before adam-第7章

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！



strong　impression　is　of　hunting　little　lizards　on　the

rocky　top　of　an　open　knoll。　　They　ran　under　the　rocks；

and　most　of　them　escaped；　but　occasionally　I　turned

over　a　stone　and　caught　one。　　I　was　frightened　away

from　this　knoll　by　snakes。　　They　did　not　pursue　me。

They　were　merely　basking　on　flat　rocks　in　the　sun。　　But

such　was　my　inherited　fear　of　them　that　I　fled　as　fast

as　if　they　had　been　after　me。



Then　I　gnawed　bitter　bark　from　young　trees。　　I　remember

vaguely　the　eating　of　many　green　nuts；　with　soft　shells

and　milky　kernels。　And　I　remember　most　distinctly

suffering　from　a　stomach…ache。　　It　may　have　been　caused

by　the　green　nuts；　and　maybe　by　the　lizards。　I　do　not

know。　　But　I　do　know　that　I　was　fortunate　in　not　being

devoured　during　the　several　hours　I　was　knotted　up　on

the　ground　with　the　colic。







CHAPTER　V





My　vision　of　the　scene　came　abruptly；　as　I　emerged　from

the　forest。　　I　found　myself　on　the　edge　of　a　large

clear　space。　　On　one　side　of　this　space　rose　up　high

bluffs。　　On　the　other　side　was　the　river。　　The　earth

bank　ran　steeply　down　to　the　water；　but　here　and　there；

in　several　places；　where　at　some　time　slides　of　earth

had　occurred；　there　were　run…ways。　　These　were　the

drinking…places　of　the　Folk　that　lived　in　the　caves。



And　this　was　the　main　abiding…place　of　the　Folk　that　I

had　chanced　upon。　　This　was；　I　may　say；　by　stretching

the　word；　the　village。　My　mother　and　the　Chatterer　and

I；　and　a　few　other　simple　bodies；　were　what　might　be

termed　suburban　residents。　　We　were　part　of　the　horde；

though　we　lived　a　distance　away　from　it。　　It　was　only　a

short　distance；　though　it　had　taken　me；　what　of　my

wandering；　all　of　a　week　to　arrive。　Had　I　come

directly；　I　could　have　covered　the　trip　in　an　hour。



But　to　return。　　From　the　edge　of　the　forest　I　saw　the

caves　in　the　bluff；　the　open　space；　and　the　run…ways　to

the　drinking…places。　And　in　the　open　space　I　saw　many

of　the　Folk。　　I　had　been　straying；　alone　and　a　child；

for　a　week。　　During　that　time　I　had　seen　not　one　of　my

kind。　　I　had　lived　in　terror　and　desolation。　And　now；

at　the　sight　of　my　kind；　I　was　overcome　with　gladness；

and　I　ran　wildly　toward　them。



Then　it　was　that　a　strange　thing　happened。　　Some　one　of

the　Folk　saw　me　and　uttered　a　warning　cry。　　On　the

instant；　crying　out　with　fear　and　panic；　the　Folk　fled

away。　　Leaping　and　scrambling　over　the　rocks；　they

plunged　into　the　mouths　of　the　caves　and

disappeared。。。all　but　one；　a　little　baby；　that　had　been

dropped　in　the　excitement　close　to　the　base　of　the

bluff。　　He　was　wailing　dolefully。　　His　mother　dashed

out；　he　sprang　to　meet　her　and　held　on　tightly　as　she

scrambled　back　into　the　cave。



I　was　all　alone。　　The　populous　open　space　had　of　a

sudden　become　deserted。　　I　sat　down　forlornly　and

whimpered。　　I　could　not　understand。　　Why　had　the　Folk

run　away　from　me？　In　later　time；　when　I　came　to　know

their　ways；　I　was　to　learn。　　When　they　saw　me　dashing

out　of　the　forest　at　top　speed　they　concluded　that　I

was　being　pursued　by　some　hunting　animal。　　By　my

unceremonious　approach　I　had　stampeded　them。



As　I　sat　and　watched　the　cave…mouths　I　became　aware

that　the　Folk　were　watching　me。　　Soon　they　were

thrusting　their　heads　out。　　A　little　later　they　were

calling　back　and　forth　to　one　another。　　In　the　hurry

and　confusion　it　had　happened　that　all　had　not　gained

their　own　caves。　　Some　of　the　young　ones　had　sought

refuge　in　other　caves。　　The　mothers　did　not　call　for

them　by　name；　because　that　was　an　invention　we　had　not

yet　made。　　All　were　nameless。　The　mothers　uttered

querulous；　anxious　cries；　which　were　recognized　by　the

young　ones。　　Thus；　had　my　mother　been　there　calling　to

me；　I　should　have　recognized　her　voice　amongst　the

voices　of　a　thousand　mothers；　and　in　the　same　way　would

she　have　recognized　mine　amongst　a　thousand。



This　calling　back　and　forth　continued　for　some　time；

