The Three Mulla-mulgars

  CHAPTER IV

  A little before evening Thumb suddenly stopped, and stood listening.They went on a little farther, and again he stood still, with liftedhead, snuffing the air. And soon they all heard plainly the sound of agreat river. In the last light of sunset the travellers broke out of theforest and looked down on the waters of the deep and swollen Obea-munza.Along its banks grew giant sedge, stiff and grey with frost like meal.In this sedge little birds were disporting themselves, flitting andtwittering, with long plumes of every colour that changes in thesunlight, brushing off with their tiny wings the gathered hoarfrost intothe still sunset air. The Mulgars stood like painted wooden images, withtheir bundles and cudgels, staring down at the river, wide andturbulent, its gloomy hummocks of ice and frozen snow nodding down uponthe pale green waters. They glanced at one another as if with thequestion on their faces, "How now, O Mulla-mulgars?"

  "'His country lies beyond and beyond,'" muttered Thimble. "'Forest andriver, forest, swamp, and river.' Could, then, our father Seelem walk onwater?"

  Thumb coughed in his throat. "What matters it? He went: we follow," hegrunted stubbornly. "We must journey on till our wings grow, MullaThimble, or till your long legs can straddle bank to bank." And they allthree stared in silence again at the swirling icy water.

  Now, it was just beginning to be twilight, which is many times morebrief than England's in Munza, and the frozen forest was utterly stillin the fading rose and purple, the beasts not yet having come down todrink. And while the travellers stood listening, there came, as it werefrom afar off, the beating of a drum--seven hollow beats, and thensilence.

  "What in Munza, Thumb, makes a noise like that?" Nod whispered. "Listen,listen!"

  They all three hearkened again, with heads bent and eyes fixed, and soononce more they heard the hollow drumming. Thumb shook his head uneasily.

  "It is wary walking, my brothers," he said; "maybe there areOomgar-nuggas [black men] by the riverside; or maybe it is one of thegreat hairy Gunga-mulgars whose country our father Seelem told me liesfive days' journey towards the daybreak. Whicheversoever, Mulla-mulgars,we will hobble on and discover."

  Thimble dropped lightly, and rested on all-fours a moment. His eyessquinted a little, for he greatly feared the drumming they had heard.

  But Thumb, moving softly, edged watchfully on, and Thimble and Nodfollowed as he led along the reedy bank of the river. Ever and againthey heard the drumming repeated, but it seemed no less distant, so theysquatted down to eat while there was light enough in the sky to findthe way from fingers to mouth. They sat down under a twistedB[=o][=o]bab-tree, opened their bundles, and took out the frosted nutsand fruits which they had lately gathered for their supper. But it wasso bitterly cold by the waterside Nod could scarcely crack his shellsbetween his chattering teeth. And now the waning moon was beginning tosilver river and forest. From the farther bank rose the cries of Munza'sbeasts come down to drink, mournful, lean, and fierce from hunger andcold. Soon the long-billed river-birds began their night-talk across thewater. And while the Mulgars were sitting silently munching, out of theshadow before their faces came on her soundless pads a youngshe-leopard, and with catlike face stood regarding them.

  Thumb and Thimble dropped softly their hands, and very slowly stoopedtheir stiff-haired heads. But the leopard, after regarding them awhile,and seeing them to be three together and Mulgars-royal, drew back herhead, yawned, and leapt lightly back into the shadowy grasses from whichshe had stolen out. "One Roses brings many," said Thumb sourly; "let ushobble on, Mulla-mulgars, until we find a quieter sleeping-place."

  But it was now so dark beside the river that the Mulgars had to stop andwalk on the knuckles of their hands, as do all the Munza-mulgars. Andwhile they walked heedfully forward, they heard the trump-billedriver-birds calling their secrets one to another:

  "I see Mulgars, one, two, three, Creeping, crawling, one, two, three."

  Once Thumb trod on a forest-pig that was lying half dead with cold undera root of Samarak. But the pig was too weak to squeal. Nod stooped andgave him three Ukka-nuts and a pepper-pod. "There, pig," he said, "tellyour brothers who stole my bundle that Nod Nizza-neela gave you thesewhen you were frozen." And the pig, being a pig, opened its slits ofeyes and feebly snapped at his fingers. Nod laughed and hastened afterhis brothers.

  Over the half-moon a cloud of snow was drawing, and soon the whisperingflakes began to float again between the branches. The wind that blewsteadily down the river was sharp and icy. The travellers were afraid,if they slept in the trees again, they would be frozen. And if even onebig toe of any one of them got frost-bitten, how distant would theValley of Tishnar seem then! They heard, too, now and then the faintsounds of snapping twig and rustling reed, and a low whimpering growlwould sometimes set the giant grasses trembling. Stiff and crusted withfrost, and in constant danger of falling into the river, they crawledstubbornly on.

