before adam(亚当之前)-第15章
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neighborhood； and Lop…Ear played with these young people。
I could never get the Swift One to join with them。 Whenever I visited
them she dropped behind and disappeared。 I remember once making a
strong effort to persuade her。 But she cast backward； anxious glances；
then retreated； calling to me from a tree。 So it was that I did not make a
practice of accompanying Lop…Ear when he went to visit his new friends。
The Swift One and I were good comrades； but； try as I would； I could
never find her tree…shelter。 Undoubtedly； had nothing happened； we
would have soon mated； for our liking was mutual； but the something did
happen。
One morning； the Swift One not having put in an appearance； Lop…Ear
and I were down at the mouth of the slough playing on the logs。 We had
scarcely got out on the water； when we were startled by a roar of rage。 It
was Red…Eye。 He was crouching on the edge of the timber jam and
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glowering his hatred at us。 We were badly frightened； for here was no
narrow…mouthed cave for refuge。 But the twenty feet of water that
intervened gave us temporary safety； and we plucked up courage。
Red…Eye stood up erect and began beating his hairy chest with his fist。
Our two logs were side by side； and we sat on them and laughed at him。
At first our laughter was half…hearted； tinged with fear； but as we became
convinced of his impotence we waxed uproarious。 He raged and raged at
us； and ground his teeth in helpless fury。 And in our fancied security we
mocked and mocked him。 We were ever short…sighted； we Folk。
Red…Eye abruptly ceased his breast…beating and tooth…grinding； and
ran across the timber…jam to the shore。 And just as abruptly our
merriment gave way to consternation。 It was not Red…Eye's way to
forego revenge so easily。 We waited in fear and trembling for whatever
was to happen。 It never struck us to paddle away。 He came back with
great leaps across the jam； one huge hand filled with round； water…washed
pebbles。 I am glad that he was unable to find larger missiles； say stones
weighing two or three pounds； for we were no more than a score of feet
away； and he surely would have killed us。
As it was； we were in no small danger。 Zip！ A tiny pebble whirred
past with the force almost of a bullet。 Lop…Ear and I began paddling
frantically。 Whiz…zip…bang ！ Lop…Ear screamed with sudden anguish。 The
pebble had struck him between the shoulders。 Then I got one and yelled。
The only thing that saved us was the exhausting of Red…Eye's ammunition。
He dashed back to the gravel…bed for more； while Lop…Ear and I paddled
away。
Gradually we drew out of range； though Red…Eye continued making
trips for more ammunition and the pebbles continued to whiz about us。
Out in the centre of the slough there was a slight current； and in our
excitement we failed to notice that it was drifting us into the river。 We
paddled； and Red…Eye kept as close as he could to us by following along
the shore。 Then he discovered larger rocks。 Such ammunition
increased his range。 One fragment； fully five pounds in weight； crashed
on the log alongside of me； and such was its impact that it drove a score of
splinters； like fiery needles； into my leg。 Had it struck me it would have
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killed me。
And then the river current caught us。 So wildly were we paddling
that Red…Eye was the first to notice it； and our first warning was his yell of
triumph。 Where the edge of the current struck the slough…water was a
series of eddies or small whirlpools。 These caught our clumsy logs and
whirled them end for end； back and forth and around。 We quit paddling
and devoted our whole energy to holding the logs together alongside each
other。 In the meanwhile Red…Eye continued to bombard us； the rock
fragments falling about us； splashing water on us； and menacing our lives。
At the same time he gloated over us； wildly and vociferously。
It happened that there was a sharp turn in the river at the point where
the slough entered； and the whole main current of the river was deflected
to the other bank。 And toward that bank； which was the north bank； we
drifted rapidly； at the same time going down…stream。 This quickly took us
out of range of Red…Eye； and the last we saw of him was far out on a point
of land； where he was jumping up and down and chanting a paean of
victory。
Beyond holding the two logs together； Lop…Ear and I did nothing。 We
were resigned to our fate； and we remained resigned until we aroused to
