gs.earthabides-第75节

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eathers。　By　feeling；　however；　he　could　tell　that　they　were　arranged　carefully　so　that　the　arrow　in　flight　would　spin　like　a　rifle…bullet；　and　thus　keep　its　true　course　and　carry　farther。　
　　Then　he　observed　the　arrowhead；　again　more　by　feel　than　by　sight。　The　arrowhead　was　very　sharp　both　at　the　point　and　along　the　edges。　Ish　nearly　pricked　his　thumb。　It　had　the　bumpy　yet　slick　feel　which　told　him　that　it　was　of　hammered　metal。　Though　he　could　not　see　very　clearly；　he　made　the　color　out　as　silvery…white。　
　　〃What　is　that　made　of？〃　he　asked。　
　　〃It　is　from　one　of　the　little　round　things。　They　have　faces　on　them。　The　old　men　have　a　name　for　them；　but　I　do　not　remember　exactly。　It　is　something　like　corns。〃　
　　The　young　man　paused；　as　if　to　be　told　the　right　word；　but　when　he　had　no　reply；　he　went　on　again；　being　obviously　eager　to　show　off　his　knowledge　about　arrowheads。　
　　〃We　find　these　little　round　things　in　the　old　buildings。　Often　there　are　many…many…of　them　in　the　boxes　and　drawers。　Sometimes　they　are　rolled　up　together　in　bundles　like　short　round　sticks；　but　heavier　than　sticks。　Some　are　red　and　some　are　white；　like　this　one；　and　there　are　two　kinds　of　the　white。　The　one　kind　of　white…the　one　that　has　the　picture　of　the　hump…backed　bull…we　do　not　use　those　because　they　are　harder　to　pound。〃　
　　Ish　considered；　and　thought　that　he　understood。　
　　〃And　this　white　one　here？〃　he　asked。　〃Was　there　a　relief…picture…on　this　one？〃　
　　The　young　man　took　the　arrow　from　Ish；　and　looked　at　it；　and　then　handed　it　back。　
　　〃They　all　have　pictures；〃　he　said。　〃But　I　was　looking　to　see　if　I　could　still　make　out　what　picture　was　on　this　one。　It　has　not　quite　all　gone　because　of　the　hammering。　This　was　one　of　the　littlest　ones；　and　it　had　the　picture　of　the　woman　with　the　wings　growing　out　of　her　head。　Some　of　them　have　pictures　of　hawks…but　not　real　hawks。〃　The　young　man　was　talking　very　happily。　〃Others　have　men；　at　least；　they　look　like　men…one　with　a　beard；　and　one　with　long　hair　hanging　behind　him　and　another　with　a　strong…looking　face；　without　a　beard　and　with　short　hair；　and　heavy…jawed。〃　
　　〃And　who…who　do　you　think…were　all　these　men？〃　
　　The　young　man　glanced　both　ways；　as　if　a　little　nervous。　
　　〃These…oh；　these…yes！　These；　we　think…as　you　yourself；　Ish；　well　know…these　were　the　Old　Ones　that　were　before　our　Old　Ones！〃　
　　When　there　was　no　thunder　from　heaven　and　when　the　young　man　could　see　that　Ish　was　not　displeased；　he　went　on：　
　　〃Yes；　that　must　be　it…as　you　yourself；　Ish；　well　know。　These　men；　and　the　hawks；　and　the　bull！　Perhaps　the　woman　with　the　wings　growing　from　her　head　sprang　from　the　marriage　of　a　hawk　and　a　woman。　But；　however　it　is；　they　do　not　seem　to　mind　our　taking　their　pictures　and　hammering　them　up　for　arrowheads。　I　have　wondered　about　it。　Perhaps　they　are　too　great　to　care　about　little　things；　or　perhaps　they　did　their　work　a　long　time　ago　and　have　now　grown　old　and　weak。　
