before adam-第23章

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set　the　blue…jays　screaming　impudently。　　Now　that　there

was　no　immediate　danger；　Long…Lip　waited　for　his

grand…father；　Marrow…Bone；　and　with　the　gap　of　a

generation　between　them；　the　old　fellow　and　the　youth

brought　up　our　rear。



And　so　it　was　that　Lop…Ear　became　a　bachelor　once　more。

That　night　I　slept　with　him　in　the　old　cave；　and　our

old　life　of　chumming　began　again。　　The　loss　of　his　mate

seemed　to　cause　him　no　grief。　　At　least　he　showed　no

signs　of　it；　nor　of　need　for　her。　It　was　the　wound　in

his　leg　that　seemed　to　bother　him；　and　it　was　all　of　a

week　before　he　got　back　again　to　his　old　spryness。



Marrow…Bone　was　the　only　old　member　in　the　horde。

Sometimes；　on　looking　back　upon　him；　when　the　vision　of

him　is　most　clear；　I　note　a　striking　resemblance

between　him　and　the　father　of　my　father's　gardener。

The　gardener's　father　was　very　old；　very　wrinkled　and

withered；　and　for　all　the　world；　when　he　peered　through

his　tiny；　bleary　eyes　and　mumbled　with　his　toothless

gums；　he　looked　and　acted　like　old　Marrow…Bone。　　This

resemblance；　as　a　child；　used　to　frighten　me。　　I　always

ran　when　I　saw　the　old　man　tottering　along　on　his　two

canes。　　Old　Marrow…Bone　even　had　a　bit　of　sparse　and

straggly　white　beard　that　seemed　identical　with　the

whiskers　of　the　old　man。



As　I　have　said；　Marrow…Bone　was　the　only　old　member　of

the　horde。　He　was　an　exception。　　The　Folk　never　lived

to　old　age。　　Middle　age　was　fairly　rare。　　Death　by

violence　was　the　common　way　of　death。　They　died　as　my

father　had　died；　as　Broken…Tooth　had　died；　as　my　sister

and　the　Hairless　One　had　just　diedabruptly　and

brutally；　in　the　full　possession　of　their　faculties；　in

the　full　swing　and　rush　of　life。　　Natural　death？　　To

die　violently　was　the　natural　way　of　dying　in　those

days。



No　one　died　of　old　age　among　the　Folk。　　I　never　knew　of

a　case。　Even　Marrow…Bone　did　not　die　that　way；　and　he

was　the　only　one　in　my　generation　who　had　the　chance。

A　bad　rippling；　any　serious　accidental　or　temporary

impairment　of　the　faculties；　meant　swift　death。　　As　a

rule；　these　deaths　were　not　witnessed。



Members　of　the　horde　simply　dropped　out　of　sight。　　They

left　the　caves　in　the　morning；　and　they　never　came

back。　　They　disappearedinto　the　ravenous　maws　of　the

hunting　creatures。



This　inroad　of　the　Fire　People　on　the　carrot…patch　was

the　beginning　of　the　end；　though　we　did　not　know　it。

The　hunters　of　the　Fire　People　began　to　appear　more

frequently　as　the　time　went　by。　　They　came　in　twos　and

threes；　creeping　silently　through　the　forest；　with

their　flying　arrows　able　to　annihilate　distance　and

bring　down　prey　from　the　top　of　the　loftiest　tree

without　themselves　climbing　into　it。　　The　bow　and　arrow

was　like　an　enormous　extension　of　their　leaping　and

striking　muscles；　so　that；　virtually；　they　could　leap

and　kill　at　a　hundred　feet　and　more。　This　made　them　far

more　terrible　than　Saber…Tooth　himself。　　And　then　they

were　very　wise。　　They　had　speech　that　enabled　them　more

effectively　to　reason；　and　in　addition　they　understood

cooperation。



We　Folk　came　to　be　very　circumspect　when　we　were　in　the

forest。　We　were　more　alert　and　vigilant　and　timid。　　No

longer　were　the　trees　a　protection　to　be　relied　upon。

No　longer　could　we　perch　on　a　branch　and　laugh　down　at

our　carnivorous　enemies　on　the　ground。　The　Fire　People

were　carnivorous；　with　claws　and　fangs　a　hundred　feet

long；　the　most　terrible　of　all　the　hunting　animals　that

ranged　the　primeval　world。



One　morning；　before　the　Folk　had　dispersed　to　the

forest；　there　was　a　panic　among　the　water…carriers　and

those　who　had　gone　down　to　the　river　to　drink。　　The

whole　horde　fled　to　the　caves。　　It　was　our　habit；　at

such　times；　to　flee　first　and　investigate　afterward。　We

waited　in　the　mouths　of　our　caves　and　watched。　　After

some　time　a　Fire…Man　stepped　cautiously　into　the　open

space。　　It　was　the　little　wizened　old　hunter。　　He　stood

