before adam-第12章

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the　Hairless　One　deputed　the　task　to　Long…Lip；　his

son。　　And　after　that；　even　when　Marrow…Bone　was　well

again；　Long…Lip　continued　carrying　water　for　him。　　By

and　by；　except　on　unusual　occasions；　the　men　never

carried　any　water　at　all；　leaving　the　task　to　the　women

and　larger　children。　　Lop…Ear　and　I　were　independent。

We　carried　water　only　for　ourselves；　and　we　often

mocked　the　young　water…carriers　when　they　were　called

away　from　play　to　fill　the　gourds。



Progress　was　slow　with　us。　　We　played　through　life；

even　the　adults；　much　in　the　same　way　that　children

play；　and　we　played　as　none　of　the　other　animals

played。　　What　little　we　learned；　was　usually　in　the

course　of　play；　and　was　due　to　our　curiosity　and

keenness　of　appreciation。　　For　that　matter；　the　one　big

invention　of　the　horde；　during　the　time　I　lived　with

it；　was　the　use　of　gourds。　　At　first　we　stored　only

water　in　the　gourdsin　imitation　of　old　Marrow…Bone。



But　one　day　some　one　of　the　womenI　do　not　know　which

onefilled　a　gourd　with　black…berries　and　carried　it

to　her　cave。　　In　no　time　all　the　women　were　carrying

berries　and　nuts　and　roots　in　the　gourds。　　The　idea；

once　started；　had　to　go　on。　　Another　evolution　of　the

carrying…receptacle　was　due　to　the　women。　　Without

doubt；　some　woman's　gourd　was　too　small；　or　else　she

had　forgotten　her　gourd；　but　be　that　as　it　may；　she

bent　two　great　leaves　together；　pinning　the　seams　with

twigs；　and　carried　home　a　bigger　quantity　of　berries

than　could　have　been　contained　in　the　largest　gourd。



So　far　we　got；　and　no　farther；　in　the　transportation　of

supplies　during　the　years　I　lived　with　the　Folk。　　It

never　entered　anybody's　head　to　weave　a　basket　out　of

willow…withes。　　Sometimes　the　men　and　women　tied　tough

vines　about　the　bundles　of　ferns　and　branches　that　they

carried　to　the　caves　to　sleep　upon。　　Possibly　in　ten　or

twenty　generations　we　might　have　worked　up　to　the

weaving　of　baskets。　　And　of　this；　one　thing　is　sure：　if

once　we　wove　withes　into　baskets；　the　next　and

inevitable　step　would　have　been　the　weaving　of　cloth。

Clothes　would　have　followed；　and　with　covering　our

nakedness　would　have　come　modesty。



Thus　was　momentum　gained　in　the　Younger　World。　　But　we

were　without　this　momentum。　　We　were　just　getting

started；　and　we　could　not　go　far　in　a　single

generation。　　We　were　without　weapons；　without　fire；　and

in　the　raw　beginnings　of　speech。　　The　device　of　writing

lay　so　far　in　the　future　that　I　am　appalled　when　I

think　of　it。



Even　I　was　once　on　the　verge　of　a　great　discovery。　　To

show　you　how　fortuitous　was　development　in　those　days

let　me　state　that　had　it　not　been　for　the　gluttony　of

Lop…Ear　I　might　have　brought　about　the　domestication　of

the　dog。　　And　this　was　something　that　the　Fire　People

who　lived　to　the　northeast　had　not　yet　achieved。　　They

were　without　dogs；　this　I　knew　from　observation。　　But

let　me　tell　you　how　Lop…Ear's　gluttony　possibly　set

back　our　social　development　many　generations。



Well　to　the　west　of　our　caves　was　a　great　swamp；　but　to

the　south　lay　a　stretch　of　low；　rocky　hills。　　These

were　little　frequented　for　two　reasons。　　First　of　all；

there　was　no　food　there　of　the　kind　we　ate；　and　next；

those　rocky　hills　were　filled　with　the　lairs　of

carnivorous　beasts。



But　Lop…Ear　and　I　strayed　over　to　the　hills　one　day。

We　would　not　have　strayed　had　we　not　been　teasing　a

tiger。　　Please　do　not　laugh。　　It　was　old　Saber…Tooth

himself。　　We　were　perfectly　safe。　We　chanced　upon　him

in　the　forest；　early　in　the　morning；　and　from　the

safety　of　the　branches　overhead　we　chattered　down　at

him　our　dislike　and　hatred。　　And　from　branch　to　branch；

and　from　tree　to　tree；　we　followed　overhead；　making　an

infernal　row　and　warning　all　the　forest…dwellers　that

old　Saber…Tooth　was　coming。



We　spoiled　his　hunting　for　him；　anyway。　　And　we　made

him　good　and　angry。　　He　snarled　at　us　and　lashed　his

