第2章
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  ThuswasIreceivedintothehorde。Red-Eyepaidnofurtherattentiontome,andIwasatlibertytowhimperandsobtomyheart’scontent。Severalofthewomengatheredcuriouslyaboutme,andIrecognizedthem。Ihadencounteredthemtheprecedingyearwhenmymotherhadtakenmetothehazelnutcanyons。

  Buttheyquicklyleftmealone,beingreplacedbyadozencuriousandteasingyoungsters。Theyformedacirclearoundme,pointingtheirfingers,makingfaces,andpokingandpinchingme。Iwasfrightened,andforatimeIenduredthem,thenangergotthebestofmeandIsprangtoothandnailuponthemostaudaciousoneofthem——noneotherthanLop-Earhimself。Ihavesonamedhimbecausehecouldprickuponlyoneofhisears。Theotherearalwayshunglimpandwithoutmovement。Someaccidenthadinjuredthemusclesanddeprivedhimoftheuseofit。

  Heclosedwithme,andwewentatitforalltheworldlikeacoupleofsmallboysfighting。Wescratchedandbit,pulledhair,clinched,andthreweachotherdown。

  IrememberIsucceededingettingonhimwhatinmycollegedaysIlearnedwascalledahalf-Nelson。Thisholdgavemethedecidedadvantage。ButIdidnotenjoyitlong。Hetwisteduponeleg,andwiththefoot(orhind-hand)madesosavageanonslaughtuponmyabdomenastothreatentodisembowelme。Ihadtoreleasehiminordertosavemyself,andthenwewentatitagain。

  Lop-EarwasayearolderthanI,butIwasseveraltimesangrierthanhe,andintheendhetooktohisheels。Ichasedhimacrosstheopenanddownarun-waytotheriver。Buthewasbetteracquaintedwiththelocalityandranalongtheedgeofthewaterandupanotherrun-way。Hecutdiagonallyacrosstheopenspaceanddashedintoawide-mouthedcave。

  BeforeIknewit,Ihadplungedafterhimintothedarkness。ThenextmomentIwasbadlyfrightened。I

  hadneverbeeninacavebefore。Ibegantowhimperandcryout。Lop-Earchatteredmockinglyatme,and,springinguponmeunseen,tumbledmeover。Hedidnotriskasecondencounter,however,andtookhimselfoff。

  Iwasbetweenhimandtheentrance,andhedidnotpassme;yetheseemedtohavegoneaway。Ilistened,butcouldgetnoclewastowherehewas。Thispuzzledme,andwhenIregainedtheoutsideIsatdowntowatch。

  Henevercameoutoftheentrance,ofthatIwascertain;yetattheendofseveralminuteshechuckledatmyelbow。AgainIranafterhim,andagainheranintothecave;butthistimeIstoppedatthemouth。I

  droppedbackashortdistanceandwatched。Hedidnotcomeout,yet,asbefore,hechuckledatmyelbowandwaschasedbymeathirdtimeintothecave。

  Thisperformancewasrepeatedseveraltimes。ThenI

  followedhimintothecave,whereIsearchedvainlyforhim。Iwascurious。Icouldnotunderstandhowheeludedme。Alwayshewentintothecave,neverdidhecomeoutofit,yetalwaysdidhearrivethereatmyelbowandmockme。Thusdidourfighttransformitselfintoagameofhideandseek。

  Allafternoon,withoccasionalintervals,wekeptitup,andaplayful,friendlyspiritarosebetweenus。

  Intheend,hedidnotrunawayfromme,andwesattogetherwithourarmsaroundeachother。Alittlelaterhedisclosedthemysteryofthewide-mouthedcave。Holdingmebythehandheledmeinside。Itconnectedbyanarrowcrevicewithanothercave,anditwasthroughthisthatweregainedtheopenair。

  Wewerenowgoodfriends。Whentheotheryoungonesgatheredaroundtotease,hejoinedwithmeinattackingthem;andsoviciouslydidwebehavethatbeforelongIwasletalone。Lop-Earmademeacquaintedwiththevillage。Therewaslittlethathecouldtellmeofconditionsandcustoms——hehadnotthenecessaryvocabulary;butbyobservinghisactionsI

  learnedmuch,andalsoheshowedmeplacesandthings。

  Hetookmeuptheopenspace,betweenthecavesandtheriver,andintotheforestbeyond,where,inagrassyplaceamongthetrees,wemadeamealofstringy-rootedcarrots。Afterthatwehadagooddrinkattheriverandstarteduptherun-waytothecaves。

  Itwasintherun-waythatwecameuponRed-Eyeagain。

  ThefirstIknew,Lop-Earhadshrunkawaytoonesideandwascrouchinglowagainstthebank。Naturallyandinvoluntarily,Iimitatedhim。ThenitwasthatI

  lookedtoseethecauseofhisfear。ItwasRed-Eye,swaggeringdownthecentreoftherun-wayandscowlingfiercelywithhisinflamedeyes。Inoticedthatalltheyoungstersshrankawayfromhimaswehaddone,whilethegrown-upsregardedhimwithwaryeyeswhenhedrewnear,andsteppedasidetogivehimthecentreofthepath。

  Astwilightcameon,theopenspacewasdeserted。TheFolkwereseekingthesafetyofthecaves。Lop-Earledthewaytobed。Highupthebluffweclimbed,higherthanalltheothercaves,toatinycrevicethatcouldnotbeseenfromtheground。IntothisLop-Earsqueezed。Ifollowedwithdifficulty,sonarrowwastheentrance,andfoundmyselfinasmallrock-chamber。

  Itwasverylow——notmorethanacoupleoffeetinheight,andpossiblythreefeetbyfourinwidthandlength。Here,cuddledtogetherineachother’sarms,wesleptoutthenight。

  CHAPTERVI

  Whilethemorecourageousoftheyoungstersplayedinandoutofthelarge-mouthedcaves,Iearlylearnedthatsuchcaveswereunoccupied。Noonesleptinthematnight。Onlythecrevice-mouthedcaveswereused,thenarrowerthemouththebetter。Thiswasfromfearofthepreyinganimalsthatmadelifeaburdentousinthosedaysandnights。

  Thefirstmorning,aftermynight’ssleepwithLop-Ear,Ilearnedtheadvantageofthenarrow-mouthedcaves。

  ItwasjustdaylightwhenoldSaber-Tooth,thetiger,walkedintotheopenspace。TwooftheFolkwerealreadyup。Theymadearushforit。Whethertheywerepanic-stricken,orwhetherhewastoocloseontheirheelsforthemtoattempttoscrambleuptheblufftothecrevices,Idonotknow;butatanyratetheydashedintothewide-mouthedcavewhereinLop-EarandIhadplayedtheafternoonbefore。

  Whathappenedinsidetherewasnowayoftelling,butitisfairtoconcludethatthetwoFolkslippedthroughtheconnectingcreviceintotheothercave。

  ThiscrevicewastoosmalltoallowforthepassageofSaber-Tooth,andhecameoutthewayhehadgonein,unsatisfiedandangry。Itwasevidentthathisnight’shuntinghadbeenunsuccessfulandthathehadexpectedtomakeamealoffofus。HecaughtsightofthetwoFolkattheothercave-mouthandsprangforthem。Ofcourse,theydartedthroughthepassagewayintothefirstcave。Heemergedangrierthaneverandsnarling。

