Several weeks passed.
One morning Mowgli climbed onto Rama's back.
Rama was the largest male in the herd of buffalo.
The other animals began following Rama.
"Graze the cattle on your own today," Mowgli said to the other children.
"I'm going to stay with the buffalo."
Mowgli led the buffalo to the edge of the plain.
That was where the river came out of the jungle.
Then he dropped off Rama's back and ran toward the bamboo.
Gray Brother was waiting there, just as Mowgli had hoped.
They greeted one another happily.
But Gray Brother looked worried.
"Shere Khan came back to the jungle to wait for you.
There was little food, so he left.
He will come back soon, Mowgli.
And this time he will kill you."
"When the tiger returns, wait for me in the ravine near the flowering tree."
Mowgli pointed to a rock across the plain.
"Until then, sit on that rock, where I can see you."
Every day Mowgli herded the buffalo.
Day after day he saw Gray Brother sitting on the rock across the plain.
Most days Mowgli just lay on the grass, listening carefully to the sounds as Father Wolf had taught him.
If Shere Khan approached, Mowgli would surely hear him in the stillness.
One day Mowgli glanced at the rock.
It was empty.
Quickly he herded the buffalo to the tree with the golden red flowers.
There sat Gray Brother.
Every hair on his back was standing up.
"Shere Khan has been hiding for a month," Gray Brother said.
"But last night he crossed the plains with Tabaqui."
Mowgli frowned. "Tabaqui?"
Mowgli was not afraid of Shere Khan.
However, Tabaqui was another story.
The jackal was very cunning.
"Have no fear. I met Tabaqui at dawn—and took care of him." Gray Brother licked his lips.
"First he gave me some important information.
Shere Khan plans to wait for you at the village gate tonight."
"Where's Shere Khan now?" Mowgli asked.
"He's in the big, dry ravine. The one along the river."
"Has he hunted yet today?" Mowgli asked.
The answer could mean his own life or death.
"He ate a large meal at dawn," Gray Brother replied.
"Good." Mowgli was thinking aloud.
"That means he'll be too full to move fast.
If there were more of us, we could attack him.
But these buffalo will not charge unless they smell him.
And I cannot speak their language yet to explain things to them.
Do you think we can pick up the tiger's scent?
That way the buffalo can smell it."
Gray Brother shook his head.
"Shere Khan traveled in the river. This leaves no scent."
"Tabaqui must have told him to do that.
Shere Khan would not have thought of it alone."
Mowgli stood with his finger in his mouth.
"I can take the buffalo through the jungle to the head of the ravine.
We can block that end . . . but Shere Khan will escape the other way.
We must block the other end too."
Mowgli looked at the wolf.
"Can you take half of the animals and do that?"
"Not by myself, but . . . I have brought a wise helper."
Gray Brother ran off and dropped into a hole.
Seconds later a gray head popped up.
The hot air filled with a familiar hunting howl.
Mowgli clapped his hands in delight. "Akela!"