"What matter? They are only men. They killed one another and were well pleased," said Bagheera. "That first little woodman hunted well." "They are cubs none the less; and a cub will drown himself to bite the moon's light on the water. The fault was mine," said Mowgli, who spoke as though he knew all about everything. "I will never again bring into the Jungle strange things--not though they be as beautiful as flowers. This"--he handled the ankus gingerly--"goes back to the Father of Cobras. But first we must sleep, and we cannot sleep near these sleepers. Also we must bury _him_, lest he run away and kill another six. Dig me a hole under that tree." "But, Little Brother," said Bagheera, moving off to the spot, "I tell thee it is no fault of the blood-drinker. The trouble is with men." "All one," said Mowgli. "Dig the hole deep. When we wake I will take him up and carry him back." * * * * * Two nights later, as the White Cobra sat mourning in the darkness of the vault, ashamed, and robbed, and alone, the turquoise ankus whirled through the hole in the wall, and clashed on the floor of golden coins. "Father of Cobras," said Mowgli (he was careful to keep the other side of the wall), "get thee a young and ripe one of thine own people to help thee guard the King's Treasure so that no man may come away alive any more." "Ah-ha! It returns, then. I said the thing was Death. How comes it that thou art still alive?" the old Cobra mumbled, twining lovingly round the ankus-haft. "By the Bull that bought me, I do not know! That thing has killed six times in a night. Let him go out no more." [Illustration] THE SONG OF THE LITTLE HUNTER Ere Mor the Peacock flutters, ere the Monkey People cry, Ere Chil the Kite swoops down a furlong sheer, Through the Jungle very softly flits a shadow and a sigh-- He is Fear, O Little Hunter, he is Fear! Very softly down the glade runs a waiting, watching shade, And the whisper spreads and widens far and near; And the sweat is on thy brow, for he passes even now-- He is Fear, O Little Hunter, he is Fear! Ere the moon has climbed the mountain, ere the rocks are ribbed with light, When the downward-dipping trails are dank and drear, Comes a breathing hard behind thee--_snuffle-snuffle_ through the night-- It is Fear, O Little Hunter, it is Fear! On thy knees and draw the bow; bid the shrilling arrow go; In the empty, mocking thicket plunge the spear; But thy hands are loosed and weak, and the blood has left thy cheek-- It is Fear, O Little Hunter, it is Fear!