the fact that we were drifting along the north shore not a hundred feet
away。 We began to paddle for it。 Here the main force of the current was
flung back toward the south shore； and the result of our paddling was that
we crossed the current where it was swiftest and narrowest。 Before we
were aware； we were out of it and in a quiet eddy。
Our logs drifted slowly and at last grounded gently on the bank。 Lop…
Ear and I crept ashore。 The logs drifted on out of the eddy and swept
away down the stream。 We looked at each other； but we did not laugh。
We were in a strange land； and it did not enter our minds that we could
return to our own land in the same manner that we had come。
We had learned how to cross a river； though we did not know it。 And
this was something that no one else of the Folk had ever done。 We were
the first of the Folk to set foot on the north bank of the river； and； for that
matter； I believe the last。 That they would have done so in the time to
come is undoubted； but the migration of the Fire People； and the
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consequent migration of the survivors of the Folk； set back our evolution
for centuries。
Indeed； there is no telling how disastrous was to be the outcome of the
Fire People's migration。 Personally； I am prone to believe that it brought
about the destruction of the Folk； that we； a branch of lower life budding
toward the human； were nipped short off and perished down by the roaring
surf where the river entered the sea。 Of course； in such an eventuality； I
remain to be accounted for； but I outrun my story； and such accounting
will be made before I am done。
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CHAPTER XII
I have no idea how long Lop…Ear and I wandered in the land north of
the river。 We were like mariners wrecked on a desert isle； so far as
concerned the likelihood of our getting home again。 We turned our backs
upon the river； and for weeks and months adventured in that wilderness
where there were no Folk。 It is very difficult for me to reconstruct our
journeying； and impossible to do it from day to day。 Most of it is hazy
and indistinct； though here and there I have vivid recollections of things
that happened。
Especially do I remember the hunger we endured on the mountains
between Long Lake and Far Lake； and the calf we caught sleeping in the
thicket。 Also； there are the Tree People who dwelt in the forest between
Long Lake and the mountains。 It was they who chased us into the
mountains and compelled us to travel on to Far Lake。
First； after we left the river； we worked toward the west till we came to
a small stream that flowed through marshlands。 Here we turned away
toward the north； skirting the marshes and after several days arriving at
what I have called Long Lake。 We spent some time around its upper end；
where we found food in plenty； and then； one day； in the forest； we ran
foul of the Tree People。 These creatures were ferocious apes； nothing
more。 And yet they were not so different from us。 They were more
hairy； it is true； their legs were a trifle more twisted and gnarly； their eyes
a bit smaller； their necks a bit thicker and shorter； and their nostrils slightly
more like orifices in a sunken surface； but they had no hair on their faces
and on the palms of their hands and the soles of their feet； and they made
sounds similar to ours with somewhat similar meanings。 After all； the
Tree People and the Folk were not so unlike。
I found him first； a little withered； dried…up old fellow； wrinkled…faced
and bleary…eyed and tottery。 He was legitimate prey。 In our world there
was no sympathy between the kinds； and he was not our kind。 He was a
Tree…Man； and he was very old。 He was sitting at the foot of a tree
evidently his tree； for we could see the tattered nest in the branches； in
which he slept at night。
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I pointed him out to Lop…Ear； and we made a rush for him。 He
started to climb； but was too slow。 I caught him by the leg and dragged
him back。 Then we had fun。 We pinched him； pulled his hair； tweaked
his ears； and poked twigs into him； and all the while we laughed with
streaming eyes。 His futile anger was most absurd。 He was a comical
sight； striving to fan into flame the cold ashes of his youth； to resurrect his
strength dead and gone through the oozing of the yearsmaking woful
faces in place of the ferocious ones he intended； grinding his worn teeth
together； beating his meagre chest with feeble fists。
Also； he had a cough； and he g
