aloud, and beat up the scum with his feet.

"Well spoken, little bud-horn," Bagheera purred. "When the
Truce ends that shall be remembered in thy favour," and he
looked keenly through the darkness to make sure of recognising
the fawn again.

Gradually the talking spread up and down the drinking-places.
One could hear the scuffling, snorting pig asking for more
room; the buffaloes grunting among themselves as they lurched
out across the sand-bars, and the deer telling pitiful stories
of their long foot-sore wanderings in quest of food. Now and
again they asked some question of the Eaters of Flesh across
the river, but all the news was bad, and the roaring hot wind
of the Jungle came and went between the rocks and the rattling
branches, and scattered twigs, and dust on the water.

"The men-folk, too, they die beside their ploughs," said a
young sambhur. "I passed three between sunset and night.
They lay still, and their Bullocks with them. We also shall lie
still in a little."

"The river has fallen since last night," said Baloo. "O Hathi,
hast thou ever seen the like of this drought?"

"It will pass, it will pass," said Hathi, squirting water along
his back and sides.

"We have one here that cannot endure long," said Baloo; and he
looked toward the boy he loved.