caught him by the tuft on his chin. Bagheera followed in case of
accidents. 'Up, dog!' Mowgli cried. 'Up, when a man speaks, or I will
set that coat ablaze!'

Shere Khan's ears lay flat back on his head, and he shut his eyes,
for the blazing branch was very near.

'This cattle-killer said he would kill me in the Council because he
had not killed me when I was a cub. Thus and thus, then, do we beat
dogs when we are men. Stir a whisker, Lungri, and I ram the Red
Flower down thy gullet!' He beat Shere Khan over the head with the
branch, and the tiger whimpered and whined in an agony of fear.

'Pah! Singed jungle-cat--go now! But remember when next I come to the
Council Rock, as a man should come, it will be with Shere Khan's hide
on my head. For the rest, Akela goes free to live as he pleases. Ye
will _not_ kill him, because that is not my will. Nor do I think that
ye will sit here any longer, lolling out your tongues as though ye
were somebodies, instead of dogs whom I drive out--thus! Go!' The
fire was burning furiously at the end of the branch, and Mowgli
struck right and left round the circle, and the wolves ran howling
with the sparks burning their fur. At last there were only Akela,
Bagheera, and perhaps ten wolves that had taken Mowgli's part. Then
something began to hurt Mowgli inside him, as he had never been hurt
in his life before, and he caught his breath and sobbed, and the
tears ran down his face.

'What is it? What is it?' he said. 'I do not wish to leave the
jungle, and I do not know what this is. Am I dying, Bagheera?'