  Pandemoniumbrokelooseamongsttherestofus。Allupanddownthegreatbluff,wecrowdedthecrevicesandoutsideledges,andwewereallchatteringandshriekinginathousandkeys。Andwewereallmakingfaces——snarlingfaces;thiswasaninstinctwithus。

  WewereasangryasSaber-Tooth,thoughourangerwasalliedwithfear。IrememberthatIshriekedandmadefaceswiththebestofthem。Notonlydidtheysettheexample,butIfelttheurgefromwithinmetodothesamethingstheyweredoing。Myhairwasbristling,andIwasconvulsedwithafierce,unreasoningrage。

  ForsometimeoldSaber-Toothcontinueddashinginandoutoffirsttheonecaveandthentheother。ButthetwoFolkmerelyslippedbackandforththroughtheconnectingcreviceandeludedhim。Inthemeantimetherestofusupthebluffhadproceededtoaction。Everytimeheappearedoutsidewepeltedhimwithrocks。Atfirstwemerelydroppedthemonhim,butwesoonbegantowhizthemdownwiththeaddedforceofourmuscles。

  ThisbombardmentdrewSaber-Tooth’sattentiontousandmadehimangrierthanever。HeabandonedhispursuitofthetwoFolkandspranguptheblufftowardtherestofus,clawingatthecrumblingrockandsnarlingasheclawedhisupwardway。Atthisawfulsight,thelastoneofussoughtrefugeinsideourcaves。Iknowthis,becauseIpeepedoutandsawthewholebluff-sidedeserted,saveforSaber-Tooth,whohadlosthisfootingandwasslidingandfallingdown。

  Icalledoutthecryofencouragement,andagainthebluffwascoveredbythescreaminghordeandthestoneswerefallingfasterthanever。Saber-Toothwasfranticwithrage。Timeandagainheassaultedthebluff。

  Onceheevengainedthefirstcrevice-entrancesbeforehefellback,butwasunabletoforcehiswayinside。

  Witheachupwardrushhemade,wavesoffearsurgedoverus。Atfirst,atsuchtimes,mostofusdashedinside;butsomeremainedoutsidetohammerhimwithstones,andsoonallofusremainedoutsideandkeptupthefusillade。

  Neverwassomasterlyacreaturesocompletelybaffled。

  Ithurthisprideterribly,thustobeoutwittedbythesmallandtenderFolk。Hestoodonthegroundandlookedupatus,snarling,lashinghistail,snappingatthestonesthatfellneartohim。OnceIwhizzeddownastone,andjustattherightmomenthelookedup。Itcaughthimfullontheendofhisnose,andhewentstraightupintheair,allfourfeetofhim,roaringandcaterwauling,whatofthehurtandsurprise。

  Hewasbeatenandheknewit。Recoveringhisdignity,hestalkedoutsolemnlyfromundertherainofstones。

  Hestoppedinthemiddleoftheopenspaceandlookedwistfullyandhungrilybackatus。Hehatedtoforegothemeal,andwewerejustsomuchmeat,corneredbutinaccessible。Thissightofhimstartedustolaughing。Welaughedderisivelyanduproariously,allofus。Nowanimalsdonotlikemockery。Tobelaughedatmakesthemangry。AndinsuchfashionourlaughteraffectedSaber-Tooth。Heturnedwitharoarandchargedthebluffagain。Thiswaswhatwewanted。Thefighthadbecomeagame,andwetookhugedelightinpeltinghim。

  Butthisattackdidnotlastlong。Hequicklyrecoveredhiscommonsense,andbesides,ourmissileswereshrewdtohurt。VividlydoIrecollectthevisionofonebulgingeyeofhis,swollenalmostshutbyoneofthestoneswehadthrown。AndvividlydoIretainthepictureofhimashestoodontheedgeoftheforestwhitherhehadfinallyretreated。Hewaslookingbackatus,hiswrithinglipsliftedclearoftheveryrootsofhishugefangs,hishairbristlingandhistaillashing。Hegaveonelastsnarlandslidfromviewamongthetrees。

  Andthensuchachatteringaswentup。Weswarmedoutofourholes,examiningthemarkshisclawshadmadeonthecrumblingrockofthebluff,allofustalkingatonce。OneofthetwoFolkwhohadbeencaughtinthedoublecavewaspart-grown,halfchildandhalfyouth。

  Theyhadcomeoutproudlyfromtheirrefuge,andwesurroundedtheminanadmiringcrowd。Thentheyoungfellow’smotherbrokethroughandfelluponhiminatremendousrage,boxinghisears,pullinghishair,andshriekinglikeademon。Shewasastrappingbigwoman,veryhairy,andthethrashingshegavehimwasadelighttothehorde。Weroaredwithlaughter,holdingontooneanotherorrollingonthegroundinourglee。

  Inspiteofthereignoffearunderwhichwelived,theFolkwerealwaysgreatlaughers。Wehadthesenseofhumor。OurmerrimentwasGargantuan。Itwasneverrestrained。Therewasnothinghalfwayaboutit。Whenathingwasfunnywewereconvulsedwithappreciationofit,andthesimplest,crudestthingswerefunnytous。Oh,weweregreatlaughers,Icantellyou。

  ThewaywehadtreatedSaber-Toothwasthewaywetreatedallanimalsthatinvadedthevillage。Wekeptourrun-waysanddrinking-placestoourselvesbymakinglifemiserablefortheanimalsthattrespassedorstrayeduponourimmediateterritory。Eventhefiercesthuntinganimalswesobedevilledthattheylearnedtoleaveourplacesalone。Wewerenotfighterslikethem;wewerecunningandcowardly,anditwasbecauseofourcunningandcowardice,andourinordinatecapacityforfear,thatwesurvivedinthatfrightfullyhostileenvironmentoftheYoungerWorld。

  Lop-Ear,Ifigure,wasayearolderthanI。Whathispasthistorywashehadnowayoftellingme,butasI

  neversawanythingofhismotherIbelievedhimtobeanorphan。Afterall,fathersdidnotcountinourhorde。Marriagewasasyetinarudestate,andcoupleshadawayofquarrellingandseparating。

  Modernman,whatofhisdivorceinstitution,doesthesamethinglegally。Butwehadnolaws。Customwasallwewentby,andourcustominthisparticularmatterwasratherpromiscuous。

  Nevertheless,asthisnarrativewillshowlateron,webetrayedglimmeringadumbrationsofthemonogamythatwaslatertogivepowerto,andmakemighty,suchtribesasembracedit。Furthermore,evenatthetimeI

  wasborn,therewereseveralfaithfulcouplesthatlivedinthetreesintheneighborhoodofmymother。

  Livinginthethickofthehordedidnotconducetomonogamy。Itwasforthisreason,undoubtedly,thatthefaithfulcoupleswentawayandlivedbythemselves。

  Throughmanyyearsthesecouplesstayedtogether,thoughwhenthemanorwomandiedorwaseatenthesurvivorinvariablyfoundanewmate。

