before adam-第20章

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Lop…Ear's　eyes　came　the　plaintive　look　that　always

accompanied　incomprehension；　and　I　know　that　in　my　eyes

must　have　been　the　same　look。　　We　huddled；　with　our

arms　around　each　other；　until　the　heat　began　to　reach

us　and　the　odor　of　burning　hair　was　in　our　nostrils。

Then　we　made　a　dash　of　it；　and　fled　away　westward

through　the　forest；　looking　back　and　laughing　as　we

ran。



By　the　middle　of　the　day　we　came　to　a　neck　of　land；

made；　as　we　afterward　discovered；　by　a　great　curve　of

the　river　that　almost　completed　a　circle。　　Right　across

the　neck　lay　bunched　several　low　and　partly　wooded

hills。　　Over　these　we　climbed；　looking　backward　at　the

forest　which　had　become　a　sea　of　flame　that　swept

eastward　before　a　rising　wind。　　We　continued　to　the

west；　following　the　river　bank；　and　before　we　knew　it

we　were　in　the　midst　of　the　abiding…place　of　the　Fire

People。



This　abiding…place　was　a　splendid　strategic　selection。

It　was　a　peninsula；　protected　on　three　sides　by　the

curving　river。　　On　only　one　side　was　it　accessible　by

land。　　This　was　the　narrow　neck　of　the　peninsula；　and

here　the　several　low　hills　were　a　natural　obstacle。

Practically　isolated　from　the　rest　of　the　world；　the

Fire　People　must　have　here　lived　and　prospered　for　a

long　time。　In　fact；　I　think　it　was　their　prosperity

that　was　responsible　for　the　subsequent　migration　that

worked　such　calamity　upon　the　Folk。　The　Fire　People

must　have　increased　in　numbers　until　they　pressed

uncomfortably　against　the　bounds　of　their　habitat。

They　were　expanding；　and　in　the　course　of　their

expanding　they　drove　the　Folk　before　them；　and　settled

down　themselves　in　the　caves　and　occupied　the　territory

that　we　had　occupied。



But　Lop…Ear　and　I　little　dreamed　of　all　this　when　we

found　ourselves　in　the　Fire　People's　stronghold。　　We

had　but　one　idea；　and　that　was　to　get　away；　though　we

could　not　forbear　humoring　our　curiosity　by　peeping　out

upon　the　village。　　For　the　first　time　we　saw　the　women

and　children　of　the　Fire　People。　　The　latter　ran　for

the　most　part　naked；　though　the　former　wore　skins　of

wild　animals。



The　Fire　People；　like　ourselves；　lived　in　caves。　　The

open　space　in　front　of　the　caves　sloped　down　to　the

river；　and　in　the　open　space　burned　many　small　fires。

But　whether　or　not　the　Fire　People　cooked　their　food；　I

do　not　know。　　Lop…Ear　and　I　did　not　see　them　cook。　　Yet

it　is　my　opinion　that　they　surely　must　have　performed

some　sort　of　rude　cookery。　　Like　us；　they　carried　water

in　gourds　from　the　river。　　There　was　much　coming　and

going；　and　loud　cries　made　by　the　women　and　children。

The　latter　played　about　and　cut　up　antics　quite　in　the

same　way　as　did　the　children　of　the　Folk；　and　they　more

nearly　resembled　the　children　of　the　Folk　than　did　the

grown　Fire　People　resemble　the　grown　Folk。



Lop…Ear　and　I　did　not　linger　long。　　We　saw　some　of　the

part…grown　boys　shooting　with　bow　and　arrow；　and　we

sneaked　back　into　the　thicker　forest　and　made　our　way

to　the　river。　　And　there　we　found　a　catamaran；　a　real

catamaran；　one　evidently　made　by　some　Fire…Man。　　The

two　logs　were　small　and　straight；　and　were　lashed

together　by　means　of　tough　roots　and　crosspieces　of

wood。



This　time　the　idea　occurred　simultaneously　to　us。　　We

were　trying　to　escape　out　of　the　Fire　People's

territory。　　What　better　way　than　by　crossing　the　river

on　these　logs？　　We　climbed　on　board　and　shoved　off。　　A

sudden　something　gripped　the　catamaran　and　flung　it

downstream　violently　against　the　bank。　　The　abrupt

stoppage　almost　whipped　us　off　into　the　water。　　The

catamaran　was　tied　to　a　tree　by　a　rope　of　twisted

roots。　　This　we　untied　before　shoving　off　again。



By　the　time　we　had　paddled　well　out　into　the　current；

we　had　drifted　so　far　downstream　that　we　were　in　full

view　of　the　Fire　People's　abiding…place。　　So　occupied

were　we　with　our　paddling；　our　eyes　fixed　upon　the

other　bank；　that　we　knew　nothing　until　aroused　by　a

