Page 49 - THE JUNGLE BOOK

The Jungle Book

For a time he was afraid of being dropped. Then he
grew angry but knew better than to struggle, and then he
began to think. The first thing was to send back word to
Baloo and Bagheera, for, at the pace the monkeys were

going, he knew his friends would be left far behind. It was
useless to look down, for he could only see the topsides of
the branches, so he stared upward and saw, far away in the
blue, Rann the Kite balancing and wheeling as he kept
watch over the jungle waiting for things to die. Rann saw
that the monkeys were carrying something, and dropped a
few hundred yards to find out whether their load was
good to eat. He whistled with surprise when he saw
Mowgli being dragged up to a treetop and heard him give
the Kite call for—‘We be of one blood, thou and I.’ The
waves of the branches closed over the boy, but Chil
balanced away to the next tree in time to see the little
brown face come up again. ‘Mark my trail!’ Mowgli
shouted. ‘Tell Baloo of the Seeonee Pack and Bagheera of
the Council Rock.’
‘In whose name, Brother?’ Rann had never seen
Mowgli before, though of course he had heard of him.
‘Mowgli, the Frog. Man-cub they call me! Mark my
tra-il!’

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