The Jungle Book, part 8 · page 21 2101Now he is telling all his wisdom to the kites, but he told me everything before I broke his back.102Shere Khan’s plan is to wait for thee at the village gate this evening--for thee and for no one else.103He is lying up now, in the big dry ravine of the Waingunga.”104“Has he eaten today, or does he hunt empty?” said Mowgli, for the answer meant life and death to him.105“He killed at dawn,--a pig,--and he has drunk too.106Remember, Shere Khan could never fast, even for the sake of revenge.”107“Oh!108Fool, fool!109What a cub’s cub it is!110Eaten and drunk too, and he thinks that I shall wait till he has slept!111Now, where does he lie up?112If there were but ten of us we might pull him down as he lies.113These buffaloes will not charge unless they wind him, and I cannot speak their language.114Can we get behind his track so that they may smell it?”115“He swam far down the Waingunga to cut that off,” said Gray Brother.116“Tabaqui told him that, I know.117He would never have thought of it alone.”118Mowgli stood with his finger in his mouth, thinking.119“The big ravine of the Waingunga.120That opens out on the plain not half a mile from here.121I can take the herd round through the jungle to the head of the ravine and then sweep down--but he would slink out at the foot.122We must block that end.123Gray Brother, canst thou cut the herd in two for me?”124“Not I, perhaps--but I have brought a wise helper.”125Gray Brother trotted off and dropped into a hole.126Then there lifted up a huge gray head that Mowgli knew well, and the hot air was filled with the most desolate cry of all the jungle--the hunting howl of a wolf at midday.127“Akela!128Akela!” said Mowgli, clapping his hands.129“I might have known that thou wouldst not forget me.130We have a big work in hand.131Cut the herd in two, Akela.132Keep the cows and calves together, and the bulls and the plow buffaloes by themselves.”1 2← previousThe Jungle Book, part 7next →The Jungle Book, part 9↑ back to The Jungle BookThis page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg236/8/page/2/