  Therewasonethingthatgreatlypuzzledmeduringthefirstdaysofmyresidenceinthehorde。Therewasanamelessandincommunicablefearthatresteduponall。

  Atfirstitappearedtobeconnectedwhollywithdirection。Thehordefearedthenortheast。Itlivedinperpetualapprehensionofthatquarterofthecompass。Andeveryindividualgazedmorefrequentlyandwithgreateralarminthatdirectionthaninanyother。

  WhenLop-EarandIwenttowardthenorth-easttoeatthestringy-rootedcarrotsthatatthatseasonwereattheirbest,hebecameunusuallytimid。Hewascontenttoeattheleavings,thebigtoughcarrotsandthelittleropyones,ratherthantoventureashortdistancefartherontowherethecarrotswereasyetuntouched。WhenIsoventured,hescoldedmeandquarrelledwithme。Hegavemetounderstandthatinthatdirectionwassomehorribledanger,butjustwhatthehorribledangerwashispaucityoflanguagewouldnotpermithimtosay。

  ManyagoodmealIgotinthisfashion,whilehescoldedandchatteredvainlyatme。Icouldnotunderstand。Ikeptveryalert,butIcouldseenodanger。Icalculatedalwaysthedistancebetweenmyselfandthenearesttree,andknewthattothathavenofrefugeIcouldout-foottheTawnyOne,oroldSaber-Tooth,didoneortheothersuddenlyappear。

  Onelateafternoon,inthevillage,agreatuproararose。Thehordewasanimatedwithasingleemotion,thatoffear。Thebluff-sideswarmedwiththeFolk,allgazingandpointingintothenortheast。Ididnotknowwhatitwas,butIscrambledallthewayuptothesafetyofmyownhighlittlecavebeforeeverIturnedaroundtosee。

  Andthen,acrosstheriver,awayintothenortheast,I

  sawforthefirsttimethemysteryofsmoke。ItwasthebiggestanimalIhadeverseen。Ithoughtitwasamonstersnake,up-ended,rearingitsheadhighabovethetreesandswayingbackandforth。Andyet,somehow,IseemedtogatherfromtheconductoftheFolkthatthesmokeitselfwasnotthedanger。Theyappearedtofearitasthetokenofsomethingelse。

  WhatthissomethingelsewasIwasunabletoguess。

  Norcouldtheytellme。YetIwassoontoknow,andI

  wastoknowitasathingmoreterriblethantheTawnyOne,thanoldSaber-Tooth,thanthesnakesthemselves,thanwhichitseemedtherecouldbenothingsmoreterrible。

  CHAPTERVII

  Broken-Toothwasanotheryoungsterwholivedbyhimself。Hismotherlivedinthecaves,buttwomorechildrenhadcomeafterhimandhehadbeenthrustouttoshiftforhimself。Wehadwitnessedtheperformanceduringtheseveralprecedingdays,andithadgivenusnolittleglee。Broken-Toothdidnotwanttogo,andeverytimehismotherleftthecavehesneakedbackintoit。Whenshereturnedandfoundhimthereherragesweredelightful。Halfthehordemadeapracticeofwatchingforthesemoments。First,fromwithinthecave,wouldcomeherscoldingandshrieking。ThenwecouldhearsoundsofthethrashingandtheyellingofBroken-Tooth。Aboutthistimethetwoyoungerchildrenjoinedin。Andfinally,liketheeruptionofaminiaturevolcano,Broken-Toothwouldcomeflyingout。

  Attheendofseveraldayshisleavinghomewasaccomplished。Hewailedhisgrief,unheeded,fromthecentreoftheopenspace,foratleasthalfanhour,andthencametolivewithLop-Earandme。Ourcavewassmall,butwithsqueezingtherewasroomforthree。I

  havenorecollectionofBroken-Toothspendingmorethanonenightwithus,sotheaccidentmusthavehappenedrightaway。

  Itcameinthemiddleoftheday。Inthemorningwehadeatenourfillofthecarrots,andthen,madeheedlessbyplay,wehadventuredontothebigtreesjustbeyond。IcannotunderstandhowLop-Eargotoverhishabitualcaution,butitmusthavebeentheplay。

  Wewerehavingagreattimeplayingtreetag。Andsuchtag!Weleapedtenorfifteen-footgapsasamatterofcourse。Andatwentyortwenty-fivefootdeliberatedropcleardowntothegroundwasnothingtous。Infact,Iamalmostafraidtosaythegreatdistanceswedropped。Aswegrewolderandheavierwefoundwehadtobemorecautiousindropping,butatthatageourbodieswereallstringsandspringsandwecoulddoanything。

  Broken-Toothdisplayedremarkableagilityinthegame。

  Hewas\"It\"lessfrequentlythananyofus,andinthecourseofthegamehediscoveredonedifficult\"slip\"

  thatneitherLop-EarnorIwasabletoaccomplish。Tobetruthful,wewereafraidtoattemptit。

  Whenwewere\"It,\"Broken-Toothalwaysranouttotheendofaloftybranchinacertaintree。Fromtheendofthebranchtothegrounditmusthavebeenseventyfeet,andnothingintervenedtobreakafall。Butabouttwentyfeetlowerdown,andfullyfifteenfeetoutfromtheperpendicular,wasthethickbranchofanothertree。

  Asweranoutthelimb,Broken-Tooth,facingus,wouldbeginteetering。Thisnaturallyimpededourprogress;

  buttherewasmoreintheteeteringthanthat。Heteeteredwithhisbacktothejumphewastomake。

  Justaswenearlyreachedhimhewouldletgo。Theteeteringbranchwaslikeaspring-board。Itthrewhimfarout,backward,ashefell。Andashefellheturnedaroundsidewiseintheairsoastofacetheotherbranchintowhichhewasfalling。Thisbranchbentfardownundertheimpact,andsometimestherewasanominouscrackling;butitneverbroke,andoutoftheleaveswasalwaystobeseenthefaceofBroken-Toothgrinningtriumphantlyupatus。

  Iwas\"It\"thelasttimeBroken-Toothtriedthis。Hehadgainedtheendofthebranchandbegunhisteetering,andIwascreepingoutafterhim,whensuddenlytherecamealowwarningcryfromLop-Ear。I

  lookeddownandsawhiminthemainforkofthetreecrouchingcloseagainstthetrunk。InstinctivelyI

  croucheddownuponthethicklimb。Broken-Toothstoppedteetering,butthebranchwouldnotstop,andhisbodycontinuedbobbingupanddownwiththerustlingleaves。

  Iheardthecrackleofadrytwig,andlookingdownsawmyfirstFire-Man。Hewascreepingstealthilyalongonthegroundandpeeringupintothetree。AtfirstI

  thoughthewasawildanimal,becauseheworearoundhiswaistandoverhisshouldersaraggedpieceofbearskin。AndthenIsawhishandsandfeet,andmoreclearlyhisfeatures。Hewasverymuchlikemykind,exceptthathewaslesshairyandthathisfeetwerelesslikehandsthanours。Infact,heandhispeople,asIwaslatertoknow,werefarlesshairythanwe,thoughwe,inturn,wereequallylesshairythantheTreePeople。