　　He　stopped　talking；　but　Ish　could　see　that　he　was　pleased　with　himself；　and　liked　to　talk；　and　was　thinking　quickly　of　something　more　to　say。　He；　at　least；　had　imagination。　
　　〃Yes；〃　the　young　man　continued；　〃I　have　an　idea。　Our　Old　Ones…they　were　the　Americans…made　the　houses　and　bridges　and　the　little　round　things　that　we　hammer　out　for　arrowheads。　But　those　others…the　Old　Ones　of　the　Old　Ones…perhaps　they　made　the　hills　and　the　sun；　and　the　Americans　themselves。〃　
　　Then；　though　it　was　a　cheap　trick　to　play　on　the　young　man；　Ish　could　not　resist　talking　in　double　meaning。　
　　〃Yes；〃　he　said；　〃I　have　heard　it　said　that　those　older　Old　Ones　produced　the　Americans…but　I　rather　doubt　that　they　made　the　hills　and　the　sun。〃　
　　Though　he　could　not　have　understood；　perhaps　the　young　man　caught　the　irony　in　the　tone；　and　so　said　nothing。　
　　〃But；　go　on；〃　Ish　continued　then。　〃Tell　me　more　about　the　arrowheads　themselves。　I　am　not　interested　in　your　cosmogony。〃　He　used　the　last　word　in　good…humored　malice；　knowing　that　the　other　would　not　understand　it；　but　would　be　impressed　by　its　length　and　strange　sound。　
　　〃Yes；　about　the　arrowheads；〃　the　young　man　said；　hesitating　a　moment；　and　then　regaining　confidence。　〃We　use　both　the　red　and　the　white。　The　red　are　good　for　shooting　cattle　and　lions。　The　white　are　for　deer　and　other　game。〃　
　　〃Why　is　that？〃　Ish　asked　sharply；　for　he　felt　his　old…time　rationalism　stirring　at　the　thought　of　all　such　magic　and　hocus…pocus。　The　question；　however；　seemed　only　to　surprise　and　confuse　the　young　man。　
　　〃Why？〃　he　asked。　〃Why？　How　could　anyone　know　why？　Except　you　yourself；　Ish！　This　matter　of　the　red　and　white　arrowheads　is　merely　something　that　is。　It　is　like…〃　He　hesitated；　and　then　the　sunlight　seemed　to　catch　his　attention。　〃Yes；　it　is　like　the　sun　that　keeps　on　going　round　the　earth；　but　naturally　no　one　knows　why；　or　asks　why。　Why　should　there　be　a　why？〃　
　　Having　said　these　last　words；　the　young　man　was　obviously　very　pleased　with　himself　as　if　he　had　propounded　some　great　philosophical　dictum；　although　undoubtedly　he　had　spoken　only　in　great　simplicity。　But　when　Ish　turned　the　matter　over　in　his　mind；　he　was　not　sure。　Perhaps　even　in　this　simplicity　there　was　a　depth。　Was　there　ever　an　answer　to　〃why〃？　Did　not　things　just　exist　in　the　present？　
　　Yet；　Ish　was　certain；　a　fallacy　lurked　somewhere　in　the　argument。　A　sense　of　cause…and…effect　was　necessary　for　the　life　at　the　human　level；　and　this　matter　of　the　different…colored　arrowheads　was　a　proof　of　it；　not　the　contrary。　Only；　the　sense　of　causation　here　was　faulty　and　irrational。　The　young　man　was　maintaining　an　absurdity…that　cattle　and　lions　could　be　better　killed　with　copper　arrowheads　hammered　from　pennies；　whereas　deer　were　better　killed　with　silver　ones　hammered　from　dimes　or　quarters。　Yet　there　could　obviously　not　be　enough　difference　in　hardness　or　sharpness　to　matter。　Only；　in　these　primitive　minds；　the　secondary　matter　of　color　had　in　some　way　e　to　be　considered…this　was　rank　superstition！…the　determining　factor。　
　　Deep　within　him；　Ish　again　felt　his　old　hatred　of　loose　thinking　boil　up。　Though　he　was　an　old　man；　still　he　might　do　something。　
