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