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

and　pounced　upon　one　from　the　dark　wherein　they　lurked

invisible。



Possibly　it　was　out　of　this　fear　of　the　real　denizens

of　the　dark　that　the　fear　of　the　unreal　denizens　was

later　to　develop　and　to　culminate　in　a　whole　and　mighty

unseen　world。　　As　imagination　grew　it　is　likely　that

the　fear　of　death　increased　until　the　Folk　that　were　to

come　projected　this　fear　into　the　dark　and　peopled　it

with　spirits。　　I　think　the　Fire　People　had　already

begun　to　be　afraid　of　the　dark　in　this　fashion；　but　the

reasons　we　Folk　had　for　breaking　up　our　hee…hee

councils　and　fleeing　to　our　holes　were　old　Saber…Tooth；

the　lions　and　the　jackals；　the　wild　dogs　and　the

wolves；　and　all　the　hungry；　meat…eating　breeds。







CHAPTER　XV





Lop…Ear　got　married。　　It　was　the　second　winter　after

our　adventure…journey；　and　it　was　most　unexpected。　　He

gave　me　no　warning。　　The　first　I　knew　was　one　twilight

when　I　climbed　the　cliff　to　our　cave。　　I　squeezed　into

the　entrance　and　there　I　stopped。　　There　was　no　room

for　me。　　Lop…Ear　and　his　mate　were　in　possession；　and

she　was　none　other　than　my　sister；　the　daughter　of　my

step…father；　the　Chatterer。



I　tried　to　force　my　way　in。　　There　was　space　only　for

two；　and　that　space　was　already　occupied。　　Also；　they

had　me　at　a　disadvantage；　and；　what　of　the　scratching

and　hair…pulling　I　received；　I　was　glad　to　retreat。　　I

slept　that　night；　and　for　many　nights；　in　the

connecting　passage　of　the　double…cave。　　From　my

experience　it　seemed　reasonably　safe。　　As　the　two　Folk

had　dodged　old　Saber…Tooth；　and　as　I　had　dodged

Red…Eye；　so　it　seemed　to　me　that　I　could　dodge　the

hunting　animals　by　going　back　and　forth　between　the　two

caves。



I　had　forgotten　the　wild　dogs。　　They　were　small　enough

to　go　through　any　passage　that　I　could　squeeze　through。

One　night　they　nosed　me　out。　　Had　they　entered　both

caves　at　the　same　time　they　would　have　got　me。　　As　it

was；　followed　by　some　of　them　through　the　passage；　I

dashed　out　the　mouth　of　the　other　cave。　　Outside　were

the　rest　of　the　wild　dogs。　　They　sprang　for　me　as　I

sprang　for　the　cliff…wall　and　began　to　climb。　　One　of

them；　a　lean　and　hungry　brute；　caught　me　in　mid…leap。

His　teeth　sank　into　my　thigh…muscles；　and　he　nearly

dragged　me　back。　　He　held　on；　but　I　made　no　effort　to

dislodge　him；　devoting　my　whole　effort　to　climbing　out

of　reach　of　the　rest　of　the　brutes。



Not　until　I　was　safe　from　them　did　I　turn　my　attention

to　that　live　agony　on　my　thigh。　　And　then；　a　dozen　feet

above　the　snapping　pack　that　leaped　and　scrambled

against　the　wall　and　fell　back；　I　got　the　dog　by　the

throat　and　slowly　throttled　him。　　I　was　a　long　time

doing　it。　　He　clawed　and　ripped　my　hair　and　hide　with

his　hind…paws；　and　ever　he　jerked　and　lunged　with　his

weight　to　drag　me　from　the　wall。



At　last　his　teeth　opened　and　released　my　torn　flesh。　　I

carried　his　body　up　the　cliff　with　me；　and　perched　out

the　night　in　the　entrance　of　my　old　cave；　wherein　were

Lop…Ear　and　my　sister。　　But　first　I　had　to　endure　a

storm　of　abuse　from　the　aroused　horde　for　being　the

cause　of　the　disturbance。　　I　had　my　revenge。　　From　time

to　time；　as　the　noise　of　the　pack　below　eased　down；　I

dropped　a　rock　and　started　it　up　again。　　Whereupon；

from　all　around；　the　abuse　of　the　exasperated　Folk

began　afresh。　　In　the　morning　I　shared　the　dog　with

Lop…Ear　and　his　wife；　and　for　several　days　the　three　of

us　were　neither　vegetarians　nor　fruitarians。



Lop…Ear's　marriage　was　not　a　happy　one；　and　the

consolation　about　it　is　that　it　did　not　last　very　long。

Neither　he　nor　I　was　happy　during　that　period。　　I　was

lonely。　　I　suffered　the　inconvenience　of　being　cast　out

of　my　safe　little　cave；　and　somehow　I　did　not　make　it

up　with　any　other　of　the　young　males。　　I　suppose　my

long…continued　chumming　with　Lop…Ear　had　become　a

habit。



I　might　have　married；　it　is　true；　and　most　likely　I

