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第26章

before adam-第26章

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Behind the Fire People I could see the little wizened

old hunter directing it all。  They obeyed him; and went

here and there at his commands。  Some of them went into

the forest and returned with loads of dry wood; leaves;

and grass。  All the Fire People drew in closer。  While

most of them stood by with bows and arrows; ready to

shoot any of the Folk that exposed themselves; several

of the Fire…Men heaped the dry grass and wood at the

mouths of the lower tier of caves。  Out of these heaps

they conjured the monster we fearedFIRE。  At first;

wisps of smoke arose and curled up the cliff。  Then I

could see the red…tongued flames darting in and out

through the wood like tiny snakes。  The smoke grew

thicker and thicker; at times shrouding the whole face

of the cliff。  But I was high up and it did not bother

me much; though it stung my eyes and I rubbed them with

my knuckles。



Old Marrow…Bone was the first to be smoked out。  A

light fan of air drifted the smoke away at the time so

that I saw clearly。  He broke out through the smoke;

stepping on a burning coal and screaming with the

sudden hurt of it; and essayed to climb up the cliff。

The arrows showered about him。  He came to a pause on a

ledge; clutching a knob of rock for support; gasping

and sneezing and shaking his head。  He swayed back and

forth。  The feathered ends of a dozen arrows were

sticking out of him。  He was an old man; and he did not

want to die。  He swayed wider and wider; his knees

giving under him; and as he swayed he wailed most

plaintively。  His hand released its grip and he lurched

outward to the fall。  His old bones must have been

sadly broken。  He groaned and strove feebly to rise;

but a Fire…Man rushed in upon him and brained him with

a club。



And as it happened with Marrow…Bone; so it happened

with many of the Folk。  Unable to endure the

smoke…suffocation; they rushed out to fall beneath the

arrows。  Some of the women and children remained in the

caves to strangle to death; but the majority met death

outside。



When the Fire…Men had in this fashion cleared the first

tier of caves; they began making arrangements to

duplicate the operation on the second tier of caves。

It was while they were climbing up with their grass and

wood; that Red…Eye; followed by his wife; with the baby

holding to her tightly; made a successful flight up the

cliff。  The Fire…Men must have concluded that in the

interval between the smoking…out operations we would

remain in our caves; so that they were unprepared; and

their arrows did not begin to fly till Red…Eye and his

wife were well up the wall。  When he reached the top;

he turned about and glared down at them; roaring and

beating his chest。  They arched their arrows at him;

and though he was untouched he fled on。



I watched a third tier smoked out; and a fourth。  A few

of the Folk escaped up the cliff; but most of them were

shot off the face of it as they strove to climb。  I

remember Long…Lip。  He got as far as my ledge; crying

piteously; an arrow clear through his chest; the

feathered shaft sticking out behind; the bone head

sticking out before; shot through the back as he

climbed。  He sank down on my ledge bleeding profusely

at the mouth。



It was about this time that the upper tiers seemed to

empty themselves spontaneously。  Nearly all the Folk

not yet smoked out stampeded up the cliff at the same

time。  This was the saving of many。  The Fire People

could not shoot arrows fast enough。  They filled the

air with arrows; and scores of the stricken Folk came

tumbling down; but still there were a few who reached

the top and got away。



The impulse of flight was now stronger in me than

curiosity。  The arrows had ceased flying。  The last of

the Folk seemed gone; though there may have been a few

still hiding in the upper caves。 The Swift One and I

started to make a scramble for the cliff…top。 At sight

of us a great cry went up from the Fire People。  This

was not caused by me; but by the Swift One。  They were

chattering excitedly and pointing her out to one

another。  They did not try to shoot her。  Not an arrow

was discharged。  They began calling softly and

coaxingly。  I stopped and looked down。  She was afraid;

and whimpered and urged me on。  So we went up over the

top and plunged into the trees。



This event has often caused me to wonder and speculate。

If she were really of their kind; she must have been

lost from them at a time when she was too young to

remember; else would she not have been afraid of them。

On the other hand; it may well have been that while she

was their kind she had never been lost from them; that

she had been born in the wild forest far from their

haunts; her father maybe a renegade Fire…Man; her

mother maybe one of my own kind; one of the Folk。  But

who shall say? These things are beyond me; and the

Swift One knew no more about them than did I。



We lived through a day of terror。  Most of the

survivors fled toward the blueberry swamp and took

refuge in the forest in that neighborhood。  And all day

hunting parties of the Fire People ranged the forest;

killing us wherever they found us。  It must have been a

deliberately executed plan。  Increasing beyond the

limits of their own territory; they had decided on

making a conquest of ours。  Sorry the conquest! We had

no chance against them。  It was slaughter;

indiscriminate slaughter; for they spared none; killing

old and young; effectively ridding the land of our

presence。



It was like the end of the world to us。  We fled to the

trees as a last refuge; only to be surrounded and

killed; family by family。 We saw much of this during

that day; and besides; I wanted to see。 The Swift One

and I never remained long in one tree; and so escaped

being surrounded。  But there seemed no place to go。

The Fire…Men were everywhere; bent on their task of

extermination。 Every way we turned we encountered them;

and because of this we saw much of their handiwork。



I did not see what became of my mother; but I did see

the Chatterer shot down out of the old home…tree。  And

I am afraid that at the sight I did a bit of joyous

teetering。  Before I leave this portion of my

narrative; I must tell of Red…Eye。  He was caught with

his wife in a tree down by the blueberry swamp。  The

Swift One and I stopped long enough in our flight to

see。  The Fire…Men were too intent upon their work to

notice us; and; furthermore; we were well screened by

the thicket in which we crouched。



Fully a score of the hunters were under the tree;

discharging arrows into it。  They always picked up

their arrows when they fell back to earth。  I could not

see Red…Eye; but I could hear him howling from

somewhere in the tree。



After a short interval his howling grew muffled。  He

must have crawled into a hollow in the trunk。  But his

wife did not win this shelter。  An arrow brought her to

the ground。  She was severely hurt; for she made no

effort to get away。  She crouched in a sheltering way

over her baby (which clung tightly to her); and made

pleading signs and sounds to the Fire…Men。  They

gathered about her and laughed at hereven as Lop…Ear

and I had laughed at the old Tree…Man。  And even as we

had poked him with twigs and sticks; so did the

Fire…Men with Red…Eye's wife。  They poked her with the

ends of their bows; and prodded her in the ribs。  But

she was poor fun。  She would not fight。  Nor; for that

matter; would she get angry。  She continued to crouch

over her baby and to plead。  One of the Fire…Men

stepped close to her。  In his hand was a club。  She saw

and understood; but she made only the pleading sounds

until the blow fell。



Red…Eye; in the hollow of the trunk; was safe from

their arrows。 They stood together and debated for a

while; then one of them climbed into the tree。  What

happened up there I could not tell; but I heard him

yell and 

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