`` Brothers , that was a dog 's death , '' said Mowgli , feeling for the knife he always carried in a sheath round his neck now that he lived with men . `` But he would never have shown fight . His hide will look well on the Council Rock . We must get to work swiftly . '' A boy trained among men would never have dreamed of skinning a ten-foot tiger alone , but Mowgli knew better than anyone else how an animal 's skin is fitted on , and how it can be taken off . But it was hard work , and Mowgli slashed and tore and grunted for an hour , while the wolves lolled out their tongues , or came forward and tugged as he ordered them . Presently a hand fell on his shoulder , and looking up he saw Buldeo with the Tower musket . The children had told the village about the buffalo stampede , and Buldeo went out angrily , only too anxious to correct Mowgli for not taking better care of the herd . The wolves dropped out of sight as soon as they saw the man coming . `` What is this folly ? '' said Buldeo angrily . `` To think that thou canst skin a tiger ! Where did the buffaloes kill him ? It is the Lame Tiger too , and there is a hundred rupees on his head . Well , well , we will overlook thy letting the herd run off , and perhaps I will give thee one of the rupees of the reward when I have taken the skin to Khanhiwara . '' He fumbled in his waist cloth for flint and steel , and stooped down to singe Shere Khan 's whiskers . Most native hunters always singe a tiger 's whiskers to prevent his ghost from haunting them . `` Hum ! '' said Mowgli , half to himself as he ripped back the skin of a forepaw . `` So thou wilt take the hide to Khanhiwara for the reward , and perhaps give me one rupee ?
Now it is XXXXX my mind that I need the skin for my own use .
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