\"Iamanevilman—cub,andmystomachissadinme。\"
\"Mf!WhatsaystheLawoftheJungle,Baloo?\"
BaloodidnotwishtobringMowgliintoanymoretrouble,buthecouldnottamperwiththeLaw,sohemumbled:\"Sorrowneverstayspunishment。Butremember,Bagheera,heisverylittle。\"
\"Iwillremember。Buthehasdonemischief,andblowsmustbedealtnow。Mowgli,hastthouanythingtosay?\"
\"Nothing。Ididwrong。Balooandthouarewounded。Itisjust。\"
Bagheeragavehimhalfadozenlove—tapsfromapanther’spointofview(theywouldhardlyhavewakedoneofhisowncubs),butforaseven—year—oldboytheyamountedtoassevereabeatingasyoucouldwishtoavoid。WhenitwasalloverMowglisneezed,andpickedhimselfupwithoutaword。
\"Now,\"saidBagheera,\"jumponmyback,LittleBrother,andwewillgohome。\"
OneofthebeautiesofJungleLawisthatpunishmentsettlesallscores。Thereisnonaggingafterward。
MowglilaidhisheaddownonBagheera’sbackandsleptsodeeplythatheneverwakedwhenhewasputdowninthehome—cave。
Road—SongoftheBandar—LogHerewegoinaflungfestoon,Half—wayuptothejealousmoon!
Don’tyouenvyourprancefulbands?
Don’tyouwishyouhadextrahands?
Wouldn’tyoulikeifyourtailswere——so——
CurvedintheshapeofaCupid’sbow?
Nowyou’reangry,but——nevermind,Brother,thytailhangsdownbehind!
Herewesitinabranchyrow,Thinkingofbeautifulthingsweknow;
Dreamingofdeedsthatwemeantodo,Allcomplete,inaminuteortwo——
Somethingnobleandwiseandgood,Donebymerelywishingwecould。
We’veforgotten,but——nevermind,Brother,thytailhangsdownbehind!
AllthetalkweeverhaveheardUtteredbybatorbeastorbird——
Hideorfinorscaleorfeather——
Jabberitquicklyandalltogether!
Excellent!Wonderful!Onceagain!
Nowwearetalkingjustlikemen!
Let’spretendweare……nevermind,Brother,thytailhangsdownbehind!
ThisisthewayoftheMonkey—kind。
Thenjoinourleapinglinesthatscumfishthroughthepines,Thatrocketbywhere,lightandhigh,thewildgrapeswings。
Bytherubbishinourwake,andthenoblenoisewemake,Besure,besure,we’regoingtodosomesplendidthings!
\"Tiger!Tiger!\"
Whatofthehunting,hunterbold?
Brother,thewatchwaslongandcold。
Whatofthequarryyewenttokill?
Brother,hecropsinthejunglestill。
Whereisthepowerthatmadeyourpride?
Brother,itebbsfrommyflankandside。
Whereisthehastethatyehurryby?
Brother,Igotomylair——todie。
Nowwemustgobacktothefirsttale。WhenMowglileftthewolf’scaveafterthefightwiththePackattheCouncilRock,hewentdowntotheplowedlandswherethevillagerslived,buthewouldnotstoptherebecauseitwastooneartothejungle,andheknewthathehadmadeatleastonebadenemyattheCouncil。Sohehurriedon,keepingtotheroughroadthatrandownthevalley,andfolloweditatasteadyjog—trotfornearlytwentymiles,tillhecametoacountrythathedidnotknow。Thevalleyopenedoutintoagreatplaindottedoverwithrocksandcutupbyravines。
Atoneendstoodalittlevillage,andattheotherthethickjunglecamedowninasweeptothegrazing—grounds,andstoppedthereasthoughithadbeencutoffwithahoe。Allovertheplain,cattleandbuffaloesweregrazing,andwhenthelittleboysinchargeoftheherdssawMowglitheyshoutedandranaway,andtheyellowpariahdogsthathangabouteveryIndianvillagebarked。Mowgliwalkedon,forhewasfeelinghungry,andwhenhecametothevillagegatehesawthebigthorn—bushthatwasdrawnupbeforethegateattwilight,pushedtooneside。