but　they　were　too　cautious　to　come　out　of　their　caves

and　descend　to　the　ground。　Finally　one　did　come。　　He

was　destined　to　play　a　large　part　in　my　life；　and　for

that　matter　he　already　played　a　large　part　in　the　lives

of　all　the　members　of　the　horde。　　He　it　was　whom　I

shall　call　Red…Eye　in　the　pages　of　this　historyso

called　because　of　his　inflamed　eyes；　the　lids　being

always　red；　and；　by　the　peculiar　effect　they　produced；

seeming　to　advertise　the　terrible　savagery　of　him。　　The

color　of　his　soul　was　red。



He　was　a　monster　in　all　ways。　　Physically　he　was　a

giant。　　He　must　have　weighed　one　hundred　and　seventy

pounds。　　He　was　the　largest　one　of　our　kind　I　ever　saw。

Nor　did　I　ever　see　one　of　the　Fire　People　so　large　as

he；　nor　one　of　the　Tree　People。　　Sometimes；　when　in　the

newspapers　I　happen　upon　descriptions　of　our　modern

bruisers　and　prizefighters；　I　wonder　what　chance　the

best　of　them　would　have　had　against　him。



I　am　afraid　not　much　of　a　chance。　　With　one　grip　of　his

iron　fingers　and　a　pull；　he　could　have　plucked　a

muscle；　say　a　biceps；　by　the　roots；　clear　out　of　their

bodies。　　A　back…handed；　loose　blow　of　his　fist　could

have　smashed　their　skulls　like　egg…shells。　With　a　sweep

of　his　wicked　feet　（or　hind…hands）　he　could　have

disembowelled　them。　　A　twist　could　have　broken　their

necks；　and　I　know　that　with　a　single　crunch　of　his　jaws

he　could　have　pierced；　at　the　same　moment；　the　great

vein　of　the　throat　in　front　and　the　spinal　marrow　at

the　back。



He　could　spring　twenty　feet　horizontally　from　a　sitting

position。　He　was　abominably　hairy。　　It　was　a　matter　of

pride　with　us　to　be　not　very　hairy。　　But　he　was　covered

with　hair　all　over；　on　the　inside　of　the　arms　as　well

as　the　outside；　and　even　the　ears　themselves。　　The　only

places　on　him　where　the　hair　did　not　grow　were　the

soles　of　his　hands　and　feet　and　beneath　his　eyes。　　He

was　frightfully　ugly；　his　ferocious　grinning　mouth　and

huge　down…hanging　under…lip　being　but　in　harmony　with

his　terrible　eyes。



This　was　Red…Eye。　　And　right　gingerly　he　crept　out　or

his　cave　and　descended　to　the　ground。　　Ignoring　me；　he

proceeded　to　reconnoitre。　　He　bent　forward　from　the

hips　as　he　walked；　and　so　far　forward　did　he　bend；　and

so　long　were　his　arms；　that　with　every　step　he　touched

the　knuckles　of　his　hands　to　the　ground　on　either　side

of　him。　　He　was　awkward　in　the　semi…erect　position　of

walking　that　he　assumed；　and　he　really　touched　his

knuckles　to　the　ground　in　order　to　balance　himself。

But　oh；　I　tell　you　he　could　run　on　all…fours！　Now　this

was　something　at　which　we　were　particularly　awkward。

Furthermore；　it　was　a　rare　individual　among　us　who

balanced　himself　with　his　knuckles　when　walking。　　Such

an　individual　was　an　atavism；　and　Red…Eye　was　an　even

greater　atavism。



That　is　what　he　wasan　atavism。　　We　were　in　the

process　of　changing　our　tree…life　to　life　on　the

ground。　　For　many　generations　we　had　been　going　through

this　change；　and　our　bodies　and　carriage　had　likewise

changed。　　But　Red…Eye　had　reverted　to　the　more

primitive　tree…dwelling　type。　　Perforce；　because　he　was

born　in　our　horde　he　stayed　with　us；　but　in　actuality

he　was　an　atavism　and　his　place　was　elsewhere。



Very　circumspect　and　very　alert；　he　moved　here　and

there　about　the　open　space；　peering　through　the　vistas

among　the　trees　and　trying　to　catch　a　glimpse　of　the

hunting　animal　that　all　suspected　had　pursued　me。　　And

while　he　did　this；　taking　no　notice　of　me；　the　Folk

crowded　at　the　cave…mouths　and　watched。



At　last　he　evidently　decided　that　there　was　no　danger

lurking　about。　　He　was　returning　from　the　head　of　the

run…way；　from　where　he　had　taken　a　peep　down　at　the

drinking…place。　　His　course　brought　him　near；　but　still

he　did　not　notice　me。　　He　proceeded　casually　on　his　way

until　abreast　of　me；　and　then；　without　warning　and　with

incredible　swiftness；　he　smote　me　a　buffet　on　the　head。

I　was　knocked　backward　fully　a　dozen　feet　before　I

fetched　up　against　the　ground；　a