before adam-第21章

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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；　nevertheless　they　sympathized　with

us。　　Possibly　it　was　not　sympathy　but　the　way　they

expressed　their　hatred　for　Red…Eye；　at　any　rate　they

always　warned　us　of　his　approach。　　Whether　in　the

forest；　at　the　drinking…places；　or　in　the　open　space

before　the　caves；　they　were　always　quick　to　warn　us。

Thus　we　had　the　advantage　of　many　eyes　in　our　feud　with

Red…Eye；　the　atavism。



Once　he　nearly　got　me。　　It　was　early　in　the　morning；

and　the　Folk　were　not　yet　up。　　The　surprise　was

complete。　　I　was　cut　off　from　the　way　up　the　cliff　to

my　cave。　　Before　I　knew　it　I　had　dashed　into　the

double…cave；the　cave　where　Lop…Ear　had　first　eluded

me　long　years　before；　and　where　old　Saber…Tooth　had

come　to　discomfiture　when　he　pursued　the　two　Folk。　　By

the　time　I　had　got　through　the　connecting　passage

between　the　two　caves；　I　discovered　that　Red…Eye　was

not　following　me。　　The　next　moment　he　charged　into　the

cave　from　the　outside。　　I　slipped　back　through　the

passage；　and　he　charged　out　and　around　and　in　upon　me

again。　　I　merely　repeated　my　performance　of　slipping

through　the　passage。



He　kept　me　there　half　a　day　before　he　gave　up。　　After

that；　when　Lop…Ear　and　I　were　reasonably　sure　of

gaining　the　double…cave；　we　did　not　retreat　up　the

cliff　to　our　own　cave　when　Red…Eye　came　upon　the　scene。

All　we　did　was　to　keep　an　eye　on　him　and　see　that　he

did　not　cut　across　our　line　of　retreat。



It　was　during　this　winter　that　Red…Eye　killed　his

latest　wife　with　abuse　and　repeated　beatings。　　I　have

called　him　an　atavism；　but　in　this　he　was　worse　than　an

atavism；　for　the　males　of　the　lower　animals　do　not

maltreat　and　murder　their　mates。　　In　this　I　take　it

that　Red…Eye；　in　spite　of　his　tremendous　atavistic

tendencies；　foreshadowed　the　coming　of　man；　for　it　is

the　males　of　the　human　species　only　that　murder　their

mates。



As　was　to　be　expected；　with　the　doing　away　of　one　wife

Red…Eye　proceeded　to　get　another。　　He　decided　upon　the

Singing　One。　　She　was　the　granddaughter　of　old

Marrow…Bone；　and　the　daughter　of　the　Hairless　One。　　She

was　a　young　thing；　greatly　given　to　singing　at　the

mouth　of　her　cave　in　the　twilight；　and　she　had　but

recently　mated　with　Crooked…Leg。　　He　was　a　quiet

individual；　molesting　no　one　and　not　given　to　bickering

with　his　fellows。　　He　was　no　fighter　anyway。　　He　was

small　and　lean；　and　not　so　active　on　his　legs　as　the

rest　of　us。



Red…Eye　never　committed　a　more　outrageous　deed。　　It　was

in　the　quiet　at　the　end　of　the　day；　when　we　began　to

congregate　in　the　open　space　before　climbing　into　our

caves。　　Suddenly　the　Singing　One　dashed　up　a　run…way

from　a　drinking…place；　pursued　by　Red…Eye。　She　ran　to

her　husband。　　Poor　little　Crooked…Leg　was　terribly

scared。　　But　he　was　a　hero。　　He　knew　that　death　was

upon　him；　yet　he　did　not　run　away。　　He　stood　up；　and

chattered；　bristled；　and　showed　his　teeth。



Red…Eye　roared　with　rage。　　It　was　an　offence　to　him

that　any　of　the　Folk　should　dare　to　withstand　him。　　His

hand　shot　out　and　clutched　Crooked…Leg　by　the　neck。

The　latter　sank　his　teeth　into　Red…Eye's　arm；　but　the

next　moment；　with　a　broken　neck；　Crooked…Leg　was

floundering　and　squirming　on　the　ground。　　The　Singing

One　screeched　and　gibbered。　　Red…Eye　seized　her　by　the

hair　of　her　head　and　dragged　her　toward　his　cave。　　He

handled　her　roughly　when　the　climb　began；　and　he

dragged　and　hauled　her　up　into　the　cave。



We　were　very　angry；　insanely；　vociferously　angry。

Beating　our　chests；　bristling；　and　gnashing　our　teeth；

we　gathered　together　in　our　rage。　　We　felt　the　prod　of

gregarious　instinct；　the　drawing　together　as　though　for

united　action；　the　impulse　toward　cooperation。　　In　dim

ways　this　need　for　united　action　was　impressed　upon　us。

But　there　was　no　way　to　achieve　it　because　there　was　no

way　to　express　it。　　We　did　not　turn　to；　all　of　us；　and

