before adam-第17章

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then　retreated；　calling　to　me　from　a　tree。　　So　it　was

that　I　did　not　make　a　practice　of　accompanying　Lop…Ear

when　he　went　to　visit　his　new　friends。　　The　Swift　One

and　I　were　good　comrades；　but；　try　as　I　would；　I　could

never　find　her　tree…shelter。　　Undoubtedly；　had　nothing

happened；　we　would　have　soon　mated；　for　our　liking　was

mutual；　but　the　something　did　happen。



One　morning；　the　Swift　One　not　having　put　in　an

appearance；　Lop…Ear　and　I　were　down　at　the　mouth　of

the　slough　playing　on　the　logs。　　We　had　scarcely　got

out　on　the　water；　when　we　were　startled　by　a　roar　of

rage。　　It　was　Red…Eye。　　He　was　crouching　on　the　edge　of

the　timber　jam　and　glowering　his　hatred　at　us。　　We　were

badly　frightened；　for　here　was　no　narrow…mouthed　cave

for　refuge。　　But　the　twenty　feet　of　water　that

intervened　gave　us　temporary　safety；　and　we　plucked　up

courage。



Red…Eye　stood　up　erect　and　began　beating　his　hairy

chest　with　his　fist。　　Our　two　logs　were　side　by　side；

and　we　sat　on　them　and　laughed　at　him。　　At　first　our

laughter　was　half…hearted；　tinged　with　fear；　but　as　we

became　convinced　of　his　impotence　we　waxed　uproarious。

He　raged　and　raged　at　us；　and　ground　his　teeth　in

helpless　fury。　　And　in　our　fancied　security　we　mocked

and　mocked　him。　　We　were　ever　short…sighted；　we　Folk。



Red…Eye　abruptly　ceased　his　breast…beating　and

tooth…grinding；　and　ran　across　the　timber…jam　to　the

shore。　　And　just　as　abruptly　our　merriment　gave　way　to

consternation。　　It　was　not　Red…Eye's　way　to　forego

revenge　so　easily。　　We　waited　in　fear　and　trembling　for

whatever　was　to　happen。　　It　never　struck　us　to　paddle

away。　　He　came　back　with　great　leaps　across　the　jam；

one　huge　hand　filled　with　round；　water…washed　pebbles。

I　am　glad　that　he　was　unable　to　find　larger　missiles；

say　stones　weighing　two　or　three　pounds；　for　we　were　no

more　than　a　score　of　feet　away；　and　he　surely　would

have　killed　us。



As　it　was；　we　were　in　no　small　danger。　　Zip！　A　tiny

pebble　whirred　past　with　the　force　almost　of　a　bullet。

Lop…Ear　and　I　began　paddling　frantically。

Whiz…zip…bang　！　Lop…Ear　screamed　with　sudden　anguish。

The　pebble　had　struck　him　between　the　shoulders。　Then　I

got　one　and　yelled。　　The　only　thing　that　saved　us　was

the　exhausting　of　Red…Eye's　ammunition。　　He　dashed　back

to　the　gravel…bed　for　more；　while　Lop…Ear　and　I

paddled　away。



Gradually　we　drew　out　of　range；　though　Red…Eye

continued　making　trips　for　more　ammunition　and　the

pebbles　continued　to　whiz　about　us。　　Out　in　the　centre

of　the　slough　there　was　a　slight　current；　and　in　our

excitement　we　failed　to　notice　that　it　was　drifting　us

into　the　river。　　We　paddled；　and　Red…Eye　kept　as　close

as　he　could　to　us　by　following　along　the　shore。　　Then

he　discovered　larger　rocks。　　Such　ammunition　increased

his　range。　　One　fragment；　fully　five　pounds　in　weight；

crashed　on　the　log　alongside　of　me；　and　such　was　its

impact　that　it　drove　a　score　of　splinters；　like　fiery

needles；　into　my　leg。　　Had　it　struck　me　it　would　have

killed　me。



And　then　the　river　current　caught　us。　　So　wildly　were

we　paddling　that　Red…Eye　was　the　first　to　notice　it；

and　our　first　warning　was　his　yell　of　triumph。　　Where

the　edge　of　the　current　struck　the　slough…water　was　a

series　of　eddies　or　small　whirlpools。　　These　caught　our

clumsy　logs　and　whirled　them　end　for　end；　back　and

forth　and　around。　　We　quit　paddling　and　devoted　our

whole　energy　to　holding　the　logs　together　alongside

each　other。　　In　the　meanwhile　Red…Eye　continued　to

bombard　us；　the　rock　fragments　falling　about　us；

splashing　water　on　us；　and　menacing　our　lives。　At　the

same　time　he　gloated　over　us；　wildly　and　vociferously。



It　happened　that　there　was　a　sharp　turn　in　the　river　at

the　point　where　the　slough　entered；　and　the　whole　main

current　of　the　river　was　deflected　to　the　other　bank。

And　toward　that　bank；　which　was　the　north　bank；　we

drifted　rapidly；　at　the　same　time　going　down…stream。