　　〃No！〃　he　said；　so　sharply　that　the　young　man　started。　〃No！　That　is　not　right。　The　white　arrowheads　and　the　red！　One　just　as　well　as。。。。〃　
　　Then；　slowly　his　voice　trailed　off。　No；　he　thought；　that　was　not　the　way　it　was　destined　to　be。　He　heard　a　rich　contralto　voice　saying　to　him；　〃Relax！〃　Perhaps　he　might　persuade　this　young　man　named　Jack；　who　was　undoubtedly　a　remarkably　intelligent　and　imaginative　young　man；　possibly　even　somewhat　like　that　little　one　named　Joey。　But　what　would　it　acplish？　Only；　perhaps　to　make　the　young　man　confused　and　ill　at　ease　among　all　the　others。　And　what　was　really　the　difference？　At　least；　copper　arrowheads　were　not　less　effective　against　lions；　and　if　the　bowman　thought　them　more　effective；　the　thought　gave　him　courage　and　steadied　his　hand。　
　　So　Ish　said　nothing　more　about　the　matter；　and　smiled　at　the　young　man　reassuringly；　and　looked　again　at　the　arrow。　Another　thought　came　to　him；　and　he　asked：　
　　〃Can　you　always　find　plenty　of　those　little　round　things？〃　
　　The　young　man　laughed　merrily；　as　if　this　were　a　strange　question。　
　　〃Oh；　yes；〃　he　said。　〃There　are　so　many　that　if　all　of　us　spent　all　our　time　pounding　out　arrowheads；　still　we　should　never　run　short。〃　
　　Ish　considered。　Yes；　that　was　probably　true。　Even　if　there　were　a　hundred　men　in　The　Tribe　by　now；　there　must　be　thousands　and　thousands　of　coins　readily　to　be　found　in　tills　and　cash…boxes；　even　in　this　one　corner　of　the　city。　And　if　the　coins　should　be　exhausted；　there　would　be　thousands　of　miles　of　copper　telephone　wire。　When　he　had　first　made　an　arrow；　he　recollected；　he　had　imagined　that　The　Tribe　would　revert　to　stone　arrowheads。　Instead　they　had　taken　a　short…cut；　and　were　already　fashioning　metal。　So　perhaps　The　Tribe；　his　own　descendants；　had　already　passed　the　turning…point；　were　no　longer　forgetting　more　old　things　than　they　were　learning　new　things；　and　were　no　longer　sinking　toward　savagery；　but　were　maintaining　a　stable　level　or　perhaps　gradually　beginning　to　win　new　security。　By　showing　them　how　to　make　bows；　he　had　helped；　and　he　felt　greatly　forted。　
　　Then；　having　finished　looking　at　the　arrow；　Ish　handed　it　back。　〃It　seems　to　be　a　very　good　arrow；〃　he　said；　although　he　did　not　really　know　much　about　arrows。　
　　Nevertheless　the　young　man　smiled　with　great　happiness　at　this　praise　of　his　arrow；　and　Ish　noted　that　he　made　a　mark　on　it　before　he　put　it　back　into　the　quiver；　as　if　he　wished　to　know　it　and　distinguish　it　from　other　arrows　after　what　had　happened。　Then；　as　he　still　looked　at　the　young　man；　Ish　felt　a　sudden　great　love　for　him；　and　he　had　not　been　so　moved　for　a　long　time　since　he　had　been　sitting　as　an　old　man　on　the　hillside。　This　Jack；　who　was　of　the　First　Ones；　must　be　Ish's　great…grandson　in　the　male　line；　and　he　was　also　Em's　great…grandson。　So；　as　Ish　looked；　his　heart　yearned　outwards；　and　he　asked　a　strange　question：　
　　〃Young　man；〃　he　said；　〃are　you　happy？〃　The　young　man　named　Jack　looked　startled　at　this　question；　and　he　glanced　in　both　directions　before　answering；　and　then