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Now, whither went they with the cub?" "The jungle alone knows. Toward the sunset, I believe," said Baloo. "We had thought that thou wouldst know, Kaa." "I? How? I take them when they come in my way, but I do not hunt the Bandar-log, or frogs or green scum on a water-hole, for that matter." "Up, Up! Up, Up! Hillo! Illo! Illo, look up, Baloo of the Seeonee Wolf Pack!"
"I will show it to him; but what did the Thuu mean when he talked of death?" "I cannot say. I am sorrowful to my tail's tail that he felt not thy knife. There is always evil at Cold Lairs above ground or below. But now I am hungry. Dost thou hunt with me this dawn?" said Kaa. "No; Bagheera must see this thing. Good hunting!"
Kaa, the big Rock Python, had changed his skin for perhaps the two-hundredth time since his birth; and Mowgli, who never forgot that he owed his life to Kaa for a night's work at Cold Lairs, which you may perhaps remember, went to congratulate him. Skin-changing always makes a snake moody and depressed till the new skin begins to shine and look beautiful.
Mowgli could see that neither wolf nor jackal had touched the hones, which were laid out naturally. "They came beyond the line; they did not know the Law," murmured Mowgli, "and the Little People killed them. Let us go ere they wake." "They do not wake till the dawn," said Kaa. "Now I will tell thee.
"Thou art wise, but the Little People are always angry." "Nay, at twilight all wings near and far rest for a while. I will play with the dhole at twilight, for the dhole hunts best by day. He follows now Won-tolla's blood-trail." "Chil does not leave a dead ox, nor the dhole the blood-trail," said Kaa. "Then I will make him a new blood-trail, of his own blood, if I can, and give him dirt to eat.
A hurrying cobra slipped down over a rock and drank, gave them "Good hunting!" and went away. "Sssh!" said Kaa, as though he had suddenly remembered something. "So the Jungle gives thee all that thou hast ever desired, Little Brother?" "Not all," said Mowgli, laughing; "else there would be a new and strong Shere Khan to kill once a moon.
Then he curled up ready for any accident, his head lowered. "Good hunting for us all," he answered. "Oho, Baloo, what dost thou do here? Good hunting, Bagheera. One of us at least needs food. Is there any news of game afoot? A doe now, or even a young buck? I am as empty as a dried well." "We are hunting," said Baloo carelessly. He knew that you must not hurry Kaa. He is too big.
He rose with his fingers full of grass, and followed Kaa to the wise snake's pet bathing-place a deep, pitchy-black pool surrounded with rocks, and made interesting by sunken tree-stumps.
"I take my life from thee tonight. My kill shall be thy kill if ever thou art hungry, O Kaa." "All thanks, Little Brother," said Kaa, though his eyes twinkled. "And what may so bold a hunter kill? I ask that I may follow when next he goes abroad." "I kill nothing, I am too little, but I drive goats toward such as can use them. When thou art empty come to me and see if I speak the truth.
Thank him according to our customs, Mowgli." Mowgli turned and saw the great Python's head swaying a foot above his own. "So this is the manling," said Kaa. "Very soft is his skin, and he is not unlike the Bandar-log. Have a care, manling, that I do not mistake thee for a monkey some twilight when I have newly changed my coat." "We be one blood, thou and I," Mowgli answered.
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