before adam-第13章

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

the　time　they　were　occupied　with　holding　our　squirming

captives。　　Once　we　tried　to　walk　on　the　ground；　but

were　treed　by　a　miserable　hyena；　who　followed　along

underneath。　　He　was　a　wise　hyena。



Lop…Ear　got　an　idea。　　He　remembered　how　we　tied　up

bundles　of　leaves　to　carry　home　for　beds。　　Breaking　off

some　tough　vines；　he　tied　his　puppy's　legs　together；

and　then；　with　another　piece　of　vine　passed　around　his

neck；　slung　the　puppy　on　his　back。　　This　left　him　with

hands　and　feet　free　to　climb。　　He　was　jubilant；　and　did

not　wait　for　me　to　finish　tying　my　puppy's　legs；　but

started　on。　　There　was　one　difficulty；　however。　　The

puppy　wouldn't　stay　slung　on　Lop…Ear's　back。　　It　swung

around　to　the　side　and　then　on　in　front。　　Its　teeth

were　not　tied；　and　the　next　thing　it　did　was　to　sink

its　teeth　into　Lop…Ear's　soft　and　unprotected　stomach。

He　let　out　a　scream；　nearly　fell；　and　clutched　a　branch

violently　with　both　hands　to　save　himself。　　The　vine

around　his　neck　broke；　and　the　puppy；　its　four　legs

still　tied；　dropped　to　the　ground。　The　hyena　proceeded

to　dine。



Lop…Ear　was　disgusted　and　angry。　　He　abused　the　hyena；

and　then　went　off　alone　through　the　trees。　　I　had　no

reason　that　I　knew　for　wanting　to　carry　the　puppy　to

the　cave；　except　that　I　WANTED　to；　and　I　stayed　by　my

task。　　I　made　the　work　a　great　deal　easier　by

elaborating　on　Lop…Ear's　idea。　　Not　only　did　I　tie　the

puppy's　legs；　but　I　thrust　a　stick　through　his　jaws　and

tied　them　together　securely。



At　last　I　got　the　puppy　home。　　I　imagine　I　had　more

pertinacity　than　the　average　Folk；　or　else　I　should　not

have　succeeded。　　They　laughed　at　me　when　they　saw　me

lugging　the　puppy　up　to　my　high　little　cave；　but　I　did

not　mind。　　Success　crowned　my　efforts；　and　there　was

the　puppy。　　He　was　a　plaything　such　as　none　of　the　Folk

possessed。　　He　learned　rapidly。　　When　I　played　with　him

and　he　bit　me；　I　boxed　his　ears；　and　then　he　did　not

try　again　to　bite　for　a　long　time。



I　was　quite　taken　up　with　him。　　He　was　something　new；

and　it　was　a　characteristic　of　the　Folk　to　like　new

things。　　When　I　saw　that　he　refused　fruits　and

vegetables；　I　caught　birds　for　him　and　squirrels　and

young　rabbits。　　（We　Folk　were　meat…eaters；　as　well　as

vegetarians；　and　we　were　adept　at　catching　small　game。）

The　puppy　ate　the　meat　and　thrived。　　As　well　as　I　can

estimate；　I　must　have　had　him　over　a　week。　　And　then；

coming　back　to　the　cave　one　day　with　a　nestful　of

young…hatched　pheasants；　I　found　Lop…Ear　had　killed　the

puppy　and　was　just　beginning　to　eat　him。　　I　sprang　for

Lop…Ear；the　cave　was　small；and　we　went　at　it　tooth

and　nail。



And　thus；　in　a　fight；　ended　one　of　the　earliest

attempts　to　domesticate　the　dog。　　We　pulled　hair　out　in

handfuls；　and　scratched　and　bit　and　gouged。　　Then　we

sulked　and　made　up。　　After　that　we　ate　the　puppy。　　Raw？

Yes。　　We　had　not　yet　discovered　fire。　　Our　evolution

into　cooking　animals　lay　in　the　tight…rolled　scroll　of


the　future。







CHAPTER　IX





Red…Eye　was　an　atavism。　　He　was　the　great　discordant

element　in　our　horde。　　He　was　more　primitive　than　any

of　us。　　He　did　not　belong　with　us；　yet　we　were　still　so

primitive　ourselves　that　we　were　incapable　of　a

cooperative　effort　strong　enough　to　kill　him　or　cast

him　out。　　Rude　as　was　our　social　organization；　he　was；

nevertheless；　too　rude　to　live　in　it。　　He　tended　always

to　destroy　the　horde　by　his　unsocial　acts。　　He　was

really　a　reversion　to　an　earlier　type；　and　his　place

was　with　the　Tree　People　rather　than　with　us　who　were

in　the　process　of　becoming　men。



He　was　a　monster　of　cruelty；　which　is　saying　a　great

deal　in　that　day。　　He　beat　his　wivesnot　that　he　ever

had　more　than　one　wife　at　a　time；　but　that　he　was

married　many　times。　　It　was　impossible　for　any　woman　to

live　with　him；　and　yet　they　did　live　with　him；　out　of

compulsion。　　There　was　no　gainsaying　him。



