“It is nothing.  It is nothing.  The boy held the Master Word.  I could have done no less,” and Rann circled up again to his roost.

“He has not forgotten to use his tongue,” said Baloo with a chuckle of pride.  “To think of one so young remembering the Master Word for the birds too while he was being pulled across trees!”

“It was most firmly driven into him,” said Bagheera.  “But I am proud of him, and now we must go to the Cold Lairs.”

They all knew where that place was, but few of the Jungle People ever went there, because what they called the Cold Lairs was an old deserted city, lost and buried in the jungle, and beasts seldom use a place that men have once used.  The wild boar will, but the hunting tribes do not.  Besides, the monkeys lived there as much as they could be said to live anywhere, and no self-respecting animal would come within eyeshot of it except in times of drought, when the half-ruined tanks and reservoirs held a little water.

“It is half a night’s journey—­at full speed,” said Bagheera, and Baloo looked very serious.  “I will go as fast as I can,” he said anxiously.

“We dare not wait for thee.  Follow, Baloo.  We must go on the quick-foot—­Kaa and I.”

“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.