  And suddenly straight before them burned out a light in the darknessthat was neither of moon, star, nor frost-fire. On they rustled, verywarily now, because they knew somewhere here must lurk the Oomgar-nuggaor Gunga-mulgar whose drumming they had heard. One by one theypresently crept out of the sedge, and stood up a few paces from a kindof huddle or hut, standing crooked and smoking in the moonlight, andbuilt of two or three rows of huge stakes, three times plaited, veryfast and close, with Samarak and withies of all kinds. It stood aboutthree Mulgars high, and its walls were more than four spans thick.

  The light which the travellers had espied burning in the distancestreamed from a misshapen window-hole far above Thimble's head. TheMulgars stood staring at one another in the shadow of the black forest,and now and then they would hear a rumble or clatter from behind thethick walls, and presently a sneeze or cough. After which would suddenlyroll out the loud and hollow drumming of the great creature within.

  So Thumb bade Nod climb softly on to Thimble's shoulder, and very slowlylift his face up and look in. Up went Nod, and softly drew hissheep-skinned head into the light. And the first thing he noticed was awonderful steaming smell of broth cooking, and then, as he pushed hishead farther through the window-hole, he looked down into the hut. Andhe saw, sitting there on a huge bench before his eating-board, agigantic Gunga-mulgar in a shift or shirt of fish-skin. He was guzzlingdown broth out of a gourd, and fishing for titbits of fish-fat in itwith a wooden prong or skewer. He knew his comfort, this ugly Gunga. Hesat with crossed legs before a blazing fire. It shone on his fangs andteeth and flaming eyes. A huge axe, made out of a stone, hung on thewall. In one corner lay a heap of brushwood and fish-bones, and in ahole in the ground a pile of logs. There were skins, too, on the wallsof fishes and birds and little furry beasts, and two fat hog-fish shonesilvery in the fire-light. Besides these, there was an Oomgar-nugga'sbow of wood, thrice strung with twisted string. But what pleased Nodmost to see, as he peeped stealthily down through the thorny wattlewindow, was an old grey Burbhrie cat, which sat washing her face infront of the fire.

  He was still peeping and peering into the hut, when Thumb pinched hisleg to bid him come down. So he slid cautiously down Thimble's back intothe cold moonlight again, and told his brothers all he had seen.

  "Yes, Mulla-mulgars," he said, "and beside his bow and his sharp-noseddarts, he has three big knubbly cudgels in the corner higher than isNod. He sits there, muttering and chuffing and sticking a long wood spitin his soup, and then he coughs and says 'Ug!' and beats his black fistson his chest till the flames shake."

  Thumb's short thick scalp twitched to and fro as he sat on his heels,staring into the moonlight. "Is he very big and strong? Is he as broadand thick as Thumb?" he said.

  "He's sitting in a spangly shirt," said Nod, "and his arms are likeB[=o][=o]bab-roots--like B[=o][=o]bab-roots--and his eyes,Mulla-mulgars, they burn in bony houses, and his face is black ascharcoal."

  Thumb lifted his face uneasily and yawned. "We will push on; we will notmeddle with the Gunga, my brothers," he said. "Better sleep cold thannever wake." He l
aughed, and patted Nod on the head with hisstump-thumbed hand, just as Seelem used to do when Nod was a baby. Sothey crept softly past the huddle on their fours, turning their headsthis way, that way, snuffing softly along on an icy path that ledthrough the sword-grass to the river's edge. And there, tossing lightlyon the water, they found a boat, or Bobberie, of Bemba-wood and skinpegged down with wooden pegs. It was moored fast with a rope of Samarak,and two broad paddles lay inside it. All this the travellers saw faintlyin the moonlit dusk. Far away they heard the barking and weeping ofCoccadrilloes as they stooped together over the Bobberie, rising andfalling on the gloomy water.

  "Let us not trouble the Gunga at his supper," said Thimble, "but get infirst and ask leave after."

  And Thumb began softly hauling on the rope. But the smooth round stoneon which they stood was coated green with ice, and as he pulled his footslipped. He flung out his arms: down went Thumb; down went Nod. Nosooner had their uproar died away than an angry and ogreish voice brokeout from the hut. Thumb, with Thimble at his heels, had only just timeenough to scramble off and hide himself in the giant sedge before downswung the gibbering Gunga on the crutches of his hairy arms to see whatwas amiss, and who was meddling with his boat.

  There he found Nod, floating like a sheeny bubble in his puffed-outsheep's-jacket on the icy water. He stooped down and clawed him up withone enormous paw, and carried him off into his hut. Then, putting up thewooden door, he sat him down with a shout before his blazing fire.

  "Ohe, ohe, ohe!" he bellowed. "Zutha mu beluthli zakketi zanga x[=u]t!"

  Nod, cold and trembling, lifted his little grey face out of hisstreaming sheep's-coat and shook his head.

  Then the Gunga, seeing this crackle-shell did not understand hislanguage, bawled at him in Munza-mulgar: "Thief, thief! What were youafter, fishing from great Gunga's boat?" Nod shook his head again, forhe expected every moment that great hand to clutch him up and fling himinto the fire.

