"Feet or no feet, I can keep abreast of all thy four," said Kaa shortly.
Baloo made one effort to hurry, but had to sit down panting, and so they
left him to come on later, while Bagheera hurried forward, at the quick
panther-canter. Kaa said nothing, but, strive as Bagheera might, the
huge Rock-python held level with him. When they came to a hill stream,
Bagheera gained, because he bounded across while Kaa swam, his head and
two feet of his neck clearing the water, but on level ground Kaa made up
the distance.

"By the Broken Lock that freed me," said Bagheera, when twilight had
fallen, "thou art no slow goer!"

"I am hungry," said Kaa. "Besides, they called me speckled frog."

"Worm--earth-worm, and yellow to boot."

"All one. Let us go on," and Kaa seemed to pour himself along the
ground, finding the shortest road with his steady eyes, and keeping to
it.

In the Cold Lairs the Monkey-People were not thinking of Mowgli's
friends at all. They had brought the boy to the Lost City, and were
very much pleased with themselves for the time. Mowgli had never seen an
Indian city before, and though this was almost a heap of ruins it seemed
very wonderful and splendid. Some king had built it long ago on a little
hill. You could still trace the stone causeways that led up to the
ruined gates where the last splinters of wood hung to the worn, rusted
hinges. Trees had grown into and out of the walls; the battlements were
tumbled down and decayed, and wild creepers hung out of the windows of
the towers on the walls in bushy hanging clumps.