\"Umph!\"hesaid,forhehadcomeacrossmorethanonesuchbarricadeinhisnightramblesafterthingstoeat。\"SomenareafraidofthePeopleoftheJungleherealso。\"Hesatdownbythegate,andwhenamancameouthestoodup,openedhismouth,andpointeddownittoshowthathewantedfood。Themanstared,andranbackuptheonestreetofthevillageshoutingforthepriest,whowasabig,fatmandressedinwhite,witharedandyellowmarkonhisforehead。Thepriestcametothegate,andwithhimatleastahundredpeople,whostaredandtalkedandshoutedandpointedatMowgli。
\"Theyhavenomanners,theseMenFolk,\"saidMowglitohimself。\"Onlythegrayapewouldbehaveastheydo。\"Sohethrewbackhislonghairandfrownedatthecrowd。
\"Whatistheretobeafraidof?\"saidthepriest。\"Lookatthemarksonhisarmsandlegs。Theyarethebitesofwolves。Heisbutawolf—childrunawayfromthejungle。\"
Ofcourse,inplayingtogether,thecubshadoftennippedMowgliharderthantheyintended,andtherewerewhitescarsalloverhisarmsandlegs。Buthewouldhavebeenthelastpersonintheworldtocallthesebites,forheknewwhatrealbitingmeant。
\"Arre!Arre!\"saidtwoorthreewomentogether。\"Tobebittenbywolves,poorchild!Heisahandsomeboy。Hehaseyeslikeredfire。Bymyhonor,Messua,heisnotunlikethyboythatwastakenbythetiger。\"
\"Letmelook,\"saidawomanwithheavycopperringsonherwristsandankles,andshepeeredatMowgliunderthepalmofherhand。\"Indeedheisnot。Heisthinner,buthehastheverylookofmyboy。\"
Thepriestwasacleverman,andheknewthatMessuawaswifetotherichestvillagerintheplace。Sohelookedupattheskyforaminuteandsaidsolemnly:\"Whatthejunglehastakenthejunglehasrestored。Taketheboyintothyhouse,mysister,andforgetnottohonorthepriestwhoseessofarintothelivesofmen。\"
\"BytheBullthatboughtme,\"saidMowglitohimself,\"butallthistalkingislikeanotherlooking—overbythePack!Well,ifI
amaman,amanImustbecome。\"
ThecrowdpartedasthewomanbeckonedMowglitoherhut,wheretherewasaredlacqueredbedstead,agreatearthengrainchestwithfunnyraisedpatternsonit,halfadozencoppercookingpots,animageofaHindugodinalittlealcove,andonthewallareallookingglass,suchastheysellatthecountryfairs。
Shegavehimalongdrinkofmilkandsomebread,andthenshelaidherhandonhisheadandlookedintohiseyes;forshethoughtperhapsthathemightbeherrealsoncomebackfromthejunglewherethetigerhadtakenhim。Soshesaid,\"Nathoo,O
Nathoo!\"Mowglididnotshowthatheknewthename。\"DostthounotrememberthedaywhenIgavetheethynewshoes?\"Shetouchedhisfoot,anditwasalmostashardashorn。\"No,\"shesaidsorrowfully,\"thosefeethaveneverwornshoes,butthouartverylikemyNathoo,andthoushaltbemyson。\"
Mowgliwasuneasy,becausehehadneverbeenunderaroofbefore。Butashelookedatthethatch,hesawthathecouldtearitoutanytimeifhewantedtogetaway,andthatthewindowhadnofastenings。\"Whatisthegoodofaman,\"hesaidtohimselfatlast,\"ifhedoesnotunderstandman’stalk?NowIamassillyanddumbasamanwouldbewithusinthejungle。Imustspeaktheirtalk。\"
Itwasnotforfunthathehadlearnedwhilehewaswiththewolvestoimitatethechallengeofbucksinthejungleandthegruntofthelittlewildpig。So,assoonasMessuapronouncedawordMowgliwouldimitateitalmostperfectly,andbeforedarkhehadlearnedthenamesofmanythingsinthehut。
Therewasadifficultyatbedtime,becauseMowgliwouldnotsleepunderanythingthatlookedsolikeapanthertrapasthathut,andwhentheyshutthedoorhewentthroughthewindow。
\"Givehimhiswill,\"saidMessua’shusband。\"Rememberhecannevertillnowhavesleptonabed。Ifheisindeedsentintheplaceofoursonhewillnotrunaway。\"
