before adam-第14章

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descended　upon　Red…Eye。



We　crouched　down　in　the　cave　in　consternation。　　A

minute　later　he　was　at　the　entrance；　peering　in　at　us

with　his　inflamed　eyes　and　raging　like　a　demon。　　But　he

was　too　large。　　He　could　not　get　in　to　us。　　Suddenly　he

went　away。　　This　was　suspicious。　　By　all　we　knew　of

Folk　nature　he　should　have　remained　and　had　out　his

rage。　I　crept　to　the　entrance　and　peeped　down。　　I　could

see　him　just　beginning　to　mount　the　bluff　again。　　In

one　hand　he　carried　a　long　stick。　　Before　I　could

divine　his　plan；　he　was　back　at　the　entrance　and

savagely　jabbing　the　stick　in　at　us。



His　thrusts　were　prodigious。　　They　could　have

disembowelled　us。　We　shrank　back　against　the

side…walls；　where　we　were　almost　out　of　range。　　But　by

industrious　poking　he　got　us　now　and　againcruel；

scraping　jabs　with　the　end　of　the　stick　that　raked　off

the　hide　and　hair。　　When　we　screamed　with　the　hurt；　he

roared　his　satisfaction　and　jabbed　the　harder。



I　began　to　grow　angry。　　I　had　a　temper　of　my　own　in

those　days；　and　pretty　considerable　courage；　too；

albeit　it　was　largely　the　courage　of　the　cornered　rat。

I　caught　hold　of　the　stick　with　my　hands；　but　such　was

his　strength　that　he　jerked　me　into　the　crevice。　　He

reached　for　me　with　his　long　arm；　and　his　nails　tore　my

flesh　as　I　leaped　back　from　the　clutch　and　gained　the

comparative　safety　of　the　side…wall。



He　began　poking　again；　and　caught　me　a　painful　blow　on

the　shoulder。　　Beyond　shivering　with　fright　and　yelling

when　he　was　hit；　Lop…Ear　did　nothing。　　I　looked　for　a

stick　with　which　to　jab　back；　but　found　only　the　end　of

a　branch；　an　inch　through　and　a　foot　long。　　I　threw

this　at　Red…Eye。　　It　did　no　damage；　though　he　howled

with　a　sudden　increase　of　rage　at　my　daring　to　strike

back。　He　began　jabbing　furiously。　　I　found　a　fragment

of　rock　and　threw　it　at　him；　striking　him　on　the　chest。



This　emboldened　me；　and；　besides；　I　was　now　as　angry　as

he；　and　had　lost　all　fear。　　I　ripped　fragment　of　rock

from　the　wall。　　The　piece　must　have　weighed　two　or

three　pounds。　　With　my　strength　I　slammed　it　full　into

Red…Eye's　face。　　It　nearly　finished　him。　　He　staggered

backward；　dropping　his　stick；　and　almost　fell　off　the

cliff。



He　was　a　ferocious　sight。　　His　face　was　covered　with

blood；　and　he　was　snarling　and　gnashing　his　fangs　like

a　wild　boar。　　He　wiped　the　blood　from　his　eyes；　caught

sight　of　me；　and　roared　with　fury。　　His　stick　was　gone；

so　he　began　ripping　out　chunks　of　crumbling　rock　and

throwing　them　in　at　me。　　This　supplied　me　with

ammunition。　　I　gave　him　as　good　as　he　sent；　and　better；

for　he　presented　a　good　target；　while　he　caught　only

glimpses　of　me　as　I　snuggled　against　the　side…wall。



Suddenly　he　disappeared　again。　　From　the　lip　of　the

cave　I　saw　him　descending。　　All　the　horde　had　gathered

outside　and　in　awed　silence　was　looking　on。　　As　he

descended；　the　more　timid　ones　scurried　for　their

caves。　　I　could　see　old　Marrow…Bone　tottering　along　as

fast　as　he　could。　　Red…Eye　sprang　out　from　the　wall　and

finished　the　last　twenty　feet　through　the　air。　　He

landed　alongside　a　mother　who　was　just　beginning　the

ascent。　　She　screamed　with　fear；　and　the　two…year…old

child　that　was　clinging　to　her　released　its　grip　and

rolled　at　Red…Eye's　feet。　　Both　he　and　the　mother

reached　for　it；　and　he　got　it。　　The　next　moment　the

frail　little　body　had　whirled　through　the　air　and

shattered　against　the　wall。　　The　mother　ran　to　it；

caught　it　up　in　her　arms；　and　crouched　over　it　crying。



Red…Eye　started　over　to　pick　up　the　stick。　　Old

Marrow…Bone　had　tottered　into　his　way。　　Red…Eye's　great

hand　shot　out　and　clutched　the　old　man　by　the　back　of

the　neck。　　I　looked　to　see　his　neck　broken。　　His　body

went　limp　as　he　surrendered　himself　to　his　fate。

Red…Eye　hesitated　a　moment；　and　Marrow…Bone；　shivering

terribly；　bowed　his　head　and　covered　his　face　with　his

crossed　arms。　　Then　Red…Eye　slammed　him　face…downward

