贝壳电子书 > 英文原著电子书 > before adam >

第22章

before adam-第22章

小说: before adam 字数: 每页4000字

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!




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

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的