Baloo clasped his paws over his ears and rolled to and fro moaning.
«At least he gave me all the Words correctly a little time ago», said Bagheera impatiently. «Baloo, thou hast neither memory nor respect. What would the jungle think if I, the Black Panther, curled myself up like Ikki the Porcupine, and howled?»
«What do I care what the jungle thinks? He may be dead by now».
«Unless and until they drop him from the branches in sport, or kill him out of idleness, I have no fear for the man-cub. He is wise and well taught, and above all he has the eyes that make the Jungle People afraid. But (and it is a great evil) he is in the power of the Bandar-log, and they, because they live in trees, have no fear of any of our people». Bagheera licked one forepaw thoughtfully.
«Fool that I am! Oh, fat, brown, root-digging fool that I am», said Baloo, uncoiling himself with a jerk, «it is true what Hathi the Wild Elephant says: “To each his own fear”; and they, the Bandar-log, fear Kaa the Rock Snake. He can climb as well as they can. He steals the young monkeys in the night. The whisper of his name makes their wicked tails cold. Let us go to Kaa».
«What will he do for us? He is not of our tribe, being footless – and with most evil eyes», said Bagheera.
«He is very old and very cunning. Above all, he is always hungry», said Baloo hopefully. «Promise him many goats».
«He sleeps for a full month after he has once eaten. He may be asleep now, and even were he awake what if he would rather kill his own goats?» Bagheera, who did not know much about Kaa, was naturally suspicious.
«Then in that case, thou and I together, old hunter, might make him see reason». Here Baloo rubbed his faded brown shoulder against the Panther, and they went off to look for Kaa the Rock Python.
They found him stretched out on a warm ledge in the afternoon sun, admiring his beautiful new coat, for he had been in retirement for the last ten days changing his skin, and now he was very splendid – darting his big blunt-nosed head along the ground, and twisting the thirty feet of his body into fantastic knots and curves, and licking his lips as he thought of his dinner to come.
«He has not eaten», said Baloo, with a grunt of relief, as soon as he saw the beautifully mottled brown and yellow jacket. «Be careful, Bagheera! He is always a little blind after he has changed his skin, and very quick to strike».
Kaa was not a poison snake – in fact he rather despised the poison snakes as cowards – but his strength lay in his hug, and when he had once lapped his huge coils round anybody there was no more to be said. «Good hunting!» cried Baloo, sitting up on his haunches. Like all snakes of his breed Kaa was rather deaf, and did not hear the call at first. 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.
«Give me permission to come with you», said Kaa. «A blow more or less is nothing to thee, Bagheera or Baloo, but I–I have to wait and wait for days in a wood-path and climb half a night on the mere chance of a young ape. Psshaw! The branches are not what they were when I was young. Rotten twigs and dry boughs are they all».
«Maybe thy great weight has something to do with the matter», said Baloo.
«I am a fair length – a fair length», said Kaa with a little pride. «But for all that, it is the fault of this new-grown timber. I came very near to falling on my last hunt – very near indeed – and the noise of my slipping, for my tail was not tight wrapped around the tree, waked the Bandar-log, and they called me most evil names».
«Footless, yellow earth-worm», said Bagheera under his whiskers, as though he were trying to remember something.
«Something of that kind it was that they shouted to us last moon, but we never noticed them. They will say anything – even that thou hast lost all thy teeth, and wilt not face anything bigger than a kid, because (they are indeed shameless, these Bandar-log) – because thou art afraid of the he-goat’s horns», Bagheera went on sweetly.
Now a snake, especially a wary old python like Kaa, very seldom shows that he is angry, but Baloo and Bagheera could see the big swallowing muscles on either side of Kaa’s throat ripple and bulge.
«The Bandar-log have shifted their grounds», he said quietly. «When I came up into the sun today I heard them whooping among the tree-tops».
«It – it is the Bandar-log that we follow now», said Baloo, but the words stuck in his throat, for that was the first time in his memory that one of the Jungle People had owned to being interested in the doings of the monkeys.
«Beyond doubt then it is no small thing that takes two such hunters – leaders in their own jungle I am certain – on the trail of the Bandar-log», Kaa replied courteously, as he swelled with curiosity.
«Indeed», Baloo began, «I am no more than the old and sometimes very foolish Teacher of the Law to the Seeonee wolf-cubs, and Bagheera here —»
«Is Bagheera», said the Black Panther, and his jaws shut with a snap, for he did not believe in being humble. «The trouble is this, Kaa. Those nut-stealers and pickers of palm leaves have stolen away our man-cub of whom thou hast perhaps heard».
«I heard some news from Ikki (his quills make him presumptuous) of a man-thing that was entered into a wolf pack, but I did not believe. Ikki is full of stories half heard and very badly told».
«But it is true. He is such a man-cub as never was», said Baloo. «The best and wisest and boldest of man-cubs – my own pupil, who shall make the name of Baloo famous through all the jungles; and besides, I – we – love him, Kaa».
«Ts! Ts!» said Kaa, weaving his head to and fro. «I also have known what love is. There are tales I could tell that —»
«That need a clear night when we are all well fed to praise properly», said Bagheera quickly. «Our man-cub is in the hands of the Bandar-log now, and we know that of all the Jungle People they fear Kaa alone».
«They fear me alone. They have good reason», said Kaa. «Chattering, foolish, vain – vain, foolish, and chattering, are the monkeys. But a man-thing in their hands is in no good luck. They grow tired of the nuts they pick, and throw them down. They carry a branch half a day, meaning to do great things with it, and then they snap it in two. That man-thing is not to be envied. They called me also – “yellow fish”, was it not?»
«Worm – worm – earth-worm», said Bagheera, «as well as other things which I cannot now say for shame».
«We must remind them to speak well of their master. Aaa-ssp! We must help their wandering memories. 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!»
Baloo looked up to see where the voice came from, and there was Rann the Kite, sweeping down with the sun shining on the upturned flanges of his wings. It was near Rann’s bedtime, but he had ranged all over the jungle looking for the Bear and had missed him in the thick foliage.
«What is it?» said Baloo.
«I have seen Mowgli among the Bandar-log. He bade me tell you. I watched. The Bandar-log have taken him beyond the river to the monkey city – to the Cold Lairs. They may stay there for a night, or ten nights, or an hour. I have told the bats to watch through the dark time. That is my message. Good hunting, all you below!»