  Itcametomeinstantly,asIlookedathim。Thiswastheterrorofthenortheast,ofwhichthemysteryofsmokewasatoken。YetIwaspuzzled。Certainlyhewasnothing;ofwhichtobeafraid。Red-Eyeoranyofourstrongmenwouldhavebeenmorethanamatchforhim。Hewasold,too,wizenedwithage,andthehaironhisfacewasgray。Also,helimpedbadlywithoneleg。Therewasnodoubtatallthatwecouldout-runhimandout-climbhim。Hecouldnevercatchus,thatwascertain。

  ButhecarriedsomethinginhishandthatIhadneverseenbefore。Itwasabowandarrow。Butatthattimeabowandarrowhadnomeaningforme。HowwasItoknowthatdeathlurkedinthatbentpieceofwood?ButLop-Earknew。HehadevidentlyseentheFirePeoplebeforeandknewsomethingoftheirways。TheFire-Manpeeredupathimandcircledaroundthetree。AndaroundthemaintrunkabovetheforkLop-Earcircledtoo,keepingalwaysthetrunkbetweenhimselfandtheFire-Man。

  Thelatterabruptlyreversedhiscircling。Lop-Ear,caughtunawares,alsohastilyreversed,butdidnotwintheprotectionofthetrunkuntilaftertheFire-Manhadtwangedthebow。

  Isawthearrowleapup,missLop-Ear,glanceagainstalimb,andfallbacktotheground。Idancedupanddownonmyloftyperchwithdelight。Itwasagame!

  TheFire-ManwasthrowingthingsatLop-Earaswesometimesthrewthingsatoneanother。

  Thegamecontinuedalittlelonger,butLop-Eardidnotexposehimselfasecondtime。ThentheFire-Mangaveitup。Ileanedfaroutovermyhorizontallimbandchattereddownathim。Iwantedtoplay。Iwantedtohavehimtrytohitmewiththething。Hesawme,butignoredme,turninghisattentiontoBroken-Tooth,whowasstillteeteringslightlyandinvoluntarilyontheendofthebranch。

  Thefirstarrowleapedupward。Broken-Toothyelledwithfrightandpain。Ithadreacheditsmark。Thisputanewcomplexiononthematter。Inolongercaredtoplay,butcrouchedtremblingclosetomylimb。A

  secondarrowandathirdsoaredup,missingBroken-Tooth,rustlingtheleavesastheypassedthrough,archingintheirflightandreturningtoearth。

  TheFire-Manstretchedhisbowagain。Heshiftedhisposition,walkingawayseveralsteps,thenshifteditasecondtime。Thebow-stringtwanged,thearrowleapedupward,andBroken-Tooth,utteringaterriblescream,felloffthebranch。Isawhimashewentdown,turningoverandover,allarmsandlegsitseemed,theshaftofthearrowprojectingfromhischestandappearinganddisappearingwitheachrevolutionofhisbody。

  Sheerdown,screaming,seventyfeethefell,smashingtotheearthwithanaudiblethudandcrunch,hisbodyreboundingslightlyandsettlingdownagain。Stillhelived,forhemovedandsquirmed,clawingwithhishandsandfeet。IremembertheFire-Manrunningforwardwithastoneandhammeringhimonthehead……andthenIremembernomore。

  Always,duringmychildhood,atthisstageofthedream,didIwakeupscreamingwithfright——tofind,often,mymotherornurse,anxiousandstartled,bymybedside,passingsoothinghandsthroughmyhairandtellingmethattheywerethereandthattherewasnothingtofear。

  Mynextdream,intheorderofsuccession,beginsalwayswiththeflightofLop-Earandmyselfthroughtheforest。TheFire-ManandBroken-Toothandthetreeofthetragedyaregone。Lop-EarandI,inacautiouspanic,arefleeingthroughthetrees。Inmyrightlegisaburningpain;andfromtheflesh,protrudingheadandshaftfromeitherside,isanarrowoftheFire-Man。Notonlydidthepullandstrainofitpainmeseverely,butitbotheredmymovementsandmadeitimpossibleformetokeepupwithLop-Ear。

  AtlastIgaveup,crouchinginthesecureforkofatree。Lop-Earwentrighton。Icalledtohim——mostplaintively,Iremember;andhestoppedandlookedback。Thenhereturnedtome,climbingintotheforkandexaminingthearrow。Hetriedtopullitout,butonewaythefleshresistedthebarbedlead,andtheotherwayitresistedthefeatheredshaft。Also,ithurtgrievously,andIstoppedhim。

  Forsometimewecrouchedthere,Lop-Earnervousandanxioustobegone,perpetuallyandapprehensivelypeeringthiswayandthat,andmyselfwhimperingsoftlyandsobbing。Lop-Earwasplainlyinafunk,andyethisconductinremainingbyme,inspiteofhisfear,I

  takeasaforeshadowingofthealtruismandcomradeshipthathavehelpedmakemanthemightiestoftheanimals。

  OnceagainLop-Eartriedtodragthearrowthroughtheflesh,andIangrilystoppedhim。Thenhebentdownandbegangnawingtheshaftofthearrowwithhisteeth。Ashedidsoheheldthearrowfirmlyinbothhandssothatitwouldnotplayaboutinthewound,andatthesametimeIheldontohim。Ioftenmeditateuponthisscene——thetwoofus,half-growncubs,inthechildhoodoftherace,andtheonemasteringhisfear,beatingdownhisselfishimpulseofflight,inordertostandbyandsuccortheother。Andthererisesupbeforemeallthatwasthereforeshadowed,andIseevisionsofDamonandPythias,oflife-savingcrewsandRedCrossnurses,ofmartyrsandleadersofforlornhopes,ofFatherDamien,andoftheChristhimself,andofallthemenofearth,mightyofstature,whosestrengthmaytracebacktotheelementalloinsofLop-EarandBig-ToothandotherdimdenizensoftheYoungerWorld。

  WhenLop-Earhadchewedofftheheadofthearrow,theshaftwaswithdrawneasilyenough。Istartedtogoon,butthistimeitwashethatstoppedme。Mylegwasbleedingprofusely。Someofthesmallerveinshaddoubtlessbeenruptured。Runningouttotheendofabranch,Lop-Eargatheredahandfulofgreenleaves。

  Thesehestuffedintothewound。Theyaccomplishedthepurpose,forthebleedingsoonstopped。Thenwewentontogether,backtothesafetyofthecaves。

  CHAPTERVIII

  WelldoIrememberthatfirstwinterafterIlefthome。

  Ihavelongdreamsofsittingshiveringinthecold。

  Lop-EarandIsitclosetogether,withourarmsandlegsabouteachother,blue-facedandwithchatteringteeth。Itgotparticularlycrispalongtowardmorning。

  Inthosechillearlyhourswesleptlittle,huddlingtogetherinnumbmiseryandwaitingforthesunriseinordertogetwarm。

  Whenwewentoutsidetherewasacrackleoffrostunderfoot。Onemorningwediscoverediceonthesurfaceofthequietwaterintheeddywherewasthedrinking-place,andtherewasagreatHow-do-you-doaboutit。OldMarrow-Bonewastheoldestmemberofthehorde,andhehadneverseenanythinglikeitbefore。

