before adam-第18章

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was　legitimate　prey。　　In　our　world　there　was　no

sympathy　between　the　kinds；　and　he　was　not　our　kind。

He　was　a　Tree…Man；　and　he　was　very　old。　　He　was　sitting

at　the　foot　of　a　treeevidently　his　tree；　for　we　could

see　the　tattered　nest　in　the　branches；　in　which　he

slept　at　night。



I　pointed　him　out　to　Lop…Ear；　and　we　made　a　rush　for

him。　　He　started　to　climb；　but　was　too　slow。　　I　caught

him　by　the　leg　and　dragged　him　back。　　Then　we　had　fun。

We　pinched　him；　pulled　his　hair；　tweaked　his　ears；　and

poked　twigs　into　him；　and　all　the　while　we　laughed　with

streaming　eyes。　　His　futile　anger　was　most　absurd。　　He

was　a　comical　sight；　striving　to　fan　into　flame　the

cold　ashes　of　his　youth；　to　resurrect　his　strength　dead

and　gone　through　the　oozing　of　the　yearsmaking　woful

faces　in　place　of　the　ferocious　ones　he　intended；

grinding　his　worn　teeth　together；　beating　his　meagre

chest　with　feeble　fists。



Also；　he　had　a　cough；　and　he　gasped　and　hacked　and

spluttered　prodigiously。　　Every　time　he　tried　to　climb

the　tree　we　pulled　him　back；　until　at　last　he

surrendered　to　his　weakness　and　did　no　more　than　sit

and　weep。　　And　Lop…Ear　and　I　sat　with　him；　our　arms

around　each　other；　and　laughed　at　his　wretchedness。



From　weeping　he　went　to　whining；　and　from　whining　to

wailing；　until　at　last　he　achieved　a　scream。　　This

alarmed　us；　but　the　more　we　tried　to　make　him　cease；

the　louder　he　screamed。　　And　then；　from　not　far　away　in

the　forest；　came　a　〃Goek！　Goek！〃　to　our　ears。　To　this

there　were　answering　cries；　several　of　them；　and　from

very　far　off　we　could　hear　a　big；　bass　〃Goek！　Goek！

Goek！〃　　Also；　the　〃Whoo…whoo　！〃　call　was　rising　in　the

forest　all　around　us。



Then　came　the　chase。　　It　seemed　it　never　would　end。

They　raced　us　through　the　trees；　the　whole　tribe　of

them；　and　nearly　caught　us。　We　were　forced　to　take　to

the　ground；　and　here　we　had　the　advantage；　for　they

were　truly　the　Tree　People；　and　while　they　out…climbed

us　we　out…footed　them　on　the　ground。　　We　broke　away

toward　the　north；　the　tribe　howling　on　our　track。

Across　the　open　spaces　we　gained；　and　in　the　brush　they

caught　up　with　us；　and　more　than　once　it　was　nip　and

tuck。　　And　as　the　chase　continued；　we　realized　that　we

were　not　their　kind；　either；　and　that　the　bonds　between

us　were　anything　but　sympathetic。



They　ran　us　for　hours。　　The　forest　seemed　interminable。

We　kept　to　the　glades　as　much　as　possible；　but　they

always　ended　in　more　thick　forest。　　Sometimes　we

thought　we　had　escaped；　and　sat　down　to　rest；　but

always；　before　we　could　recover　our　breath；　we　would

hear　the　hateful　〃Whoo…whoo！〃　cries　and　the　terrible

〃Goek！　Goek！　Goek！〃　This　latter　sometimes　terminated　in

a　savage　〃Ha　ha　ha　ha　haaaaa！！！〃



And　in　this　fashion　were　we　hunted　through　the　forest

by　the　exasperated　Tree　People。　　At　last；　by

mid…afternoon；　the　slopes　began　rising　higher　and

higher　and　the　trees　were　becoming　smaller。　　Then　we

came　out　on　the　grassy　flanks　of　the　mountains。　Here

was　where　we　could　make　time；　and　here　the　Tree　People

gave　up　and　returned　to　their　forest。



The　mountains　were　bleak　and　inhospitable；　and　three

times　that　afternoon　we　tried　to　regain　the　woods。　　But

the　Tree　People　were　lying　in　wait；　and　they　drove　us

back。　　Lop…Ear　and　I　slept　that　night　in　a　dwarf　tree；

no　larger　than　a　bush。　　Here　was　no　security；　and　we

would　have　been　easy　prey　for　any　hunting　animal　that

chanced　along。



In　the　morning；　what　of　our　new…gained　respect　for　the

Tree　People；　we　faced　into　the　mountains。　　That　we　had

no　definite　plan；　or　even　idea；　I　am　confident。　　We

were　merely　driven　on　by　the　danger　we　had　escaped。　　Of

our　wanderings　through　the　mountains　I　have　only　misty

memories。　　We　were　in　that　bleak　region　many　days；　and

we　suffered　much；　especially　from　fear；　it　was　all　so

new　and　strange。　　Also；　we　suffered　from　the　cold；　and

later　from　hunger。