  "Thief, thief, and son of a thief!" squalled the Gunga again, openinghis great mouth.

  But at that Nod's wits grew suddenly clear and still. "Not so fast--notso fast, Master Gunga," he said. "Mulla-mulgars are neither thieves norsons of thieves. Squeal that at the Munza-mulgars, not at Ummanodda!"

  The old Gunga stared with jutting teeth. "Mulla-mulgars," he gruntedmockingly. "Off with that sheep-skin, Prince of Fleas! I'll skin ye'fore I cook ye!"

  Nod stared bravely into the glinting sooty face. "Gunga duseepi sooklar,by N[=o][=o]manossi's harp!"

  The old Gunga stooped closer on his fleshless legs and blinked. "Whatknows a fly-catching Skeeto of N[=o][=o]manossi's harp?" he said.

  "What knows a fish-bait Gunga of the Princes of Tishnar?" Nod answered,and calmly sat down beside the old Burbhrie cat on a log in front of thefire. The savage old Puss stretched out her claws, spread back hertufted ash-coloured ears, and with grey-green eyes stared fiercely intohis face. But Nod clutched tight his Wonderstone, and paid no heed; andsoon she lazily turned again to the flames, and began to purr like anestful of Nikkanakkas.

  The Gunga stared, too, snapped his great jaws, coughed, then beat withhis warty fist on his great breast. "Ohe, ohe!" he said. "I meant noevil to the Mulla-mulgar. Princes of Tishnar journey not often past oldGunga's house. I hutch alone, far from my own country, Royal Stranger,with only my black-man's Bobberie for friend."

  Nod, when he heard this, almost laughed out. "Not now, 'Prince ofBonfires,' nor 'Noddle of Pork,'" he thought, "but 'Royal Stranger,' and'Prince of Tishnar.'"

  "Why, then," he said aloud to the Gunga, "tongues chatter best when theyhave something good to say. I'll take a platter of soup with you, Friendof Fishes. And better still, I'll dry my magic coat." He slipped out ofhis dripping jacket, and spread it out in front of the fire, and therehe sat, slim and silky, in his little cotton-leaf breeches, scratchingPuss's head and pretending himself at home. But the old Fish-catcher'sbloodshot eyes were watching--watching all the time. He was thinkingwhat snug and beautiful breeches that sheep's-coat would make him thisicy weather. But he thought, too, it would be best to speak civilly andsmoothly to his visitor--at least, for the present. Not even aGunga-mulgar cares to quarrel with peaceful Tishnar.

  "Make yourself easy, Traveller," he said, nodding his peaked head with ahideous smile. "The moon was at hide-and-seek when I found you in thewater; I could not see your royal countenance. But Simmul, she knowsbest." The old Burbhrie cat turned to her master at sound of her name,put up her tufted paw towards Nod, and mewed.

  "Ohe, ohe!" said the Gunga mournfully. "She's mewing 'Magic.' And whatknows a feeble old Fish-catcher of Magic?" He poured out some soup intoa bowl, put in a skewer, and handed it to Nod.

  "I will hang the Royal Stranger's beautiful sheep's-coat on a hook," hesaid slyly. "There it will dry much quicker."

  But Nod guessed easily what he was after. Once hung up there, how was heever going to reach his jacket down again? "No, no," says he; "it'snearly dry already."

  He took the gourd of soup between his knees. It tasted strong of fish,and was green with a satiny river-weed; but it was hot and sweetish, andhe supped it up greedily. And just as he was tilting the bowl for thelast mouthful he looked up and saw Thumb's round, astonished facestaring in at the little dark window. He put down his gourd and burstout laughing.

  "What makes the stranger laugh?" said the old Gunga-mulgar. "It's verygood broth."

  "I was laughing," said Nod, "laughing at that last fish I caught."

  "Was it a big fish--a fat, heavy fish?" said the Gunga.

  Nod stared, with one eye shut and his head a little awry, at the twohog-fish dangling on the wall. "Five times as big as them," he said.

  "Five?" said the Gunga.

  "Five or six," said Nod.

  "Or six!" said the Gunga.

  "Truly," said Nod softly, "he fishes not for minnows who knows the magicfish-song of the Water-middens."

  The old Gunga turned his great black skull, and beneath the beetlingporches of his eyes glowered greedily on Nod. "And what," he saidcunningly--"what song is that, O Royal Stranger?" And he stooped downsuddenly and pushed Nod's jacket under the bench.

  "Why do you push my sheep's-coat under the bench?" said Nod angrily.

  "I smelt--I smelt," said Gunga, throwing back his head, "scorching. Butsoftly, Mulla-mulgar. What is this Water-middens' song that catchesfishes five--six times as big as mine? And if you know all this wisdom,and are truly a Prince of Tishnar, why do you sit here, this freezingnight, supping up a poor old Fish-catcher's broth?"