  Iremembertheworried,plaintivelookthatcameintohiseyesasheexaminedtheice。(Thisplaintivelookalwayscameintooureyeswhenwedidnotunderstandathing,orwhenwefelttheprodofsomevagueandinexpressibledesire。)Red-Eye,too,whenheinvestigatedtheice,lookedbleakandplaintive,andstaredacrosstheriverintothenortheast,asthoughinsomewayheconnectedtheFirePeoplewiththislatesthappening。

  Butwefoundiceonlyonthatonemorning,andthatwasthecoldestwinterweexperienced。Ihavenomemoryofotherwinterswhenitwassocold。Ihaveoftenthoughtthatthatcoldwinterwasafore-runnerofthecountlesscoldwinterstocome,astheice-sheetfromfarthernorthcreptdownoverthefaceoftheland。Butweneversawthatice-sheet。Manygenerationsmusthavepassedawaybeforethedescendantsofthehordemigratedsouth,orremainedandadaptedthemselvestothechangedconditions。

  Lifewashitormissandhappy-go-luckywithus。

  Littlewaseverplanned,andlesswasexecuted。Weatewhenwewerehungry,drankwhenwewerethirsty,avoidedourcarnivorousenemies,tookshelterinthecavesatnight,andfortherestjustsortofplayedalongthroughlife。

  Wewereverycurious,easilyamused,andfulloftricksandpranks。Therewasnoseriousnessaboutus,exceptwhenwewereindangerorwereangry,inwhichcasestheonewasquicklyforgottenandtheotherasquicklygotover。

  Wewereinconsecutive,illogical,andinconsequential。

  Wehadnosteadfastnessofpurpose,anditwasherethattheFirePeoplewereaheadofus。Theypossessedallthesethingsofwhichwepossessedsolittle。

  Occasionally,however,especiallyintherealmoftheemotions,wewerecapableoflong-cherishedpurpose。

  ThefaithfulnessofthemonogamiccouplesIhavereferredtomaybeexplainedasamatterofhabit;butmylongdesirefortheSwiftOnecannotbesoexplained,anymorethancanbeexplainedtheundyingenmitybetweenmeandRed-Eye。

  ButitwasourinconsequentialityandstupiditythatespeciallydistressesmewhenIlookbackuponthatlifeinthelongago。OnceIfoundabrokengourdwhichhappenedtolierightsideupandwhichhadbeenfilledwiththerain。Thewaterwassweet,andIdrankit。I

  eventookthegourddowntothestreamandfilleditwithmorewater,someofwhichIdrankandsomeofwhichIpouredoverLop-Ear。AndthenIthrewthegourdaway。Itneverenteredmyheadtofillthegourdwithwaterandcarryitintomycave。YetoftenIwasthirstyatnight,especiallyaftereatingwildonionsandwatercress,andnooneeverdaredleavethecavesatnightforadrink。

  AnothertimeIfoundadry;gourd,insideofwhichtheseedsrattled。Ihadfunwithitforawhile。Butitwasaplaything,nothingmore。Andyet,itwasnotlongafterthisthattheusingofgourdsforstoringwaterbecamethegeneralpracticeofthehorde。ButI

  wasnottheinventor。ThehonorwasduetooldMarrow-Bone,anditisfairtoassumethatitwasthenecessityofhisgreatagethatbroughtabouttheinnovation。

  Atanyrate,thefirstmemberofthehordetousegourdswasMarrow-Bone。Hekeptasupplyofdrinking-waterinhiscave,whichcavebelongedtohisson,theHairlessOne,whopermittedhimtooccupyacornerofit。WeusedtoseeMarrow-Bonefillinghisgourdatthedrinking-placeandcarryingitcarefullyuptohiscave。ImitationwasstrongintheFolk,andfirstone,andthenanotherandanother,procuredagourdanduseditinsimilarfashion,untilitwasageneralpracticewithallofussotostorewater。

  SometimesoldMarrow-Bonehadsickspellsandwasunabletoleavethecave。ThenitwasthattheHairlessOnefilledthegourdforhim。Alittlelater,theHairlessOnedeputedthetasktoLong-Lip,hisson。Andafterthat,evenwhenMarrow-Bonewaswellagain,Long-Lipcontinuedcarryingwaterforhim。Byandby,exceptonunusualoccasions,themennevercarriedanywateratall,leavingthetasktothewomenandlargerchildren。Lop-EarandIwereindependent。

  Wecarriedwateronlyforourselves,andweoftenmockedtheyoungwater-carrierswhentheywerecalledawayfromplaytofillthegourds。

  Progresswasslowwithus。Weplayedthroughlife,eventheadults,muchinthesamewaythatchildrenplay,andweplayedasnoneoftheotheranimalsplayed。Whatlittlewelearned,wasusuallyinthecourseofplay,andwasduetoourcuriosityandkeennessofappreciation。Forthatmatter,theonebiginventionofthehorde,duringthetimeIlivedwithit,wastheuseofgourds。Atfirstwestoredonlywaterinthegourds——inimitationofoldMarrow-Bone。

  Butonedaysomeoneofthewomen——Idonotknowwhichone——filledagourdwithblack-berriesandcarriedittohercave。Innotimeallthewomenwerecarryingberriesandnutsandrootsinthegourds。Theidea,oncestarted,hadtogoon。Anotherevolutionofthecarrying-receptaclewasduetothewomen。Withoutdoubt,somewoman’sgourdwastoosmall,orelseshehadforgottenhergourd;butbethatasitmay,shebenttwogreatleavestogether,pinningtheseamswithtwigs,andcarriedhomeabiggerquantityofberriesthancouldhavebeencontainedinthelargestgourd。

  Sofarwegot,andnofarther,inthetransportationofsuppliesduringtheyearsIlivedwiththeFolk。Itneverenteredanybody’sheadtoweaveabasketoutofwillow-withes。Sometimesthemenandwomentiedtoughvinesaboutthebundlesoffernsandbranchesthattheycarriedtothecavestosleepupon。Possiblyintenortwentygenerationswemighthaveworkeduptotheweavingofbaskets。Andofthis,onethingissure:ifoncewewovewithesintobaskets,thenextandinevitablestepwouldhavebeentheweavingofcloth。

  Clotheswouldhavefollowed,andwithcoveringournakednesswouldhavecomemodesty。

  ThuswasmomentumgainedintheYoungerWorld。Butwewerewithoutthismomentum。Wewerejustgettingstarted,andwecouldnotgofarinasinglegeneration。Wewerewithoutweapons,withoutfire,andintherawbeginningsofspeech。ThedeviceofwritinglaysofarinthefuturethatIamappalledwhenI

  thinkofit。

  EvenIwasonceonthevergeofagreatdiscovery。ToshowyouhowfortuitouswasdevelopmentinthosedaysletmestatethathaditnotbeenforthegluttonyofLop-EarImighthavebroughtaboutthedomesticationofthedog。AndthiswassomethingthattheFirePeoplewholivedtothenortheasthadnotyetachieved。Theywerewithoutdogs;thisIknewfromobservation。ButletmetellyouhowLop-Ear’sgluttonypossiblysetbackoursocialdevelopmentmanygenerations。