destroy　Red…Eye；　because　we　lacked　a　vocabulary。　　We

were　vaguely　thinking　thoughts　for　which　there　were　no

thought…symbols。　These　thought…symbols　were　yet　to　be

slowly　and　painfully　invented。



We　tried　to　freight　sound　with　the　vague　thoughts　that

flitted　like　shadows　through　our　consciousness。　　The

Hairless　One　began　to　chatter　loudly。　　By　his　noises　he

expressed　anger　against　Red…Eye　and　desire　to　hurt

Red…Eye。　　Thus　far　he　got；　and　thus　far　we　understood。

But　when　he　tried　to　express　the　cooperative　impulse

that　stirred　within　him；　his　noises　became　gibberish。

Then　Big…Face；　with　brow…bristling　and　chest…pounding；

began　to　chatter。　One　after　another　of　us　joined　in　the

orgy　of　rage；　until　even　old　Marrow…Bone　was　mumbling

and　spluttering　with　his　cracked　voice　and　withered

lips。　　Some　one　seized　a　stick　and　began　pounding　a

log。　　In　a　moment　he　had　struck　a　rhythm。

Unconsciously；　our　yells　and　exclamations　yielded　to

this　rhythm。　　It　had　a　soothing　effect　upon　us；　and

before　we　knew　it；　our　rage　forgotten；　we　were　in　the

full　swing　of　a　hee…hee　council。



These　hee…hee　councils　splendidly　illustrate　the

inconsecutiveness　and　inconsequentiality　of　the　Folk。

Here　were　we；　drawn　together　by　mutual　rage　and　the

impulse　toward　cooperation；　led　off　into　forgetfulness

by　the　establishment　of　a　rude　rhythm。　　We　were

sociable　and　gregarious；　and　these　singing　and　laughing

councils　satisfied　us。　　In　ways　the　hee…hee　council　was

an　adumbration　of　the　councils　of　primitive　man；　and　of

the　great　national　assemblies　and　international

conventions　of　latter…day　man。　　But　we　Folk　of　the

Younger　World　lacked　speech；　and　whenever　we　were　so

drawn　together　we　precipitated　babel；　out　of　which

arose　a　unanimity　of　rhythm　that　contained　within

itself　the　essentials　of　art　yet　to　come。　　It　was　art

nascent。



There　was　nothing　long…continued　about　these　rhythms

that　we　struck。　　A　rhythm　was　soon　lost；　and

pandemonium　reigned　until　we　could　find　the　rhythm

again　or　start　a　new　one。　　Sometimes　half　a　dozen

rhythms　would　be　swinging　simultaneously；　each　rhythm

backed　by　a　group　that　strove　ardently　to　drown　out　the

other　rhythms。



In　the　intervals　of　pandemonium；　each　chattered；　cut

up；　hooted；　screeched；　and　danced；　himself　sufficient

unto　himself；　filled　with　his　own　ideas　and　volitions

to　the　exclusion　of　all　others；　a　veritable　centre　of

the　universe；　divorced　for　the　time　being　from　any

unanimity　with　the　other　universe…centres　leaping　and

yelling　around　him。　　Then　would　come　the　rhythma

clapping　of　hands；　the　beating　of　a　stick　upon　a　log；

the　example　of　one　that　leaped　with　repetitions；　or　the

chanting　of　one　that　uttered；　explosively　and

regularly；　with　inflection　that　rose　and　fell；　〃A…bang；

a…bang！　A…bang；　a…bang！〃　One　after　another　of　the

self…centred　Folk　would　yield　to　it；　and　soon　all　would

be　dancing　or　chanting　in　chorus。　〃Ha…ah；　ha…ah；

ha…ah…ha！〃　was　one　of　our　favorite　choruses；　and

another　was；　〃Eh…wah；　eh…wah；　eh…wah…hah！〃



And　so；　with　mad　antics；　leaping；　reeling；　and

over…balancing；　we　danced　and　sang　in　the　sombre

twilight　of　the　primeval　world；　inducing　forgetfulness；

achieving　unanimity；　and　working　ourselves　up　into

sensuous　frenzy。　　And　so　it　was　that　our　rage　against

Red…Eye　was　soothed　away　by　art；　and　we　screamed　the

wild　choruses　of　the　hee…hee　council　until　the　night

warned　us　of　its　terrors；　and　we　crept　away　to　our

holes　in　the　rocks；　calling　softly　to　one　another；

while　the　stars　came　out　and　darkness　settled　down。



We　were　afraid　only　of　the　dark。　　We　had　no　germs　of

religion；　no　conceptions　of　an　unseen　world。　　We　knew

only　the　real　world；　and　the　things　we　feared　were　the

real　things；　the　concrete　dangers；　the　flesh…and…blood

animals　that　preyed。　　It　was　they　that　made　us　afraid

of　the　dark；　for　darkness　was　the　time　of　the　hunting

animals。　　It　was　then　that　they　came　out　of　their　lairs

and　pounced　upon