Having straightened his coat and fastened on his hunting knives and horn, he mounted his good, sleek, well-fed, and comfortable horse, Viflyanka, which was turning gray, like himself.
After the cry of the hounds came the deep tones of the wolf call from Daniel's hunting horn; the pack joined the first three hounds and they could be heard in full cry, with that peculiar lift in the note that indicates that they are after a wolf.
To carry through their lessons to their Christian friends, the poor savages were as charitable as they had been pious, and generously shared with them the spoils of their
hunting, giving them food enough to last for several days.
"It is charged," Ugh-Gluk said ominously, "that thou dealest with evil spirits, wherefore thy hunting is rewarded."
Klosh-Kwan recited the information brought by Bim and Bawn, and at its close said in a stern voice: "So explanation is wanted, O Keesh, of thy manner of hunting. Is there witchcraft in it?"
"Good hunting! Under whose Headship?" said Phao gravely.
Therefore I--" he raised his voice, "I say that when the dhole come, and if the dhole come, Mowgli and the Free People are of one skin for that hunting ; and I say, by the Bull that bought me--by the Bull Bagheera paid for me in the old days which ye of the Pack do not remember--I say, that the Trees and the River may hear and hold fast if I forget; I say that this my knife shall be as a tooth to the Pack--and I do not think it is so blunt.
It is good hunting! For the Pack--for the Full Pack--for the lair and the litter; for the in-kill and the out-kill; for the mate that drives the doe and the little, little cub within the cave; it is met!--it is met!--it is met!"
"Ay, and turned every driven deer to all the winds, and Mowgli was hunting, and this same Flathead was too deaf to hear his whistle, and leave the deer-roads free," Mowgli answered composedly, sitting down among the painted coils.
But oh, Kaa,"--here Mowgli wriggled with sheerjoy,-- "it will be good hunting. Few of us will see another moon."
"There will be neither Manling nor Wolf-cub when that hunting is done, but only dry bones."
It will be most good hunting. But my stomach is young, and I have not seen many Rains.
The light seemed to go out of his eyes and leave them like stale opals, and now and again he made little stiff passes with his head, right and left, as though he were hunting in his sleep.
He watched the sharp bay head of the leader snuffing along the trail, and gave him "Good hunting!"
"Nothing was ever yet lost by silence," said Kaa--no sting could penetrate his scales--"and thou hast all the long night for the hunting. Hear them howl!"