  Welltothewestofourcaveswasagreatswamp,buttothesouthlayastretchoflow,rockyhills。Thesewerelittlefrequentedfortworeasons。Firstofall,therewasnofoodthereofthekindweate;andnext,thoserockyhillswerefilledwiththelairsofcarnivorousbeasts。

  ButLop-EarandIstrayedovertothehillsoneday。

  Wewouldnothavestrayedhadwenotbeenteasingatiger。Pleasedonotlaugh。ItwasoldSaber-Toothhimself。Wewereperfectlysafe。Wechanceduponhimintheforest,earlyinthemorning,andfromthesafetyofthebranchesoverheadwechattereddownathimourdislikeandhatred。Andfrombranchtobranch,andfromtreetotree,wefollowedoverhead,makinganinfernalrowandwarningalltheforest-dwellersthatoldSaber-Toothwascoming。

  Wespoiledhishuntingforhim,anyway。Andwemadehimgoodandangry。Hesnarledatusandlashedhistail,andsometimeshepausedandstaredupatusquietlyforalongtime,asifdebatinginhismindsomewaybywhichhecouldgetholdofus。Butweonlylaughedandpeltedhimwithtwigsandtheendsofbranches。

  Thistiger-baitingwascommonsportamongthefolk。

  Sometimeshalfthehordewouldfollowfromoverheadatigerorlionthathadventuredoutinthedaytime。Itwasourrevenge;formorethanonememberofthehorde,caughtunexpectedly,hadgonethewayofthetiger’sbellyorthelion’s。Also,bysuchordealsofhelplessnessandshame,wetaughtthehuntinganimalstosomeextenttokeepoutofourterritory。Andthenitwasfunny。Itwasagreatgame。

  AndsoLop-EarandIhadchasedSaber-Toothacrossthreemilesofforest。Towardthelastheputhistailbetweenhislegsandfledfromourgibinglikeabeatencur。Wedidourbesttokeepupwithhim;butwhenwereachedtheedgeoftheforesthewasnomorethanastreakinthedistance。

  Idon’tknowwhatpromptedus,unlessitwascuriosity;

  butafterplayingaroundawhile,Lop-EarandIventuredacrosstheopengroundtotheedgeoftherockyhills。

  Wedidnotgofar。Possiblyatnotimewerewemorethanahundredyardsfromthetrees。Comingaroundasharpcornerofrock(wewentverycarefully,becausewedidnotknowwhatwemightencounter),wecameuponthreepuppiesplayinginthesun。

  Theydidnotseeus,andwewatchedthemforsometime。

  Theywerewilddogs。Intherock-wallwasahorizontalfissure——evidentlythelairwheretheirmotherhadleftthem,andwheretheyshouldhaveremainedhadtheybeenobedient。Butthegrowinglife,thatinLop-Earandmehadimpelledustoventureawayfromtheforest,haddriventhepuppiesoutofthecavetofrolic。Iknowhowtheirmotherwouldhavepunishedthemhadshecaughtthem。

  ButitwasLop-EarandIwhocaughtthem。Helookedatme,andthenwemadeadashforit。Thepuppiesknewnoplacetorunexceptintothelair,andweheadedthemoff。Onerushedbetweenmylegs。Isquattedandgrabbedhim。Hesankhissharplittleteethintomyarm,andIdroppedhiminthesuddennessofthehurtandsurprise。Thenextmomenthehadscurriedinside。

  Lop-Ear,strugglingwiththesecondpuppy,scowledatmeandintimatedbyavarietyofsoundsthedifferentkindsofafoolandabunglerthatIwas。Thismademeashamedandspurredmetovalor。Igrabbedtheremainingpuppybythetail。Hegothisteethintomeonce,andthenIgothimbythenapeoftheneck。

  Lop-EarandIsatdown,andheldthepuppiesup,andlookedatthem,andlaughed。

  Theyweresnarlingandyelpingandcrying。Lop-Earstartedsuddenly。Hethoughthehadheardsomething。

  Welookedateachotherinfear,realizingthedangerofourposition。Theonethingthatmadeanimalsragingdemonswastamperingwiththeiryoung。Andthesepuppiesthatmadesucharacketbelongedtothewilddogs。Wellweknewthem,runninginpacks,theterrorofthegrass-eatinganimals。Wehadwatchedthemfollowingtheherdsofcattleandbisonanddraggingdownthecalves,theaged,andthesick。Wehadbeenchasedbythemourselves,morethanonce。I

  hadseenoneoftheFolk,awoman,rundownbythemandcaughtjustasshereachedtheshelterofthewoods。

  Hadshenotbeentiredoutbytherun,shemighthavemadeitintoatree。Shetried,andslipped,andfellback。Theymadeshortworkofher。

  Wedidnotstareateachotherlongerthanamoment。

  Keepingtightholdofourprizes,weranforthewoods。

  Onceinthesecurityofatalltree,weheldupthepuppiesandlaughedagain。Yousee,wehadtohaveourlaughout,nomatterwhathappened。

  AndthenbeganoneofthehardesttasksIeverattempted。Westartedtocarrythepuppiestoourcave。Insteadofusingourhandsforclimbing,mostofthetimetheywereoccupiedwithholdingoursquirmingcaptives。Oncewetriedtowalkontheground,butweretreedbyamiserablehyena,whofollowedalongunderneath。Hewasawisehyena。

  Lop-Eargotanidea。Herememberedhowwetiedupbundlesofleavestocarryhomeforbeds。Breakingoffsometoughvines,hetiedhispuppy’slegstogether,andthen,withanotherpieceofvinepassedaroundhisneck,slungthepuppyonhisback。Thislefthimwithhandsandfeetfreetoclimb。Hewasjubilant,anddidnotwaitformetofinishtyingmypuppy’slegs,butstartedon。Therewasonedifficulty,however。Thepuppywouldn’tstayslungonLop-Ear’sback。Itswungaroundtothesideandthenoninfront。Itsteethwerenottied,andthenextthingitdidwastosinkitsteethintoLop-Ear’ssoftandunprotectedstomach。

  Heletoutascream,nearlyfell,andclutchedabranchviolentlywithbothhandstosavehimself。Thevinearoundhisneckbroke,andthepuppy,itsfourlegsstilltied,droppedtotheground。Thehyenaproceededtodine。

  Lop-Earwasdisgustedandangry。Heabusedthehyena,andthenwentoffalonethroughthetrees。IhadnoreasonthatIknewforwantingtocarrythepuppytothecave,exceptthatIWANTEDto;andIstayedbymytask。ImadetheworkagreatdealeasierbyelaboratingonLop-Ear’sidea。NotonlydidItiethepuppy’slegs,butIthrustastickthroughhisjawsandtiedthemtogethersecurely。

  AtlastIgotthepuppyhome。IimagineIhadmorepertinacitythantheaverageFolk,orelseIshouldnothavesucceeded。Theylaughedatmewhentheysawmeluggingthepuppyuptomyhighlittlecave,butIdidnotmind。Successcrownedmyefforts,andtherewasthepuppy。HewasaplaythingsuchasnoneoftheFolkpossessed。Helearnedrapidly。WhenIplayedwithhimandhebitme,Iboxedhisears,andthenhedidnottryagaintobiteforalongtime。