SoMowglistretchedhimselfinsomelong,cleangrassattheedgeofthefield,butbeforehehadclosedhiseyesasoftgraynosepokedhimunderthechin。
\"Phew!\"saidGrayBrother(hewastheeldestofMotherWolf’scubs)。\"Thisisapoorrewardforfollowingtheetwentymiles。
Thousmellestofwoodsmokeandcattle——altogetherlikeamanalready。Wake,LittleBrother;Ibringnews。\"
\"Areallwellinthejungle?\"saidMowgli,hugginghim。
\"AllexceptthewolvesthatwereburnedwiththeRedFlower。
Now,listen。ShereKhanhasgoneawaytohuntfarofftillhiscoatgrowsagain,forheisbadlysinged。WhenhereturnsheswearsthathewilllaythybonesintheWaingunga。\"
\"Therearetwowordstothat。Ialsohavemadealittlepromise。Butnewsisalwaysgood。Iamtiredto—night,——verytiredwithnewthings,GrayBrother,——butbringmethenewsalways。\"
\"Thouwiltnotforgetthatthouartawolf?Menwillnotmaketheeforget?\"saidGrayBrotheranxiously。
\"Never。IwillalwaysrememberthatIlovetheeandallinourcave。ButalsoIwillalwaysrememberthatIhavebeencastoutofthePack。\"
\"Andthatthoumayestbecastoutofanotherpack。Menareonlymen,LittleBrother,andtheirtalkislikethetalkoffrogsinapond。WhenIcomedownhereagain,Iwillwaitfortheeinthebamboosattheedgeofthegrazing—ground。\"
ForthreemonthsafterthatnightMowglihardlyeverleftthevillagegate,hewassobusylearningthewaysandcustomsofmen。
Firsthehadtowearaclothroundhim,whichannoyedhimhorribly;andthenhehadtolearnaboutmoney,whichhedidnotintheleastunderstand,andaboutplowing,ofwhichhedidnotseetheuse。Thenthelittlechildreninthevillagemadehimveryangry。Luckily,theLawoftheJunglehadtaughthimtokeephistemper,forinthejunglelifeandfooddependonkeepingyourtemper;butwhentheymadefunofhimbecausehewouldnotplaygamesorflykites,orbecausehemispronouncedsomeword,onlytheknowledgethatitwasunsportsmanliketokilllittlenakedcubskepthimfrompickingthemupandbreakingthemintwo。
Hedidnotknowhisownstrengthintheleast。Inthejungleheknewhewasweakcomparedwiththebeasts,butinthevillagepeoplesaidthathewasasstrongasabull。
AndMowglihadnotthefaintestideaofthedifferencethatcastemakesbetweenmanandman。Whenthepotter’sdonkeyslippedintheclaypit,Mowglihauleditoutbythetail,andhelpedtostackthepotsfortheirjourneytothemarketatKhanhiwara。
Thatwasveryshocking,too,forthepotterisalow—casteman,andhisdonkeyisworse。Whenthepriestscoldedhim,Mowglithreatenedtoputhimonthedonkeytoo,andthepriesttoldMessua’shusbandthatMowglihadbetterbesettoworkassoonaspossible;andthevillagehead—mantoldMowglithathewouldhavetogooutwiththebuffaloesnextday,andherdthemwhiletheygrazed。NoonewasmorepleasedthanMowgli;andthatnight,becausehehadbeenappointedaservantofthevillage,asitwere,hewentofftoacirclethatmeteveryeveningonamasonryplatformunderagreatfig—tree。Itwasthevillageclub,andthehead—manandthewatchmanandthebarber,whoknewallthegossipofthevillage,andoldBuldeo,thevillagehunter,whohadaTowermusket,metandsmoked。Themonkeyssatandtalkedintheupperbranches,andtherewasaholeundertheplatformwhereacobralived,andhehadhislittleplatterofmilkeverynightbecausehewassacred;andtheoldmensataroundthetreeandtalked,andpulledatthebighuqas(thewater—pipes)tillfarintothenight。Theytoldwonderfultalesofgodsandmenandghosts;andBuldeotoldevenmorewonderfulonesofthewaysofbeastsinthejungle,tilltheeyesofthechildrensittingoutsidethecirclebulgedoutoftheirheads。Mostofthetaleswereaboutanimals,forthejunglewasalwaysattheirdoor。Thedeerandthewildpiggrubbeduptheircrops,andnowandagainthetigercarriedoffamanattwilight,withinsightofthevillagegates。