This　quickly　took　us　out　of　range　of　Red…Eye；　and　the

last　we　saw　of　him　was　far　out　on　a　point　of　land；

where　he　was　jumping　up　and　down　and　chanting　a　paean

of　victory。



Beyond　holding　the　two　logs　together；　Lop…Ear　and　I　did

nothing。　We　were　resigned　to　our　fate；　and　we　remained

resigned　until　we　aroused　to　the　fact　that　we　were

drifting　along　the　north　shore　not　a　hundred　feet　away。

We　began　to　paddle　for　it。　　Here　the　main　force　of　the

current　was　flung　back　toward　the　south　shore；　and　the

result　of　our　paddling　was　that　we　crossed　the　current

where　it　was　swiftest　and　narrowest。　　Before　we　were

aware；　we　were　out　of　it　and　in　a　quiet　eddy。



Our　logs　drifted　slowly　and　at　last　grounded　gently　on

the　bank。　Lop…Ear　and　I　crept　ashore。　　The　logs　drifted

on　out　of　the　eddy　and　swept　away　down　the　stream。　　We

looked　at　each　other；　but　we　did　not　laugh。　　We　were　in

a　strange　land；　and　it　did　not　enter　our　minds　that　we

could　return　to　our　own　land　in　the　same　manner　that　we

had　come。



We　had　learned　how　to　cross　a　river；　though　we　did　not

know　it。　And　this　was　something　that　no　one　else　of　the

Folk　had　ever　done。　We　were　the　first　of　the　Folk　to

set　foot　on　the　north　bank　of　the　river；　and；　for　that

matter；　I　believe　the　last。　　That　they　would　have　done

so　in　the　time　to　come　is　undoubted；　but　the　migration

of　the　Fire　People；　and　the　consequent　migration　of　the

survivors　of　the　Folk；　set　back　our　evolution　for

centuries。



Indeed；　there　is　no　telling　how　disastrous　was　to　be

the　outcome　of　the　Fire　People's　migration。

Personally；　I　am　prone　to　believe　that　it　brought　about

the　destruction　of　the　Folk；　that　we；　a　branch　of　lower

life　budding　toward　the　human；　were　nipped　short　off

and　perished　down　by　the　roaring　surf　where　the　river

entered　the　sea。　　Of　course；　in　such　an　eventuality；　I

remain　to　be　accounted　for；　but　I　outrun　my　story；　and

such　accounting　will　be　made　before　I　am　done。







CHAPTER　XII





I　have　no　idea　how　long　Lop…Ear　and　I　wandered　in　the

land　north　of　the　river。　　We　were　like　mariners　wrecked

on　a　desert　isle；　so　far　as　concerned　the　likelihood　of

our　getting　home　again。　　We　turned　our　backs　upon　the

river；　and　for　weeks　and　months　adventured　in　that

wilderness　where　there　were　no　Folk。　　It　is　very

difficult　for　me　to　reconstruct　our　journeying；　and

impossible　to　do　it　from　day　to　day。　　Most　of　it　is

hazy　and　indistinct；　though　here　and　there　I　have　vivid

recollections　of　things　that　happened。



Especially　do　I　remember　the　hunger　we　endured　on　the

mountains　between　Long　Lake　and　Far　Lake；　and　the　calf

we　caught　sleeping　in　the　thicket。　　Also；　there　are　the

Tree　People　who　dwelt　in　the　forest　between　Long　Lake

and　the　mountains。　　It　was　they　who　chased　us　into　the

mountains　and　compelled　us　to　travel　on　to　Far　Lake。



First；　after　we　left　the　river；　we　worked　toward　the

west　till　we　came　to　a　small　stream　that　flowed　through

marshlands。　　Here　we　turned　away　toward　the　north；

skirting　the　marshes　and　after　several　days　arriving　at

what　I　have　called　Long　Lake。　　We　spent　some　time

around　its　upper　end；　where　we　found　food　in　plenty；

and　then；　one　day；　in　the　forest；　we　ran　foul　of　the

Tree　People。　　These　creatures　were　ferocious　apes；

nothing　more。　　And　yet　they　were　not　so　different　from

us。　　They　were　more　hairy；　it　is　true；　their　legs　were

a　trifle　more　twisted　and　gnarly；　their　eyes　a　bit

smaller；　their　necks　a　bit　thicker　and　shorter；　and

their　nostrils　slightly　more　like　orifices　in　a　sunken

surface；　but　they　had　no　hair　on　their　faces　and　on　the

palms　of　their　hands　and　the　soles　of　their　feet；　and

they　made　sounds　similar　to　ours　with　somewhat　similar

meanings。　　After　all；　the　Tree　People　and　the　Folk　were

not　so　unlike。



I　found　him　first；　a　little　withered；　dried…up　old

fellow；　wrinkled…faced　and　bleary…eyed　and　tottery。　　He

was　legitimate　prey。　　In　our　world　there　was　no

sympathy　between　the　kinds；　and　he　was