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the　biggest　animal　I　had　ever　seen。　　I　thought　it　was　a

monster　snake；　up…ended；　rearing　its　head　high　above

the　trees　and　swaying　back　and　forth。　　And　yet；

somehow；　I　seemed　to　gather　from　the　conduct　of　the

Folk　that　the　smoke　itself　was　not　the　danger。　　They

appeared　to　fear　it　as　the　token　of　something　else。

What　this　something　else　was　I　was　unable　to　guess。

Nor　could　they　tell　me。　　Yet　I　was　soon　to　know；　and　I

was　to　know　it　as　a　thing　more　terrible　than　the　Tawny

One；　than　old　Saber…Tooth；　than　the　snakes　themselves；

than　which　it　seemed　there　could　be　no　things　more

terrible。







CHAPTER　VII





Broken…Tooth　was　another　youngster　who　lived　by

himself。　　His　mother　lived　in　the　caves；　but　two　more

children　had　come　after　him　and　he　had　been　thrust　out

to　shift　for　himself。　　We　had　witnessed　the　performance

during　the　several　preceding　days；　and　it　had　given　us

no　little　glee。　　Broken…Tooth　did　not　want　to　go；　and

every　time　his　mother　left　the　cave　he　sneaked　back

into　it。　When　she　returned　and　found　him　there　her

rages　were　delightful。　Half　the　horde　made　a　practice

of　watching　for　these　moments。　First；　from　within　the

cave；　would　come　her　scolding　and　shrieking。　　Then　we

could　hear　sounds　of　the　thrashing　and　the　yelling　of

Broken…Tooth。　　About　this　time　the　two　younger　children

joined　in。　　And　finally；　like　the　eruption　of　a

miniature　volcano；　Broken…Tooth　would　come　flying　out。



At　the　end　of　several　days　his　leaving　home　was

accomplished。　　He　wailed　his　grief；　unheeded；　from　the

centre　of　the　open　space；　for　at　least　half　an　hour；

and　then　came　to　live　with　Lop…Ear　and　me。　Our　cave　was

small；　but　with　squeezing　there　was　room　for　three。　I

have　no　recollection　of　Broken…Tooth　spending　more　than

one　night　with　us；　so　the　accident　must　have　happened

right　away。



It　came　in　the　middle　of　the　day。　　In　the　morning　we

had　eaten　our　fill　of　the　carrots；　and　then；　made

heedless　by　play；　we　had　ventured　on　to　the　big　trees

just　beyond。　　I　cannot　understand　how　Lop…Ear　got　over

his　habitual　caution；　but　it　must　have　been　the　play。

We　were　having　a　great　time　playing　tree　tag。　　And　such

tag！　We　leaped　ten　or　fifteen…foot　gaps　as　a　matter　of

course。　And　a　twenty　or　twenty…five　foot　deliberate

drop　clear　down　to　the　ground　was　nothing　to　us。　　In

fact；　I　am　almost　afraid　to　say　the　great　distances　we

dropped。　　As　we　grew　older　and　heavier　we　found　we　had

to　be　more　cautious　in　dropping；　but　at　that　age　our

bodies　were　all　strings　and　springs　and　we　could　do

anything。



Broken…Tooth　displayed　remarkable　agility　in　the　game。

He　was　〃It〃　less　frequently　than　any　of　us；　and　in　the

course　of　the　game　he　discovered　one　difficult　〃slip〃

that　neither　Lop…Ear　nor　I　was　able　to　accomplish。　　To

be　truthful；　we　were　afraid　to　attempt　it。



When　we　were　〃It；〃　Broken…Tooth　always　ran　out　to　the

end　of　a　lofty　branch　in　a　certain　tree。　　From　the　end

of　the　branch　to　the　ground　it　must　have　been　seventy

feet；　and　nothing　intervened　to　break　a　fall。　　But

about　twenty　feet　lower　down；　and　fully　fifteen　feet

out　from　the　perpendicular；　was　the　thick　branch　of

another　tree。



As　we　ran　out　the　limb；　Broken…Tooth；　facing　us；　would

begin　teetering。　　This　naturally　impeded　our　progress；

but　there　was　more　in　the　teetering　than　that。　　He

teetered　with　his　back　to　the　jump　he　was　to　make。

Just　as　we　nearly　reached　him　he　would　let　go。　　The

teetering　branch　was　like　a　spring…board。　　It　threw　him

far　out；　backward；　as　he　fell。　　And　as　he　fell　he

turned　around　sidewise　in　the　air　so　as　to　face　the

other　branch　into　which　he　was　falling。　　This　branch

bent　far　down　under　the　impact；　and　sometimes　there　was

an　ominous　crackling；　but　it　never　broke；　and　out　of

the　leaves　was　always　to　be　seen　the　face　of

Broken…Tooth　grinning　triumphantly　up　at　us。



I　was　〃It〃　the　last　time　Broken…Tooth　tried　this。　　He