Mowgli,whonaturallyknewsomethingaboutwhattheyweretalkingof,hadtocoverhisfacenottoshowthathewaslaughing,whileBuldeo,theTowermusketacrosshisknees,climbedonfromonewonderfulstorytoanother,andMowgli’sshouldersshook。
BuldeowasexplaininghowthetigerthathadcarriedawayMessua’ssonwasaghost—tiger,andhisbodywasinhabitedbytheghostofawicked,oldmoney—lender,whohaddiedsomeyearsago。
\"AndIknowthatthisistrue,\"hesaid,\"becausePurunDassalwayslimpedfromtheblowthathegotinariotwhenhisaccountbookswereburned,andthetigerthatIspeakofhelimps,too,forthetracksofhispadsareunequal。\"
\"True,true,thatmustbethetruth,\"saidthegray—beards,noddingtogether。
\"Areallthesetalessuchcobwebsandmoontalk?\"saidMowgli。
\"Thattigerlimpsbecausehewasbornlame,aseveryoneknows。Totalkofthesoulofamoney—lenderinabeastthatneverhadthecourageofajackalischild’stalk。\"
Buldeowasspeechlesswithsurpriseforamoment,andthehead—manstared。
\"Oho!Itisthejunglebrat,isit?\"saidBuldeo。\"Ifthouartsowise,betterbringhishidetoKhanhiwara,fortheGovernmenthassetahundredrupeesonhislife。Betterstill,talknotwhenthyeldersspeak。\"
Mowglirosetogo。\"AlltheeveningIhavelainherelistening,\"hecalledbackoverhisshoulder,\"and,exceptonceortwice,Buldeohasnotsaidonewordoftruthconcerningthejungle,whichisathisverydoors。How,then,shallIbelievethetalesofghostsandgodsandgoblinswhichhesayshehasseen?\"
\"Itisfulltimethatboywenttoherding,\"saidthehead—man,whileBuldeopuffedandsnortedatMowgli’simpertinence。
ThecustomofmostIndianvillagesisforafewboystotakethecattleandbuffaloesouttograzeintheearlymorning,andbringthembackatnight。Theverycattlethatwouldtrampleawhitemantodeathallowthemselvestobebangedandbulliedandshoutedatbychildrenthathardlycomeuptotheirnoses。Solongastheboyskeepwiththeherdstheyaresafe,fornoteventhetigerwillchargeamobofcattle。Butiftheystraggletopickflowersorhuntlizards,theyaresometimescarriedoff。
Mowgliwentthroughthevillagestreetinthedawn,sittingonthebackofRama,thegreatherdbull。Theslaty—bluebuffaloes,withtheirlong,backward—sweepinghornsandsavageeyes,roseouttheirbyres,onebyone,andfollowedhim,andMowglimadeitverycleartothechildrenwithhimthathewasthemaster。Hebeatthebuffaloeswithalong,polishedbamboo,andtoldKamya,oneoftheboys,tograzethecattlebythemselves,whilehewentonwiththebuffaloes,andtobeverycarefulnottostrayawayfromtheherd。
AnIndiangrazinggroundisallrocksandscrubandtussocksandlittleravines,amongwhichtheherdsscatteranddisappear。
Thebuffaloesgenerallykeeptothepoolsandmuddyplaces,wheretheyliewallowingorbaskinginthewarmmudforhours。MowglidrovethemontotheedgeoftheplainwheretheWaingungacameoutofthejungle;thenhedroppedfromRama’sneck,trottedofftoabambooclump,andfoundGrayBrother。\"Ah,\"saidGrayBrother,\"Ihavewaitedhereverymanydays。Whatisthemeaningofthiscattle—herdingwork?\"
\"Itisanorder,\"saidMowgli。\"Iamavillageherdforawhile。WhatnewsofShereKhan?\"
\"Hehascomebacktothiscountry,andhaswaitedherealongtimeforthee。Nowhehasgoneoffagain,forthegameisscarce。
Buthemeanstokillthee。\"
\"Verygood,\"saidMowgli。\"Solongasheisawaydothouoroneofthefourbrotherssitonthatrock,sothatIcanseetheeasIcomeoutofthevillage。Whenhecomesbackwaitformeintheravinebythedhaktreeinthecenteroftheplain。WeneednotwalkintoShereKhan’smouth。\"