for　a　long　time　and　watched　us；　looking　our　caves　and

the　cliff…wall　up　and　down。　　He　descended　one　of　the

run…ways　to　a　drinking…place；　returning　a　few　minutes

later　by　another　run…way。　　Again　he　stood　and　watched

us　carefully；　for　a　long　time。　　Then　he　turned　on　his

heel　and　limped　into　the　forest；　leaving　us　calling

querulously　and　plaintively　to　one　another　from　the

cave…mouths。







CHAPTER　XVI





I　found　her　down　in　the　old　neighborhood　near　the

blueberry　swamp；　where　my　mother　lived　and　where

Lop…Ear　and　I　had　built　our　first　tree…shelter。　　It　was

unexpected。　　As　I　came　under　the　tree　I　heard　the

familiar　soft　sound　and　looked　up。　　There　she　was；　the

Swift　One；　sitting　on　a　limb　and　swinging　her　legs　back

and　forth　as　she　looked　at　me。



I　stood　still　for　some　time。　　The　sight　of　her　had　made

me　very　happy。　　And　then　an　unrest　and　a　pain　began　to

creep　in　on　this　happiness。　　I　started　to　climb　the

tree　after　her；　and　she　retreated　slowly　out　the　limb。

Just　as　I　reached　for　her；　she　sprang　through　the　air

and　landed　in　the　branches　of　the　next　tree。　　From　amid

the　rustling　leaves　she　peeped　out　at　me　and　made　soft

sounds。　　I　leaped　straight　for　her；　and　after　an

exciting　chase　the　situation　was　duplicated；　for　there

she　was；　making　soft　sounds　and　peeping　out　from　the

leaves　of　a　third　tree。



It　was　borne　in　upon　me　that　somehow　it　was　different

now　from　the　old　days　before　Lop…Ear　and　I　had　gone　on

our　adventure…journey。　I　wanted　her；　and　I　knew　that　I

wanted　her。　　And　she　knew　it；　too。　That　was　why　she

would　not　let　me　come　near　her。　　I　forgot　that　she　was

truly　the　Swift　One；　and　that　in　the　art　of　climbing

she　had　been　my　teacher。　　I　pursued　her　from　tree　to

tree；　and　ever　she　eluded　me；　peeping　back　at　me　with

kindly　eyes；　making　soft　sounds；　and　dancing　and

leaping　and　teetering　before　me　just　out　of　reach。　　The

more　she　eluded　me；　the　more　I　wanted　to　catch　her；　and

the　lengthening　shadows　of　the　afternoon　bore　witness

to　the　futility　of　my　effort。



As　I　pursued　her；　or　sometimes　rested　in　an　adjoining

tree　and　watched　her；　I　noticed　the　change　in　her。　　She

was　larger；　heavier；　more　grown…up。　　Her　lines　were

rounder；　her　muscles　fuller；　and　there　was　about　her

that　indefinite　something　of　maturity　that　was　new　to

her　and　that　incited　me　on。　　Three　years　she　had　been

gonethree　years　at　the　very　least；　and　the　change　in

her　was　marked。　　I　say　three　years；　it　is　as　near　as　I

can　measure　the　time。　　A　fourth　year　may　have　elapsed；

which　I　have　confused　with　the　happenings　of　the　other

three　years。　　The　more　I　think　of　it；　the　more

confident　I　am　that　it　must　be　four　years　that　she　was

away。



Where　she　went；　why　she　went；　and　what　happened　to　her

during　that　time；　I　do　not　know。　　There　was　no　way　for

her　to　tell　me；　any　more　than　there　was　a　way　for

Lop…Ear　and　me　to　tell　the　Folk　what　we　had　seen　when

we　were　away。　　Like　us；　the　chance　is　she　had　gone　off

on　an　adventure…journey；　and　by　herself。　　On　the　other

hand；　it　is　possible　that　Red…Eye　may　have　been　the

cause　of　her　going。　　It　is　quite　certain　that　he　must

have　come　upon　her　from　time　to　time；　wandering　in　the

woods；　and　if　he　had　pursued　her　there　is　no　question

but　that　it　would　have　been　sufficient　to　drive　her

away。　　From　subsequent　events；　I　am　led　to　believe　that

she　must　have　travelled　far　to　the　south；　across　a

range　of　mountains　and　down　to　the　banks　of　a　strange

river；　away　from　any　of　her　kind。　　Many　Tree　People

lived　down　there；　and　I　think　it　must　have　been　they

who　finally　drove　her　back　to　the　horde　and　to　me。　　My

reasons　for　this　I　shall　explain　later。



The　shadows　grew　longer；　and　I　pursued　more　ardently

than　ever；　and　still　I　could　not　catch　her。　　She　made

believe　that　she　was　trying　desperately　to　escape　me；

and　all　the　time　she　managed　to　keep　just　beyond　reach。

I　forgot　everythingtime；　the　oncoming　of　night；　and

my　meat…eating　enemies。　　I　was　insane　with　love　of　her；