tail；　and　sometimes　he　paused　and　stared　up　at　us

quietly　for　a　long　time；　as　if　debating　in　his　mind

some　way　by　which　he　could　get　hold　of　us。　　But　we　only

laughed　and　pelted　him　with　twigs　and　the　ends　of

branches。



This　tiger…baiting　was　common　sport　among　the　folk。

Sometimes　half　the　horde　would　follow　from　overhead　a

tiger　or　lion　that　had　ventured　out　in　the　daytime。　　It

was　our　revenge；　for　more　than　one　member　of　the　horde；

caught　unexpectedly；　had　gone　the　way　of　the　tiger's

belly　or　the　lion's。　　Also；　by　such　ordeals　of

helplessness　and　shame；　we　taught　the　hunting　animals

to　some　extent　to　keep　out　of　our　territory。　　And　then

it　was　funny。　　It　was　a　great　game。



And　so　Lop…Ear　and　I　had　chased　Saber…Tooth　across

three　miles　of　forest。　　Toward　the　last　he　put　his　tail

between　his　legs　and　fled　from　our　gibing　like　a　beaten

cur。　　We　did　our　best　to　keep　up　with　him；　but　when　we

reached　the　edge　of　the　forest　he　was　no　more　than　a

streak　in　the　distance。



I　don't　know　what　prompted　us；　unless　it　was　curiosity；

but　after　playing　around　awhile；　Lop…Ear　and　I　ventured

across　the　open　ground　to　the　edge　of　the　rocky　hills。

We　did　not　go　far。　Possibly　at　no　time　were　we　more

than　a　hundred　yards　from　the　trees。　　Coming　around　a

sharp　corner　of　rock　（we　went　very　carefully；　because

we　did　not　know　what　we　might　encounter）；　we　came　upon

three　puppies　playing　in　the　sun。



They　did　not　see　us；　and　we　watched　them　for　some　time。

They　were　wild　dogs。　　In　the　rock…wall　was　a　horizontal

fissureevidently　the　lair　where　their　mother　had　left

them；　and　where　they　should　have　remained　had　they　been

obedient。　　But　the　growing　life；　that　in　Lop…Ear　and　me

had　impelled　us　to　venture　away　from　the　forest；　had

driven　the　puppies　out　of　the　cave　to　frolic。　　I　know

how　their　mother　would　have　punished　them　had　she

caught　them。



But　it　was　Lop…Ear　and　I　who　caught　them。　　He　looked　at

me；　and　then　we　made　a　dash　for　it。　　The　puppies　knew

no　place　to　run　except　into　the　lair；　and　we　headed

them　off。　　One　rushed　between　my　legs。　　I　squatted　and

grabbed　him。　　He　sank　his　sharp　little　teeth　into　my

arm；　and　I　dropped　him　in　the　suddenness　of　the　hurt

and　surprise。　　The　next　moment　he　had　scurried　inside。



Lop…Ear；　struggling　with　the　second　puppy；　scowled　at

me　and　intimated　by　a　variety　of　sounds　the　different

kinds　of　a　fool　and　a　bungler　that　I　was。　　This　made　me

ashamed　and　spurred　me　to　valor。　　I　grabbed　the

remaining　puppy　by　the　tail。　　He　got　his　teeth　into　me

once；　and　then　I　got　him　by　the　nape　of　the　neck。

Lop…Ear　and　I　sat　down；　and　held　the　puppies　up；　and

looked　at　them；　and　laughed。



They　were　snarling　and　yelping　and　crying。　　Lop…Ear

started　suddenly。　　He　thought　he　had　heard　something。

We　looked　at　each　other　in　fear；　realizing　the　danger

of　our　position。　　The　one　thing　that　made　animals

raging　demons　was　tampering　with　their　young。　　And

these　puppies　that　made　such　a　racket　belonged　to　the

wild　dogs。　　Well　we　knew　them；　running　in　packs；　the

terror　of　the　grass…eating　animals。　　We　had　watched

them　following　the　herds　of　cattle　and　bison　and

dragging　down　the　calves；　the　aged；　and　the　sick。　　We

had　been　chased　by　them　ourselves；　more　than　once。　　I

had　seen　one　of　the　Folk；　a　woman；　run　down　by　them　and

caught　just　as　she　reached　the　shelter　of　the　woods。

Had　she　not　been　tired　out　by　the　run；　she　might　have

made　it　into　a　tree。　　She　tried；　and　slipped；　and　fell

back。　　They　made　short　work　of　her。



We　did　not　stare　at　each　other　longer　than　a　moment。

Keeping　tight　hold　of　our　prizes；　we　ran　for　the　woods。

Once　in　the　security　of　a　tall　tree；　we　held　up　the

puppies　and　laughed　again。　You　see；　we　had　to　have　our

laugh　out；　no　matter　what　happened。



And　then　began　one　of　the　hardest　tasks　I　ever

attempted。　　We　started　to　carry　the　puppies　to　our

cave。　　Instead　of　using　our　hands　for　climbing；　most　of

the　time　they　were　occupied　with　holding　our　squirming

captives。　　Once　we　tri