He flung the fire pot on the ground, and some of the red coals lit a tuft of dried moss that flared up, as all the Council drew back in terror before the leaping flames. Mowgli thrust his dead branch into the fire till the twigs lit and crackled, and whirled it above his head among the cowering wolves.
“You are the master,” said Bagheera in an undertone. “Save Akela from the death. He was ever your friend.”
Akela, the grim old wolf who had never asked for mercy in his life, gave one piteous look at Mowgli as the boy stood all naked, his long black hair tossing over his shoulders in the light of the blazing branch that made the shadows jump and quiver.
“Good！” said Mowgli, staring round slowly. “I see that you are dogs. I go from you to my own people——if they be my own people. The jungle is shut to me, and I must forget your talk and your companionship. But I will be more merciful than you are. Because I was all but your brother in blood, I promise that when I am a man among men I will not betray you to men as you have betrayed me.” He kicked the fire with his foot, and the sparks flew up. “There shall be no war between any of us in the Pack. But here is a debt to pay before I go.” He strode forward to where Shere Khan sat blinking stupidly at the flames, and caught him by the tuft on his chin.
Bagheera followed in case of accidents.“Up, dog！” Mowgli cried. “Up, when a man speaks, or I will set that coat ablaze！”
Shere Khan"s ears lay flat back on his head, and he shut his eyes, for the blazing branch was very near.
“This cattle -killer said he would kill me in the Council because he had not killed me when I was a cub. Thus and thus, then, do we beat dogs when we are men. Stir a whisker, Lungri, and I ram the Red Flower down yourgullet！” He beat Shere Khan over the head with the branch, and the tiger whimpered and whined in an agony of fear.
“Pah！ Singed jungle cat——go now！ But remember when next I come to the Council Rock, as a man should come, it will be with Shere Khan"s hide on my head. For the rest, Akela goes free to live as he pleases. You will not kill him, because that is not my will. Nor do I think that you will sit here any longer, lolling out your tongues as though you were somebodies, instead of dogs whom I drive out——thus！ Go！” The fire was burning furiously at the end of the branch, and Mowgli struck right and left round the circle, and the wolves ran howling with the sparks burning their fur. At ast there were only Akela, Bagheera, and perhaps ten wolves that had taken Mowgli"s part. Then something began to hurt Mowgli inside him, as he had never been hurt in his life before, and he caught his breath and sobbed, and the tears ran down his face.
“What isit？ What isit？” he said. “I do not wish to leave the jungle, and I do not know what this is. Am I dying, Bagheera？”
“No, Little Brother. That is only tears such as men use,” said Bagheera.
“Now I know you are a man, and a man"s cub no longer. The jungle is shut indeed to you henceforward. Let them fall, Mowgli. They are only tears.”
So Mowgli sat and cried as though his heart would break; and he had never cried in all his life before.
“Now,” he said, “I will go to men. But first I must say farewell to my mother.” And he went to the cave where she lived with FatherWolf, and he cried on her coat, while the four cubs howled miserably.
“You will not forget me？” said Mowgli.
“Never while we can follow a trail,” said the cubs. “Come to the foot of the hill when you are a man, and we will talk to you; and we will come into the croplands to play with you by night.”
“Come soon！” said Father Wolf. “Oh, wise little frog, come again soon;for we be old, your mother and I.”
“Come soon,” said Mother Wolf, “little naked son of mine. For, listen, child of man, I loved you more than ever I loved my cubs.”
“I will surely come,” said Mowgli. “And when I come it will be to lay out Shere Khan"s hide upon the Council Rock. Do not forget me！ Tell them in the jungle never to forget me！”
The dawn was beginning to break when Mowgli went down the hillside alone, to meet those mysterious things that are called men.
Chapter 2 Hunting-Song of the Seeonee Pack
As the dawn was breaking the Sambhur belled ，Once, twice and again！
And a doe leaped up, and a doe leaped up ，From the pond in the wood where the wild deer sup.
This I, scouting alone, beheld,Once, twice and again！
As the dawn was breaking the Sambhur belled，Once, twice and again！
And a wolf stole back, and a wolf stole back，To carry the word to the waiting pack,And we sought and we found and we bayed on his track，Once, twice and again！
As the dawn was breaking the Wolf Pack yelled，Once, twice and again！
Feet in the jungle that leave no mark！
Eyes that can see in the dark——the dark！
Tongue——give tongue to it！ Hark！ O hark！
Once, twice and again！