  Iwasquitetakenupwithhim。Hewassomethingnew,anditwasacharacteristicoftheFolktolikenewthings。WhenIsawthatherefusedfruitsandvegetables,Icaughtbirdsforhimandsquirrelsandyoungrabbits。(WeFolkweremeat-eaters,aswellasvegetarians,andwewereadeptatcatchingsmallgame。)

  Thepuppyatethemeatandthrived。AswellasIcanestimate,Imusthavehadhimoveraweek。Andthen,comingbacktothecaveonedaywithanestfulofyoung-hatchedpheasants,IfoundLop-Earhadkilledthepuppyandwasjustbeginningtoeathim。IsprangforLop-Ear,——thecavewassmall,——andwewentatittoothandnail。

  Andthus,inafight,endedoneoftheearliestattemptstodomesticatethedog。Wepulledhairoutinhandfuls,andscratchedandbitandgouged。Thenwesulkedandmadeup。Afterthatweatethepuppy。Raw?

  Yes。Wehadnotyetdiscoveredfire。Ourevolutionintocookinganimalslayinthetight-rolledscrollofthefuture。

  CHAPTERIX

  Red-Eyewasanatavism。Hewasthegreatdiscordantelementinourhorde。Hewasmoreprimitivethananyofus。Hedidnotbelongwithus,yetwewerestillsoprimitiveourselvesthatwewereincapableofacooperativeeffortstrongenoughtokillhimorcasthimout。Rudeaswasoursocialorganization,hewas,nevertheless,toorudetoliveinit。Hetendedalwaystodestroythehordebyhisunsocialacts。Hewasreallyareversiontoanearliertype,andhisplacewaswiththeTreePeopleratherthanwithuswhowereintheprocessofbecomingmen。

  Hewasamonsterofcruelty,whichissayingagreatdealinthatday。Hebeathiswives——notthatheeverhadmorethanonewifeatatime,butthathewasmarriedmanytimes。Itwasimpossibleforanywomantolivewithhim,andyettheydidlivewithhim,outofcompulsion。Therewasnogainsayinghim。

  Nomanwasstrongenoughtostandagainsthim。

  OftendoIhavevisionsofthequiethourbeforethetwilight。Fromdrinking-placeandcarrotpatchandberryswamptheFolkaretroopingintotheopenspacebeforethecaves。Theydarelingernolaterthanthis,forthedreadfuldarknessisapproaching,inwhichtheworldisgivenovertothecarnageofthehuntinganimals,whilethefore-runnersofmanhidetremblinglyintheirholes。

  Thereyetremaintousafewminutesbeforeweclimbtoourcaves。Wearetiredfromtheplayoftheday,andthesoundswemakearesubdued。Eventhecubs,stillgreedyforfunandantics,playwithrestraint。Thewindfromtheseahasdieddown,andtheshadowsarelengtheningwiththelastofthesun’sdescent。Andthen,suddenly,fromRed-Eye’scave,breaksawildscreamingandthesoundofblows。Heisbeatinghiswife。

  Atfirstanawedsilencecomesuponus。Butastheblowsandscreamscontinuewebreakoutintoaninsanegibberingofhelplessrage。ItisplainthatthemenresentRed-Eye’sactions,buttheyaretooafraidofhim。Theblowscease,andalowgroaningdiesaway,whilewechatteramongourselvesandthesadtwilightcreepsuponus。

  We,towhommosthappeningswerejokes,neverlaughedduringRed-Eye’swife-beatings。Weknewtoowellthetragedyofthem。Onmorethanonemorning,atthebaseofthecliff,didwefindthebodyofhislatestwife。

  Hehadtossedherthere,aftershehaddied,fromhiscave-mouth。Heneverburiedhisdead。Thetaskofcarryingawaythebodies,thatelsewouldhavepollutedourabiding-place,helefttothehorde。Weusuallyflungthemintotheriverbelowthelastdrinking-place。

  NotalonedidRed-Eyemurderhiswives,buthealsomurderedforhiswives,inordertogetthem。Whenhewantedanewwifeandselectedthewifeofanotherman,hepromptlykilledthatman。TwoofthesemurdersIsawmyself。Thewholehordeknew,butcoulddonothing。

  Wehadnotyetdevelopedanygovernment,tospeakof,insidethehorde。Wehadcertaincustomsandvisitedourwrathupontheunluckyoneswhoviolatedthosecustoms。Thus,forexample,theindividualwhodefiledadrinking-placewouldbeattackedbyeveryonlooker,whileonewhodeliberatelygaveafalsealarmwastherecipientofmuchroughusageatourhands。ButRed-Eyewalkedrough-shodoverallourcustoms,andwesofearedhimthatwewereincapableofthecollectiveactionnecessarytopunishhim。

  ItwasduringthesixthwinterinourcavethatLop-EarandIdiscoveredthatwewerereallygrowingup。Fromthefirstithadbeenasqueezetogetinthroughtheentrance-crevice。Thishadhaditsadvantages,however。IthadpreventedthelargerFolkfromtakingourcaveawayfromus。Anditwasamostdesirablecave,thehighestonthebluff,thesafest,andinwinterthesmallestandwarmest。

  ToshowthestageofthementaldevelopmentoftheFolk,Imaystatethatitwouldhavebeenasimplethingforsomeofthemtohavedrivenusoutandenlargedthecrevice-opening。Buttheyneverthoughtofit。Lop-EarandIdidnotthinkofiteitheruntilourincreasingsizecompelledustomakeanenlargement。Thisoccurredwhensummerwaswellalongandwewerefatwithbetterforage。Weworkedatthecreviceinspells,whenthefancystruckus。

  Atfirstwedugthecrumblingrocksawaywithourfingers,untilournailsgotsore,whenIaccidentallystumbledupontheideaofusingapieceofwoodontherock。Thisworkedwell。Alsoitworkedwoe。Onemorningearly,wehadscratchedoutofthewallquiteaheapoffragments。Igavetheheapashoveoverthelipoftheentrance。Thenextmomenttherecameupfrombelowahowlofrage。Therewasnoneedtolook。

  Weknewthevoiceonlytoowell。TherubbishhaddescendeduponRed-Eye。

  Wecroucheddowninthecaveinconsternation。A

  minutelaterhewasattheentrance,peeringinatuswithhisinflamedeyesandraginglikeademon。Buthewastoolarge。Hecouldnotgetintous。Suddenlyhewentaway。Thiswassuspicious。ByallweknewofFolknatureheshouldhaveremainedandhadouthisrage。Icrepttotheentranceandpeepeddown。Icouldseehimjustbeginningtomountthebluffagain。Inonehandhecarriedalongstick。BeforeIcoulddivinehisplan,hewasbackattheentranceandsavagelyjabbingthestickinatus。

  Histhrustswereprodigious。Theycouldhavedisembowelledus。Weshrankbackagainsttheside-walls,wherewewerealmostoutofrange。Butbyindustriouspokinghegotusnowandagain——cruel,scrapingjabswiththeendofthestickthatrakedoffthehideandhair。Whenwescreamedwiththehurt,heroaredhissatisfactionandjabbedtheharder。

