`` Stand still , Little Brother , for thy feet may do us harm . '' Mowgli stood as quietly as he could , peering through the open work and listening to the furious din of the fight round the Black Panther -- the yells and chatterings and scufflings , and Bagheera 's deep , hoarse cough as he backed and bucked and twisted and plunged under the heaps of his enemies . For the first time since he was born , Bagheera was fighting for his life . `` Baloo must be at hand ; Bagheera would not have come alone , '' Mowgli thought . And then he called aloud : `` To the tank , Bagheera . Roll to the water tanks . Roll and plunge ! Get to the water ! '' Bagheera heard , and the cry that told him Mowgli was safe gave him new courage . He worked his way desperately , inch by inch , straight for the reservoirs , halting in silence . Then from the ruined wall nearest the jungle rose up the rumbling war-shout of Baloo . The old Bear had done his best , but he could not come before . `` Bagheera , '' he shouted , `` I am here . I climb ! I haste ! Ahuwora ! The stones slip under my feet ! Wait my coming , O most infamous Bandar-log ! '' He panted up the terrace only to disappear to the head in a wave of monkeys , but he threw himself squarely on his haunches , and , spreading out his forepaws , hugged as many as he could hold , and then began to hit with a regular bat-bat-bat , like the flipping strokes of a paddle wheel . A crash and a splash told Mowgli that Bagheera had fought his way to the tank where the monkeys could not follow .
The Panther lay gasping XXXXX breath , his head just out of the water , while the monkeys stood three deep on the red steps , dancing up and down with rage , ready to spring upon him from all sides if he came out to help Baloo .
To at for from in nearest of since that through