r or cautiously he roamed in search of it.

"Ay, and maybe that's no great wonder, neether, what with this
everlasting snow and all. But tell me this, Nod Mulgar: Why does,
whenever I spies a fine fat four-legged breakfast or two-winged supper
feeding within comfortable musket-shot--why does a howl like a
M'keesoe's, dismal and devilish, break out not fifteen paces off, and
scare away every living creature for leagues around? Why does leopards
and Jack-Alls and Jaccatrays swarm round Andy Battle when he goes
a-walking, thick as cats round cream? They've scotched me this once, my
son--an old she-leopard, black as pitch out of an Ollacondy. And I could
have staked a ransom I cast my eye over every bough. Next time who's to
know what may happen? Nizza-neela will go on cooking his little hot
niminy-cakes, and wait and wait--only for bones--only for Battle's
bones, Mulgar _mio_. What I says is this-how: leopards and Jaccatrays,
from being what they once was, two or three, one to-day and three
to-morrow, now lurks everywhere, looking me in the face as bold as
brass, and sniffling at my very musket. But, there! that's all
plain-sailing. What Andy wants to know for sartin sure is: what beast it
is grinds out so close against his ear that unearthly human howling?
'Twixt me and you and Lord Makellacolongee, it criddles my very blood to
hear it. My finger begins tapping on the musket-trigger like hail on a
millpond."

Nod listened, puckered and intent, and looked a good deal wiser than he
was. And when supper was done he fetched out the thick rhinoceros-shoes
which Battle had made him, as if to go disporting himself as usual on
the ice. But, instead of this, he hid them behind a hummock of snow,
and, crossing over the stream, crept to the edge of the snowy shelf, and
sat under an Exxswixxia-bush, gazing down into the gloom, silently
watching and listening. He heard soft, furtive calls, whimperings. A
startled bird flew up on beating wings, and far and near the Jack-Alls
were hollowly barking one to another in their hunting-bands. But he saw
no leopards nor heard any voice or sound he knew no reason for, or had
not heard before. Perhaps, he thought, his dull wits had misunderstood
the Oomgar's talk.

He was just about to turn away, when he heard a little call, often
repeated, "Chikka, chikka," which means in Munza-mulgar, "Bide here," or
"Wait awhile." And there, stealing up from under the longer grasses,
came who but Mishcha, t