to　the　ground。　　Old　Marrow…Bone　did　not　struggle。　　He

lay　there　crying　with　the　fear　of　death。　　I　saw　the

Hairless　One；　out　in　the　open　space；　beating　his　chest

and　bristling；　but　afraid　to　come　forward。　　And　then；

in　obedience　to　some　whim　of　his　erratic　spirit；

Red…Eye　let　the　old　man　alone　and　passed　on　and

recovered　the　stick。



He　returned　to　the　wall　and　began　to　climb　up。

Lop…Ear；　who　was　shivering　and　peeping　alongside　of　me；

scrambled　back　into　the　cave。　　It　was　plain　that

Red…Eye　was　bent　upon　murder。　　I　was　desperate　and

angry　and　fairly　cool。　　Running　back　and　forth　along

the　neighboring　ledges；　I　gathered　a　heap　of　rocks　at

the　cave…entrance。　　Red…Eye　was　now　several　yards

beneath　me；　concealed　for　the　moment　by　an　out…jut　of

the　cliff。　　As　he　climbed；　his　head　came　into　view；　and

I　banged　a　rock　down。　　It　missed；　striking　the　wall　and

shattering；　but　the　flying　dust　and　grit　filled　his

eyes　and　he　drew　back　out　of　view。



A　chuckling　and　chattering　arose　from　the　horde；　that

played　the　part　of　audience。　　At　last　there　was　one　of

the　Folk　who　dared　to　face　Red…Eye。　　As　their　approval

and　acclamation　arose　on　the　air；　Red…Eye　snarled　down

at　them；　and　on　the　instant　they　were　subdued　to

silence。　　Encouraged　by　this　evidence　of　his　power；　he

thrust　his　head　into　view；　and　by　scowling　and　snarling

and　gnashing　his　fangs　tried　to　intimidate　me。　　He

scowled　horribly；　contracting　the　scalp　strongly　over

the　brows　and　bringing　the　hair　down　from　the　top　of

the　head　until　each　hair　stood　apart　and　pointed

straight　forward。



The　sight　chilled　me；　but　I　mastered　my　fear；　and；　with

a　stone　poised　in　my　hand；　threatened　him　back。　　He

still　tried　to　advance。　I　drove　the　stone　down　at　him

and　made　a　sheer　miss。　　The　next　shot　was　a　success。

The　stone　struck　him　on　the　neck。　　He　slipped　back　out

of　sight；　but　as　he　disappeared　I　could　see　him

clutching　for　a　grip　on　the　wall　with　one　hand；　and

with　the　other　clutching　at　his　throat。　　The　stick　fell

clattering　to　the　ground。



I　could　not　see　him　any　more；　though　I　could　hear　him

choking　and　strangling　and　coughing。　　The　audience　kept

a　death…like　silence。　I　crouched　on　the　lip　of　the

entrance　and　waited。　　The　strangling　and　coughing　died

down；　and　I　could　hear　him　now　and　again　clearing　his

throat。　　A　little　later　he　began　to　climb　down。　　He

went　very　quietly；　pausing　every　moment　or　so　to

stretch　his　neck　or　to　feel　it　with　his　hand。



At　the　sight　of　him　descending；　the　whole　horde；　with

wild　screams　and　yells；　stampeded　for　the　woods。　　Old

Marrow…Bone；　hobbling　and　tottering；　followed　behind。

Red…Eye　took　no　notice　of　the　flight。　When　he　reached

the　ground　he　skirted　the　base　of　the　bluff　and　climbed

up　and　into　his　own　cave。　　He　did　not　look　around　once。



I　stared　at　Lop…Ear；　and　he　stared　back。　　We　understood

each　other。　　Immediately；　and　with　great　caution　and

quietness；　we　began　climbing　up　the　cliff。　　When　we

reached　the　top　we　looked　back。　　The　abiding…place　was

deserted；　Red…Eye　remained　in　his　cave；　and　the　horde

had　disappeared　in　the　depths　of　the　forest。



We　turned　and　ran。　　We　dashed　across　the　open　spaces

and　down　the　slopes　unmindful　of　possible　snakes　in　the

grass；　until　we　reached　the　woods。　　Up　into　the　trees

we　went；　and　on　and　on；　swinging　our　arboreal　flight

until　we　had　put　miles　between　us　and　the　caves。　And

then；　and　not　till　then；　in　the　security　of　a　great

fork；　we　paused；　looked　at　each　other；　and　began　to

laugh。　　We　held　on　to　each　other；　arms　and　legs；　our

eyes　streaming　tears；　our　；sides　aching；　and　laughed

and　laughed　and　laughed。







CHAPTER　X





After　we　had　had　out　our　laugh；　Lop…Ear　and　I　curved

back　in　our　flight　and　got　breakfast　in　the　blueberry

swamp。　　It　was　the　same　swamp　to　which　I　had　made　my

first　journeys　in　the　world；　years　before；　accompanied

by　my　mother。　　I　had　seen　little　of　her　in　the

intervening　time。　　Usually；　when　she　visited　the　ho