Itwas　a　desolate　land　of　rocks　and　foaming　streams

and　clattering　cataracts。　　We　climbed　and　descended

mighty　canyons　and　gorges；　and　ever；　from　every　view

point；　there　spread　out　before　us；　in　all　directions；

range　upon　range；　the　unceasing　mountains。　We　slept　at

night　in　holes　and　crevices；　and　on　one　cold　night　we

perched　on　top　a　slender　pinnacle　of　rock　that　was

almost　like　a　tree。



And　then；　at　last；　one　hot　midday；　dizzy　with　hunger；

we　gained　the　divide。　　From　this　high　backbone　of

earth；　to　the　north；　across　the　diminishing；

down…falling　ranges；　we　caught　a　glimpse　of　a　far　lake。

The　sun　shone　upon　it；　and　about　it　were　open；　level

grass…lands；　while　to　the　eastward　we　saw　the　dark　line

of　a　wide…stretching　forest。



We　were　two　days　in　gaining　the　lake；　and　we　were　weak

with　hunger；　but　on　its　shore；　sleeping　snugly　in　a

thicket；　we　found　a　part…grown　calf。　　It　gave　us　much

trouble；　for　we　knew　no　other　way　to　kill　than　with　our

hands。　　When　we　had　gorged　our　fill；　we　carried　the

remainder　of　the　meat　to　the　eastward　forest　and　hid　it

in　a　tree。　　We　never　returned　to　that　tree；　for　the

shore　of　the　stream　that　drained　Far　Lake　was　packed

thick　with　salmon　that　had　come　up　from　the　sea　to

spawn。



Westward　from　the　lake　stretched　the　grass…lands；　and

here　were　multitudes　of　bison　and　wild　cattle。　　Also

were　there　many　packs　of　wild　dogs；　and　as　there　were

no　trees　it　was　not　a　safe　place　for　us。　　We　followed

north　along　the　stream　for　days。　　Then；　and　for　what

reason　I　do　not　know；　we　abruptly　left　the　stream　and

swung　to　the　east；　and　then　to　the　southeast；　through　a

great　forest。　　I　shall　not　bore　you　with　our　journey。

I　but　indicate　it　to　show　how　we　finally　arrived　at　the

Fire　People's　country。



We　came　out　upon　the　river；　but　we　did　not　know　it　for

our　river。　We　had　been　lost　so　long　that　we　had　come　to

accept　the　condition　of　being　lost　as　habitual。　　As　I

look　back　I　see　clearly　how　our　lives　and　destinies　are

shaped　by　the　merest　chance。　　We　did　not　know　it　was

our　riverthere　was　no　way　of　telling；　and　if　we　had

never　crossed　it　we　would　most　probably　have　never

returned　to　the　horde；　and　I；　the　modern；　the　thousand

centuries　yet　to　be　born；　would　never　have　been　born　。



And　yet　Lop…Ear　and　I　wanted　greatly　to　return。　　We　had

experienced　homesickness　on　our　journey；　the　yearning

for　our　own　kind　and　land；　and　often　had　I　had

recollections　of　the　Swift　One；　the　young　female　who

made　soft　sounds；　whom　it　was　good　to　be　with；　and　who

lived　by　herself　nobody　knew　where。　　My　recollections

of　her　were　accompanied　by　sensations　of　hunger；　and

these　I　felt　when　I　was　not　hungry　and　when　I　had　just

eaten。



But　to　come　back　to　the　river。　　Food　was　plentiful；

principally　berries　and　succulent　roots；　and　on　the

river　bank　we　played　and　lingered　for　days。　　And　then

the　idea　came　to　Lop…Ear。　　It　was　a　visible　process；

the　coming　of　the　idea。　　I　saw　it。　　The　expression　in

his　eyes　became　plaintive　and　querulous；　and　he　was

greatly　perturbed。　　Then　his　eyes　went　muddy；　as　if　he

had　lost　his　grip　on　the　inchoate　thought。　　This　was

followed　by　the　plaintive；　querulous　expression　as　the

idea　persisted　and　he　clutched　it　anew。　　He　looked　at

me；　and　at　the　river　and　the　far　shore。　　He　tried　to

speak；　but　had　no　sounds　with　which　to　express　the

idea。　　The　result　was　a　gibberish　that　made　me　laugh。

This　angered　him；　and　he　grabbed　me　suddenly　and　threw

me　on　my　back。　Of　course　we　fought；　and　in　the　end　I

chased　him　up　a　tree；　where　he　secured　a　long　branch

and　poked　me　every　time　I　tried　to　get　at　him。



And　the　idea　had　gone　glimmering。　　I　did　not　know；　and

he　had　forgotten。　　But　the　next　morning　it　awoke　in　him

again。　　Perhaps　it　was　the　homing　instinct　in　him

asserting　itself　that　made　the　idea　persist。　　At　any

rate　it　was　there；　and　clearer　than　before。　He　led　me

down　to　the　water；　where　a　log　had　grounded　in　an　eddy。

I　thought　he　was　minded　to　play；　as　we　had　played　in

the　mouth　of　th