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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

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