yell　from　the　shore。　　We　looked　around。　　There　were　the

Fire　People；　many　of　them；　looking　at　us　and　pointing

at　us；　and　more　were　crawling　out　of　the　caves。　　We　sat

up　to　watch；　and　forgot　all　about　paddling。　　There　was

a　great　hullabaloo　on　the　shore。　　Some　of　the　Fire…Men

discharged　their　bows　at　us；　and　a　few　of　the　arrows

fell　near　us；　but　the　range　was　too　great。



It　was　a　great　day　for　Lop…Ear　and　me。　　To　the　east　the

conflagration　we　had　started　was　filling　half　the　sky

with　smoke。　And　here　we　were；　perfectly　safe　in　the

middle　of　the　river；　encircling　the　Fire　People's

stronghold。　　We　sat　and　laughed　at　them　as　we　dashed

by；　swinging　south；　and　southeast　to　east；　and　even　to

northeast；　and　then　east　again；　southeast　and　south　and

on　around　to　the　west；　a　great　double　curve　where　the

river　nearly　tied　a　knot　in　itself。



As　we　swept　on　to　the　west；　the　Fire　People　far　behind；

a　familiar　scene　flashed　upon　our　eyes。



It　was　the　great　drinking…place；　where　we　had　wandered

once　or　twice　to　watch　the　circus　of　the　animals　when

they　came　down　to　drink。　　Beyond　it；　we　knew；　was　the

carrot　patch；　and　beyond　that　the　caves　and　the

abiding…place　of　the　horde。　　We　began　to　paddle　for　the

bank　that　slid　swiftly　past；　and　before　we　knew　it　we

were　down　upon　the　drinking…places　used　by　the　horde。

There　were　the　women　and　children；　the　water　carriers；

a　number　of　them；　filling　their　gourds。　　At　sight　of　us

they　stampeded　madly　up　the　run…ways；　leaving　behind

them　a　trail　of　gourds　they　had　dropped。



We　landed；　and　of　course　we　neglected　to　tie　up　the

catamaran；　which　floated　off　down　the　river。　　Right

cautiously　we　crept　up　a　run…way。　　The　Folk　had　all

disappeared　into　their　holes；　though　here　and　there　we

could　see　a　face　peering　out　at　us。　　There　was　no　sign

of　Red…Eye。　　We　were　home　again。　　And　that　night　we

slept　in　our　own　little　cave　high　up　on　the　cliff；

though　first　we　had　to　evict　a　couple　of　pugnacious

youngsters　who　had　taken　possession。







CHAPTER　XIV





The　months　came　and　went。　　The　drama　and　tragedy　of　the

future　were　yet　to　come　upon　the　stage；　and　in　the

meantime　we　pounded　nuts　and　lived。　　Itvas　a　good

year；　I　remember；　for　nuts。　　We　used　to　fill　gourds

with　nuts　and　carry　them　to　the　pounding…places。　　We

placed　them　in　depressions　in　the　rock；　and；　with　a

piece　of　rock　in　our　hands；　we　cracked　them　and　ate

them　as　we　cracked。



It　was　the　fall　of　the　year　when　Lop…Ear　and　I　returned

from　our　long　adventure…journey；　and　the　winter　that

followed　was　mild。　　I　made　frequent　trips　to　the

neighborhood　of　my　old　home…tree；　and　frequently　I

searched　the　whole　territory　that　lay　between　the

blueberry　swamp　and　the　mouth　of　the　slough　where

Lop…Ear　and　I　had　learned　navigation；　but　no　clew　could

I　get　of　the　Swift　One。　She　had　disappeared。　　And　I

wanted　her。　　I　was　impelled　by　that　hunger　which　I　have

mentioned；　and　which　was　akin　to　physical　hunger；

albeit　it　came　often　upon　me　when　my　stomach　was　full。

But　all　my　search　was　vain。



Life　was　not　monotonous　at　the　caves；　however。　　There

was　Red…Eye　to　be　considered。　　Lop…Ear　and　I　never　knew

a　moment's　peace　except　when　we　were　in　our　own　little

cave。　　In　spite　of　the　enlargement　of　the　entrance　we

had　made；　it　was　still　a　tight　squeeze　for　us　to　get

in。　　And　though　from　time　to　time　we　continued　to

enlarge；　it　was　still　too　small　for　Red…Eye's　monstrous

body。　　But　he　never　stormed　our　cave　again。　　He　had

learned　the　lesson　well；　and　he　carried　on　his　neck　a

bulging　lump　to　show　where　I　had　hit　him　with　the　rock。

This　lump　never　went　away；　and　it　was　prominent　enough

to　be　seen　at　a　distance。　　I　often　took　great　delight

in　watching　that　evidence　of　my　handiwork；　and

sometimes；　when　I　was　myself　assuredly　safe；　the　sight

of　it　caused　me　to　laugh。



While　the　other　Folk　would　not　have　come　to　our　rescue

had　Red…Eye　proceeded　to　tear　Lop…Ear　and　me　to　pieces

before　their　eyes；　never