essua and her
husband out of the trap, whatever it was; for he had a natural mistrust
of traps. Later on, he promised himself, he would pay his debts to the
village at large.

It was at twilight when he saw the well-remembered grazing-grounds, and
the dhak-tree where Gray Brother had waited for him on the morning that
he killed Shere Khan. Angry as he was at the whole breed and community
of Man, something jumped up in his throat and made him catch his breath
when he looked at the village roofs. He noticed that every one had come
in from the fields unusually early, and that, instead of getting to
their evening cooking, they gathered in a crowd under the village tree,
and chattered, and shouted.

"Men must always be making traps for men, or they are not content," said
Mowgli. "Last night it was Mowgli--but that night seems many Rains ago.
To-night it is Messua and her man. To-morrow, and for very many nights
after, it will be Mowgli's 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 Messua, gagged, and bound
hand and foot, breathing hard, and groaning: her husband was tied to the
gaily-painted bedstead. The door of the hut that opened into the street
was shut fast, and three or four people were sitting with their backs to
it.

Mowgli knew the manners and customs 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
dangerous. Buldeo would be coming in before long, and if his escort had
done its duty, Buldeo would have a very interesting tale to tell. So he
went in through the window, and, stooping over the man and the woman,
cut their thongs, pulling out the gags, and looked round the hut for
some milk.

Messua was half wild with pain and fear (she had been beaten and stoned
all the morning), and Mowgli put his hand over her mouth just in time
to stop a scream. Her husband was only bewildered and angry, and sat
picking dust and things out of his torn beard.

"I knew--I knew he would come," Messua sobbed at last. "Now do I KNOW
that he is my son!" and she hugged Mowgli to her heart. Up to that time
Mowgli had been perfectly steady, but now he began to tremble all over,
and that surprised him immensely.

"Why are these thongs? Why have they tied thee?" he asked, after a
pause.

"To be put to the death for making