  Ibegantogrowangry。Ihadatemperofmyowninthosedays,andprettyconsiderablecourage,too,albeititwaslargelythecourageofthecorneredrat。

  Icaughtholdofthestickwithmyhands,butsuchwashisstrengththathejerkedmeintothecrevice。Hereachedformewithhislongarm,andhisnailstoremyfleshasIleapedbackfromtheclutchandgainedthecomparativesafetyoftheside-wall。

  Hebeganpokingagain,andcaughtmeapainfulblowontheshoulder。Beyondshiveringwithfrightandyellingwhenhewashit,Lop-Eardidnothing。Ilookedforastickwithwhichtojabback,butfoundonlytheendofabranch,aninchthroughandafootlong。IthrewthisatRed-Eye。Itdidnodamage,thoughhehowledwithasuddenincreaseofrageatmydaringtostrikeback。Hebeganjabbingfuriously。Ifoundafragmentofrockandthrewitathim,strikinghimonthechest。

  Thisemboldenedme,and,besides,Iwasnowasangryashe,andhadlostallfear。Irippedfragmentofrockfromthewall。Thepiecemusthaveweighedtwoorthreepounds。WithmystrengthIslammeditfullintoRed-Eye’sface。Itnearlyfinishedhim。Hestaggeredbackward,droppinghisstick,andalmostfelloffthecliff。

  Hewasaferocioussight。Hisfacewascoveredwithblood,andhewassnarlingandgnashinghisfangslikeawildboar。Hewipedthebloodfromhiseyes,caughtsightofme,androaredwithfury。Hisstickwasgone,sohebeganrippingoutchunksofcrumblingrockandthrowingtheminatme。Thissuppliedmewithammunition。Igavehimasgoodashesent,andbetter;

  forhepresentedagoodtarget,whilehecaughtonlyglimpsesofmeasIsnuggledagainsttheside-wall。

  Suddenlyhedisappearedagain。FromthelipofthecaveIsawhimdescending。Allthehordehadgatheredoutsideandinawedsilencewaslookingon。Ashedescended,themoretimidonesscurriedfortheircaves。IcouldseeoldMarrow-Bonetotteringalongasfastashecould。Red-Eyesprangoutfromthewallandfinishedthelasttwentyfeetthroughtheair。Helandedalongsideamotherwhowasjustbeginningtheascent。Shescreamedwithfear,andthetwo-year-oldchildthatwasclingingtoherreleaseditsgripandrolledatRed-Eye’sfeet。Bothheandthemotherreachedforit,andhegotit。Thenextmomentthefraillittlebodyhadwhirledthroughtheairandshatteredagainstthewall。Themotherrantoit,caughtitupinherarms,andcrouchedoveritcrying。

  Red-Eyestartedovertopickupthestick。OldMarrow-Bonehadtotteredintohisway。Red-Eye’sgreathandshotoutandclutchedtheoldmanbythebackoftheneck。Ilookedtoseehisneckbroken。Hisbodywentlimpashesurrenderedhimselftohisfate。

  Red-Eyehesitatedamoment,andMarrow-Bone,shiveringterribly,bowedhisheadandcoveredhisfacewithhiscrossedarms。ThenRed-Eyeslammedhimface-downwardtotheground。OldMarrow-Bonedidnotstruggle。Helaytherecryingwiththefearofdeath。IsawtheHairlessOne,outintheopenspace,beatinghischestandbristling,butafraidtocomeforward。Andthen,inobediencetosomewhimofhiserraticspirit,Red-Eyelettheoldmanaloneandpassedonandrecoveredthestick。

  Hereturnedtothewallandbegantoclimbup。

  Lop-Ear,whowasshiveringandpeepingalongsideofme,scrambledbackintothecave。ItwasplainthatRed-Eyewasbentuponmurder。Iwasdesperateandangryandfairlycool。Runningbackandforthalongtheneighboringledges,Igatheredaheapofrocksatthecave-entrance。Red-Eyewasnowseveralyardsbeneathme,concealedforthemomentbyanout-jutofthecliff。Asheclimbed,hisheadcameintoview,andIbangedarockdown。Itmissed,strikingthewallandshattering;buttheflyingdustandgritfilledhiseyesandhedrewbackoutofview。

  Achucklingandchatteringarosefromthehorde,thatplayedthepartofaudience。AtlasttherewasoneoftheFolkwhodaredtofaceRed-Eye。Astheirapprovalandacclamationaroseontheair,Red-Eyesnarleddownatthem,andontheinstanttheyweresubduedtosilence。Encouragedbythisevidenceofhispower,hethrusthisheadintoview,andbyscowlingandsnarlingandgnashinghisfangstriedtointimidateme。Hescowledhorribly,contractingthescalpstronglyoverthebrowsandbringingthehairdownfromthetopoftheheaduntileachhairstoodapartandpointedstraightforward。

  Thesightchilledme,butImasteredmyfear,and,withastonepoisedinmyhand,threatenedhimback。Hestilltriedtoadvance。Idrovethestonedownathimandmadeasheermiss。Thenextshotwasasuccess。

  Thestonestruckhimontheneck。Heslippedbackoutofsight,butashedisappearedIcouldseehimclutchingforagriponthewallwithonehand,andwiththeotherclutchingathisthroat。Thestickfellclatteringtotheground。

  Icouldnotseehimanymore,thoughIcouldhearhimchokingandstranglingandcoughing。Theaudiencekeptadeath-likesilence。Icrouchedonthelipoftheentranceandwaited。Thestranglingandcoughingdieddown,andIcouldhearhimnowandagainclearinghisthroat。Alittlelaterhebegantoclimbdown。Hewentveryquietly,pausingeverymomentorsotostretchhisneckortofeelitwithhishand。

  Atthesightofhimdescending,thewholehorde,withwildscreamsandyells,stampededforthewoods。OldMarrow-Bone,hobblingandtottering,followedbehind。

  Red-Eyetooknonoticeoftheflight。Whenhereachedthegroundheskirtedthebaseofthebluffandclimbedupandintohisowncave。Hedidnotlookaroundonce。

  IstaredatLop-Ear,andhestaredback。Weunderstoodeachother。Immediately,andwithgreatcautionandquietness,webeganclimbingupthecliff。Whenwereachedthetopwelookedback。Theabiding-placewasdeserted,Red-Eyeremainedinhiscave,andthehordehaddisappearedinthedepthsoftheforest。

  Weturnedandran。Wedashedacrosstheopenspacesanddowntheslopesunmindfulofpossiblesnakesinthegrass,untilwereachedthewoods。Upintothetreeswewent,andonandon,swingingourarborealflightuntilwehadputmilesbetweenusandthecaves。Andthen,andnottillthen,inthesecurityofagreatfork,wepaused,lookedateachother,andbegantolaugh。Weheldontoeachother,armsandlegs,oureyesstreamingtears,our,sidesaching,andlaughedandlaughedandlaughed。

点击下载App,搜索"Before Adam",免费读到尾