ThenMowglipickedoutashadyplace,andlaydownandsleptwhilethebuffaloesgrazedroundhim。HerdinginIndiaisoneofthelaziestthingsintheworld。Thecattlemoveandcrunch,andliedown,andmoveonagain,andtheydonotevenlow。Theyonlygrunt,andthebuffaloesveryseldomsayanything,butgetdownintothemuddypoolsoneafteranother,andworktheirwayintothemudtillonlytheirnosesandstaringchina—blueeyesshowabovethesurface,andthentheylielikelogs。Thesunmakestherocksdanceintheheat,andtheherdchildrenhearonekite(neveranymore)whistlingalmostoutofsightoverhead,andtheyknowthatiftheydied,oracowdied,thatkitewouldsweepdown,andthenextkitemilesawaywouldseehimdropandfollow,andthenext,andthenext,andalmostbeforetheyweredeadtherewouldbeascoreofhungrykitescomeoutofnowhere。Thentheysleepandwakeandsleepagain,andweavelittlebasketsofdriedgrassandputgrasshoppersinthem;orcatchtwoprayingmantisesandmakethemfight;orstringanecklaceofredandblackjunglenuts;orwatchalizardbaskingonarock,orasnakehuntingafrognearthewallows。Thentheysinglong,longsongswithoddnativequaversattheendofthem,andthedayseemslongerthanmostpeople’swholelives,andperhapstheymakeamudcastlewithmudfiguresofmenandhorsesandbuffaloes,andputreedsintothemen’shands,andpretendthattheyarekingsandthefiguresaretheirarmies,orthattheyaregodstobeworshiped。Theneveningcomesandthechildrencall,andthebuffaloeslumberupoutofthestickymudwithnoiseslikegunshotsgoingoffoneaftertheother,andtheyallstringacrossthegrayplainbacktothetwinklingvillagelights。
DayafterdayMowgliwouldleadthebuffaloesouttotheirwallows,anddayafterdayhewouldseeGrayBrother’sbackamileandahalfawayacrosstheplain(soheknewthatShereKhanhadnotcomeback),anddayafterdayhewouldlieonthegrasslisteningtothenoisesroundhim,anddreamingofolddaysinthejungle。IfShereKhanhadmadeafalsestepwithhislamepawupinthejunglesbytheWaingunga,Mowgliwouldhaveheardhiminthoselong,stillmornings。
AtlastadaycamewhenhedidnotseeGrayBrotheratthesignalplace,andhelaughedandheadedthebuffaloesfortheravinebythedhktree,whichwasallcoveredwithgolden—redflowers。TheresatGrayBrother,everybristleonhisbacklifted。
\"Hehashiddenforamonthtothrowtheeoffthyguard。HecrossedtherangeslastnightwithTabaqui,hot—footonthytrail,\"saidtheWolf,panting。
Mowglifrowned。\"IamnotafraidofShereKhan,butTabaquiisverycunning。\"
\"Havenofear,\"saidGrayBrother,lickinghislipsalittle。
\"ImetTabaquiinthedawn。Nowheistellingallhiswisdomtothekites,buthetoldmeeverythingbeforeIbrokehisback。
ShereKhan’splanistowaitfortheeatthevillagegatethisevening——fortheeandfornooneelse。Heislyingupnow,inthebigdryravineoftheWaingunga。\"
\"Hasheeatentoday,ordoeshehuntempty?\"saidMowgli,fortheanswermeantlifeanddeathtohim。
\"Hekilledatdawn,——apig,——andhehasdrunktoo。
Remember,ShereKhancouldneverfast,evenforthesakeofrevenge。\"
\"Oh!Fool,fool!Whatacub’scubitis!Eatenanddrunktoo,andhethinksthatIshallwaittillhehasslept!Now,wheredoeshelieup?Iftherewerebuttenofuswemightpullhimdownashelies。Thesebuffaloeswillnotchargeunlesstheywindhim,andIcannotspeaktheirlanguage。Canwegetbehindhistracksothattheymaysmellit?\"
\"HeswamfardowntheWaingungatocutthatoff,\"saidGrayBrother。