had　gained　the　end　of　the　branch　and　begun　his

teetering；　and　I　was　creeping　out　after　him；　when

suddenly　there　came　a　low　warning　cry　from　Lop…Ear。　　I

looked　down　and　saw　him　in　the　main　fork　of　the　tree

crouching　close　against　the　trunk。　　Instinctively　I

crouched　down　upon　the　thick　limb。　　Broken…Tooth

stopped　teetering；　but　the　branch　would　not　stop；　and

his　body　continued　bobbing　up　and　down　with　the

rustling　leaves。



I　heard　the　crackle　of　a　dry　twig；　and　looking　down　saw

my　first　Fire…Man。　　He　was　creeping　stealthily　along　on

the　ground　and　peering　up　into　the　tree。　　At　first　I

thought　he　was　a　wild　animal；　because　he　wore　around

his　waist　and　over　his　shoulders　a　ragged　piece　of

bearskin。　　And　then　I　saw　his　hands　and　feet；　and　more

clearly　his　features。　　He　was　very　much　like　my　kind；

except　that　he　was　less　hairy　and　that　his　feet　were

less　like　hands　than　ours。　　In　fact；　he　and　his　people；

as　I　was　later　to　know；　were　far　less　hairy　than　we；

though　we；　in　turn；　were　equally　less　hairy　than　the

Tree　People。



It　came　to　me　instantly；　as　I　looked　at　him。　　This　was

the　terror　of　the　northeast；　of　which　the　mystery　of

smoke　was　a　token。　　Yet　I　was　puzzled。　　Certainly　he

was　nothing；　of　which　to　be　afraid。　Red…Eye　or　any　of

our　strong　men　would　have　been　more　than　a　match　for

him。　　He　was　old；　too；　wizened　with　age；　and　the　hair

on　his　face　was　gray。　　Also；　he　limped　badly　with　one

leg。　　There　was　no　doubt　at　all　that　we　could　out…run

him　and　out…climb　him。　　He　could　never　catch　us；　that

was　certain。



But　he　carried　something　in　his　hand　that　I　had　never

seen　before。　It　was　a　bow　and　arrow。　　But　at　that　time

a　bow　and　arrow　had　no　meaning　for　me。　　How　was　I　to

know　that　death　lurked　in　that　bent　piece　of　wood？　But

Lop…Ear　knew。　　He　had　evidently　seen　the　Fire　People

before　and　knew　something　of　their　ways。　　The　Fire…Man

peered　up　at　him　and　circled　around　the　tree。　　And

around　the　main　trunk　above　the　fork　Lop…Ear　circled

too；　keeping　always　the　trunk　between　himself　and　the

Fire…Man。



The　latter　abruptly　reversed　his　circling。　　Lop…Ear；

caught　unawares；　also　hastily　reversed；　but　did　not　win

the　protection　of　the　trunk　until　after　the　Fire…Man

had　twanged　the　bow。



I　saw　the　arrow　leap　up；　miss　Lop…Ear；　glance　against　a

limb；　and　fall　back　to　the　ground。　　I　danced　up　and

down　on　my　lofty　perch　with　delight。　　It　was　a　game！

The　Fire…Man　was　throwing　things　at　Lop…Ear　as　we

sometimes　threw　things　at　one　another。



The　game　continued　a　little　longer；　but　Lop…Ear　did　not

expose　himself　a　second　time。　　Then　the　Fire…Man　gave

it　up。　　I　leaned　far　out　over　my　horizontal　limb　and

chattered　down　at　him。　　I　wanted　to　play。　　I　wanted　to

have　him　try　to　hit　me　with　the　thing。　　He　saw　me；　but

ignored　me；　turning　his　attention　to　Broken…Tooth；　who

was　still　teetering　slightly　and　involuntarily　on　the

end　of　the　branch。



The　first　arrow　leaped　upward。　　Broken…Tooth　yelled

with　fright　and　pain。　　It　had　reached　its　mark。　　This

put　a　new　complexion　on　the　matter。　　I　no　longer　cared

to　play；　but　crouched　trembling　close　to　my　limb。　　A

second　arrow　and　a　third　soared　up；　missing

Broken…Tooth；　rustling　the　leaves　as　they　passed

through；　arching　in　their　flight　and　returning　to

earth。



The　Fire…Man　stretched　his　bow　again。　　He　shifted　his

position；　walking　away　several　steps；　then　shifted　it　a

second　time。　　The　bow…string　twanged；　the　arrow　leaped

upward；　and　Broken…Tooth；　uttering　a　terrible　scream；

fell　off　the　branch。　　I　saw　him　as　he　went　down；

turning　over　and　over；　all　arms　and　legs　it　seemed；　the

shaft　of　the　arrow　projecting　from　his　chest　and

appearing　and　disappearing　with　each　revolution　of　his

body。



Sheer　down；　screaming；　seventy　feet　he　fell；　smashing

to　the　earth　with　an　audible　thud　and　crunch；　his　body

rebounding　slightly　and　settling　down　again。　　Still　he

lived；　for　he　moved　and　squirmed；　clawing　with　his

hands　and　feet。　　I　remember　the　Fire…Man　running

for