should　have　married　had　it　not　been　for　the　dearth　of

females　in　the　horde。　This　dearth；　it　is　fair　to

assume；　was　caused　by　the　exorbitance　of　Red…Eye；　and

it　illustrates　the　menace　he　was　to　the　existence　of

the　horde。　　Then　there　was　the　Swift　One；　whom　I　had

not　forgotten。



At　any　rate；　during　the　period　of　Lop…Ear's　marriage　I

knocked　about　from　pillar　to　post；　in　danger　every

night　that　I　slept；　and　never　comfortable。　　One　of　the

Folk　died；　and　his　widow　was　taken　into　the　cave　of

another　one　of　the　Folk。　　I　took　possession　of　the

abandoned　cave；　but　it　was　wide…mouthed；　and　after

Red…Eye　nearly　trapped　me　in　it　one　day；　I　returned　to

sleeping　in　the　passage　of　the　double…cave。　　During　the

summer；　however；　I　used　to　stay　away　from　the　caves　for

weeks；　sleeping　in　a　tree…shelter　I　made　near　the　mouth

of　the　slough。



I　have　said　that　Lop…Ear　was　not　happy。　　My　sister　was

the　daughter　of　the　Chatterer；　and　she　made　Lop…Ear's

life　miserable　for　him。　　In　no　other　cave　was　there　so

much　squabbling　and　bickering。　　If　Red…Eye　was　a

Bluebeard；　Lop…Ear　was　hen…pecked；　and　I　imagine　that

Red…Eye　was　too　shrewd　ever　to　covet　Lop…Ear's　wife。



Fortunately　for　Lop…Ear；　she　died。　　An　unusual　thing

happened　that　summer。　　Late；　almost　at　the　end　of　it；　a

second　crop　of　the　stringy…rooted　carrots　sprang　up。

These　unexpected　second…crop　roots　were　young　and　juicy

and　tender；　and　for　some　time　the　carrot…patch　was　the

favorite　feeding…place　of　the　horde。　　One　morning；

early；　several　score　of　us　were　there　making　our

breakfast。　　On　one　side　of　me　was　the　Hairless　One。

Beyond　him　were　his　father　and　son；　old　Marrow…Bone　and

Long…Lip。　　On　the　other　side　of　me　were　my　sister　and

Lop…Ear；　she　being　next　to　me。



There　was　no　warning。　　On　the　sudden；　both　the　Hairless

One　and　my　sister　sprang　and　screamed。　　At　the　same

instant　I　heard　the　thud　of　the　arrows　that　transfixed

them。　　The　next　instant　they　were　down　on　the　ground；

floundering　and　gasping；　and　the　rest　of　us　were

stampeding　for　the　trees。　　An　arrow　drove　past　me　and

entered　the　ground；　its　feathered　shaft　vibrating　and

oscillating　from　the　impact　of　its　arrested　flight。　　I

remember　clearly　how　I　swerved　as　I　ran；　to　go　past　it；

and　that　I　gave　it　a　needlessly　wide　berth。　　I　must

have　shied　at　it　as　a　horse　shies　at　an　object　it

fears。



Lop…Ear　took　a　smashing　fall　as　he　ran　beside　me。　　An

arrow　had　driven　through　the　calf　of　his　leg　and

tripped　him。　　He　tried　to　run；　but　was　tripped　and

thrown　by　it　a　second　time。　　He　sat　up；　crouching；

trembling　with　fear；　and　called　to　me　pleadingly。　　I

dashed　back。　　He　showed　me　the　arrow。　　I　caught　hold　of

it　to　pull　it　out；　but　the　consequent　hurt　made　him

seize　my　hand　and　stop　me。　　A　flying　arrow　passed

between　us。　　Another　struck　a　rock；　splintered；　and

fell　to　the　ground。　　This　was　too　much。　　I　pulled；

suddenly；　with　all　my　might。　　Lop…Ear　screamed　as　the

arrow　came　out；　and　struck　at　me　angrily。　　But　the　next

moment　we　were　in　full　flight　again。



I　looked　back。　　Old　Marrow…Bone；　deserted　and　far

behind；　was　tottering　silently　along　in　his　handicapped

race　with　death。　Sometimes　he　almost　fell；　and　once　he

did　fall；　but　no　more　arrows　were　coming。　　He　scrambled

weakly　to　his　feet。　　Age　burdened　him　heavily；　but　he

did　not　want　to　die。　　The　three　Fire…Men；　who　were　now

running　forward　from　their　forest　ambush；　could　easily

have　got　him；　but　they　did　not　try。　　Perhaps　he　was　too

old　and　tough。　But　they　did　want　the　Hairless　One　and

my　sister；　for　as　I　looked　back　from　the　trees　I　could

see　the　Fire…Men　beating　in　their　heads　with　rocks。

One　of　the　Fire…Men　was　the　wizened　old　hunter　who

limped。



We　went　on　through　the　trees　toward　the　cavesan

excited　and　disorderly　mob　that　drove　before　it　to

their　holes　all　the　small　life　of　the　forest；　and　that

set　the　blue…jays　screaming　impudently。　　Now　that　there

was　no　immediate　danger；　Long…Lip　waited　for　his

gran