No　man　was　strong　enough　to　stand　against　him。



Often　do　I　have　visions　of　the　quiet　hour　before　the

twilight。　From　drinking…place　and　carrot　patch　and

berry　swamp　the　Folk　are　trooping　into　the　open　space

before　the　caves。　　They　dare　linger　no　later　than　this；

for　the　dreadful　darkness　is　approaching；　in　which　the

world　is　given　over　to　the　carnage　of　the　hunting

animals；　while　the　fore…runners　of　man　hide　tremblingly

in　their　holes。



There　yet　remain　to　us　a　few　minutes　before　we　climb　to

our　caves。　We　are　tired　from　the　play　of　the　day；　and

the　sounds　we　make　are　subdued。　　Even　the　cubs；　still

greedy　for　fun　and　antics；　play　with　restraint。　　The

wind　from　the　sea　has　died　down；　and　the　shadows　are

lengthening　with　the　last　of　the　sun's　descent。　　And

then；　suddenly；　from　Red…Eye's　cave；　breaks　a　wild

screaming　and　the　sound　of　blows。　　He　is　beating　his

wife。



At　first　an　awed　silence　comes　upon　us。　　But　as　the

blows　and　screams　continue　we　break　out　into　an　insane

gibbering　of　helpless　rage。　　It　is　plain　that　the　men

resent　Red…Eye's　actions；　but　they　are　too　afraid　of

him。　　The　blows　cease；　and　a　low　groaning　dies　away；

while　we　chatter　among　ourselves　and　the　sad　twilight

creeps　upon　us。



We；　to　whom　most　happenings　were　jokes；　never　laughed

during　Red…Eye's　wife…beatings。　　We　knew　too　well　the

tragedy　of　them。　　On　more　than　one　morning；　at　the　base

of　the　cliff；　did　we　find　the　body　of　his　latest　wife。

He　had　tossed　her　there；　after　she　had　died；　from　his

cave…mouth。　　He　never　buried　his　dead。　　The　task　of

carrying　away　the　bodies；　that　else　would　have　polluted

our　abiding…place；　he　left　to　the　horde。　　We　usually

flung　them　into　the　river　below　the　last

drinking…place。



Not　alone　did　Red…Eye　murder　his　wives；　but　he　also

murdered　for　his　wives；　in　order　to　get　them。　　When　he

wanted　a　new　wife　and　selected　the　wife　of　another　man；

he　promptly　killed　that　man。　Two　of　these　murders　I　saw

myself。　　The　whole　horde　knew；　but　could　do　nothing。

We　had　not　yet　developed　any　government；　to　speak　of；

inside　the　horde。　　We　had　certain　customs　and　visited

our　wrath　upon　the　unlucky　ones　who　violated　those

customs。　　Thus；　for　example；　the　individual　who　defiled

a　drinking…place　would　be　attacked　by　every　onlooker；

while　one　who　deliberately　gave　a　false　alarm　was　the

recipient　of　much　rough　usage　at　our　hands。　But　Red…Eye

walked　rough…shod　over　all　our　customs；　and　we　so

feared　him　that　we　were　incapable　of　the　collective

action　necessary　to　punish　him。



It　was　during　the　sixth　winter　in　our　cave　that　Lop…Ear

and　I　discovered　that　we　were　really　growing　up。　　From

the　first　it　had　been　a　squeeze　to　get　in　through　the

entrance…crevice。　　This　had　had　its　advantages；

however。　　It　had　prevented　the　larger　Folk　from　taking

our　cave　away　from　us。　　And　it　was　a　most　desirable

cave；　the　highest　on　the　bluff；　the　safest；　and　in

winter　the　smallest　and　warmest。



To　show　the　stage　of　the　mental　development　of　the

Folk；　I　may　state　that　it　would　have　been　a　simple

thing　for　some　of　them　to　have　driven　us　out　and

enlarged　the　crevice…opening。　　But　they　never　thought

of　it。　　Lop…Ear　and　I　did　not　think　of　it　either　until

our　increasing　size　compelled　us　to　make　an

enlargement。　This　occurred　when　summer　was　well　along

and　we　were　fat　with　better　forage。　　We　worked　at　the

crevice　in　spells；　when　the　fancy　struck　us。



At　first　we　dug　the　crumbling　rocks　away　with　our

fingers；　until　our　nails　got　sore；　when　I　accidentally

stumbled　upon　the　idea　of　using　a　piece　of　wood　on　the

rock。　　This　worked　well。　　Also　it　worked　woe。　　One

morning　early；　we　had　scratched　out　of　the　wall　quite　a

heap　of　fragments。　　I　gave　the　heap　a　shove　over　the

lip　of　the　entrance。　　The　next　moment　there　came　up

from　below　a　howl　of　rage。　　There　was　no　need　to　look。

We　knew　the　voice　only　too　well。　　The　rubbish　had

descended　upon　Red…Eye。



We　crouched　down　in　the　cave　in　consternat