The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-12-23
ICcpyright by Rudyard Kipling, 1891
CHAPTER II.

lAG0NTlElI IluOy IAll)l1llSs lSCt.
CHAPTER II.
''Men must always be making traps
70, men, or they are not content" said
Mowgli. Last night it was Mowgli-
the last nighr seems many rains ago.
Tonight it is Messua and her man. To-
morrow and for many nights after i;
will be Mowglfs turn again
He crept along outside the wall till
he came to Messua's hut, and looked
through the window into the room.
There lay Niessua, gagged and bound
hand and foot, breathing hard and
grooming, and her husband was tied
to the gally painted bedstead. The
door of the hut that opened into the
street was shut fast, and three or
four men were sitting with their backs
10 it.
Mowgli knew the manners and Gus
toms of the villagers very fairly. He
argued that so long as they could eat,
and talk and smoke, they would not
do anything else; but as soon as they
had fed they would begin to be danger
Gus. Buldeo would be coming in be-
fore long,, and if his escort had done
its duty BuIdeo would have a very in
teresting tale to tell. So he went in
through the window, and STOPPING over
the man and the woman cut their
thongs, pulled out the gags, and looked
around the hut for some milk.
Messua was half wild with pain and
Vicar (she had been beaten and stoned
I and cuffed all the morning), and
Mowgli put his hand over her mouth
just in time to stop scream. Her
husband was only bewildered and
angry, and sat picking dust and things
out of his torn beard.
Il knew-I knew he would come, "
Messua sobbed at last. Nov do
know that he is my son. and she
Rugged Mowgli to her heart Up to
that time he had been perfectly steady,
but now he began to tremble all over,
and that surprised him immensely.
What are all these thongs? Why
have they tied thee?' he asked after
pause.
ITO be put to the death for making
a. son of thee-what else?" said the
man sullenly. Look / bleed
Messua said nothing, but it was at
her wounds that Mowgli looked, and
they heard him grit his teeth when he
saw the blood.
whose work is this?" said he.
''There will be a price to pay.
1.-The work of all the village. l was
TOGO rich. 1 had too many cattle.
L
cause we gave thee shelter"
\ IT do not understand. Let Messua
Ntell the tale"
Il gave thee milk, Nathoo; dost thou
remembers" Messua. said timidly- Be
cause thou vast my son whom the
tiger took. and because L loved thee
fvery dearly. They said that l was thy
gInother, the mother of devil and
therefore worthy of death"
And what IS a devil?' said MoWSh
death have seen"
The man looked up gloonily under
his eyebrows, but Messua laughed.
See she said to her husband, Il
knew I said that he was no sorcerer-
He is my SONNY SOM!
Son or sorcerer, what good will that
do us?" the man answered. we are
as dead already"
.'Yonder is the road to the jungle"
Noweli pointed through the window.
And your hands and feet are free.
eve do not know the jungle, my son,
as thou knowest" Messua began. Il
do not think that / could walk far.
And the men and women would be
upon our backs and drag US mere
again. said the husband.
''B'mr" said Mowgli, and he tickled
the palm of his hand with the tip OF
his skinning-knife. II have no wish
10 do harm to any one of this village
Vet. But 1 do not think they will stay
thee. In a little while they will have
much to think of. All" he lifted his
head and listened to shouting and
trampling outside. so they have let
RuldeO come home at last"
He was sent out this morning to
kill thee" Messua cried. "Didst thou
meet him."
.'Yes-we-I met him. He has a tale
TO tell. Of that 1 am certain: and
while he is telling it there is time to
do much. But first I will look and see
what they mean. Think where We
would go, and tell me when l come
back
He bounded through the window and
ran along again outside the wall of the
village till he came within earshot of
the crowd around the peepul tree.
Buldeo was lying on the ground cough
ing and grooming. and every one was
asking him questions all at once. His
hair had fallen about his shoulders;