\"Tabaquitoldhimthat,Iknow。Hewouldneverhavethoughtofitalone。\"Mowglistoodwithhisfingerinhismouth,thinking。\"ThebigravineoftheWaingunga。Thatopensoutontheplainnothalfamilefromhere。Icantaketheherdroundthroughthejungletotheheadoftheravineandthensweepdown——buthewouldslinkoutatthefoot。Wemustblockthatend。
GrayBrother,canstthoucuttheherdintwoforme?\"
\"NotI,perhaps——butIhavebroughtawisehelper。\"GrayBrothertrottedoffanddroppedintoahole。ThenthereliftedupahugegrayheadthatMowgliknewwell,andthehotairwasfilledwiththemostdesolatecryofallthejungle——thehuntinghowlofawolfatmidday。
\"Akela!Akela!\"saidMowgli,clappinghishands。\"Imighthaveknownthatthouwouldstnotforgetme。Wehaveabigworkinhand。Cuttheherdintwo,Akela。Keepthecowsandcalvestogether,andthebullsandtheplowbuffaloesbythemselves。\"
Thetwowolvesran,ladies’—chainfashion,inandoutoftheherd,whichsnortedandthrewupitshead,andseparatedintotwoclumps。Inone,thecow—buffaloesstoodwiththeircalvesinthecenter,andglaredandpawed,ready,ifawolfwouldonlystaystill,tochargedownandtramplethelifeoutofhim。Intheother,thebullsandtheyoungbullssnortedandstamped,butthoughtheylookedmoreimposingtheyweremuchlessdangerous,fortheyhadnocalvestoprotect。Nosixmencouldhavedividedtheherdsoneatly。
\"Whatorders!\"pantedAkela。\"Theyaretryingtojoinagain。\"
MowglislippedontoRama’sback。\"Drivethebullsawaytotheleft,Akela。GrayBrother,whenwearegone,holdthecowstogether,anddrivethemintothefootoftheravine。\"
\"Howfar?\"saidGrayBrother,pantingandsnapping。
\"TillthesidesarehigherthanShereKhancanjump,\"shoutedMowgli。\"Keepthemtheretillwecomedown。\"ThebullssweptoffasAkelabayed,andGrayBrotherstoppedinfrontofthecows。
Theychargeddownonhim,andheranjustbeforethemtothefootoftheravine,asAkeladrovethebullsfartotheleft。
\"Welldone!Anotherchargeandtheyarefairlystarted。
Careful,now——careful,Akela。Asnaptoomuchandthebullswillcharge。Hujah!Thisiswilderworkthandrivingblack—buck。
Didstthouthinkthesecreaturescouldmovesoswiftly?\"Mowglicalled。
\"Ihave——havehuntedthesetooinmytime,\"gaspedAkelainthedust。\"ShallIturnthemintothejungle?\"
\"Ay!Turn。Swiftlyturnthem!Ramaismadwithrage。Oh,ifIcouldonlytellhimwhatIneedofhimto—day。\"
Thebullswereturned,totherightthistime,andcrashedintothestandingthicket。Theotherherdchildren,watchingwiththecattlehalfamileaway,hurriedtothevillageasfastastheirlegscouldcarrythem,cryingthatthebuffaloeshadgonemadandrunaway。
ButMowgli’splanwassimpleenough。Allhewantedtodowastomakeabigcircleuphillandgetattheheadoftheravine,andthentakethebullsdownitandcatchShereKhanbetweenthebullsandthecows;forheknewthatafteramealandafulldrinkShereKhanwouldnotbeinanyconditiontofightortoclamberupthesidesoftheravine。Hewassoothingthebuffaloesnowbyvoice,andAkelahaddroppedfartotherear,onlywhimperingonceortwicetohurrytherear—guard。Itwasalong,longcircle,fortheydidnotwishtogettooneartheravineandgiveShereKhanwarning。AtlastMowgliroundedupthebewilderedherdattheheadoftheravineonagrassypatchthatslopedsteeplydowntotheravineitself。Fromthatheightyoucouldseeacrossthetopsofthetreesdowntotheplainbelow;butwhatMowglilookedatwasthesidesoftheravine,andhesawwithagreatdealofsatisfactionthattheyrannearlystraightupanddown,whilethevinesandcreepersthathungoverthemwouldgivenofootholdtoatigerwhowantedtogetout。
\"Letthembreathe,Akela,\"hesaid,holdinguphishand。