But before they began to climb the mountain the boy ordered his slaves to cook some rice , and they rubbed the stick to make a fire , and when the fire was kindled they cooked the rice and ate it . Then they began their climb . Suddenly , when they had almost reached the top , a slave who was on in front cried : ` Master ! Master ! ' And the boy pushed on to where the slave stood , and the slave said : ` Cast your eyes down to the foot of the mountain . ' And the boy looked , and his soul told him it was the Nunda . And he crept down with his spear in his hand , and then he stopped and gazed below him . ` This MUST be the real Nunda , ' thought he . ` My mother told me its ears were small , and this one 's are small . She told me it was broad and not long , and this is broad and not long . She told me it had spots like a civet-cat , and this has spots like a civet-cat . ' Then he left the Nunda lying asleep at the foot of the mountain , and went back to his slaves . ` We will feast to-day , ' he said ; ` make cakes of batter , and bring water , ' and they ate and drank . And when they had finished he bade them hide the rest of the food in the thicket , that if they slew the Nunda they might return and eat and sleep before going back to the town . And the slaves did as he bade them . It was now afternoon , and the lad said : ` It is time we went after the Nunda . ' And they went till they reached the bottom and came to a great forest which lay between them and the Nunda . Here the lad stopped , and ordered every slave that wore two cloths to cast one away and tuck up the other between his legs . ` For , ' said he , ` the wood is not a little one . Perhaps we may be caught by the thorns , or perhaps we may have to run before the Nunda , and the cloth might bind our legs , and cause us to fall before it . '
And they answered , ` Good , master , ' and did XXXXX he bade them .
For as at before below between by of till with