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down to the water; where a log had grounded in an eddy。
I thought he was minded to play; as we had played in
the mouth of the slough。 Nor did I change my mind as I
watched him tow up a second log from farther down the
shore。
It was not until we were on the logs; side by side and
holding them together; and had paddled out into the
current; that I learned his intention。 He paused to
point at the far shore; and resumed his paddling; at
the same time uttering loud and encouraging cries。 I
understood; and we paddled energetically。 The swift
current caught us; flung us toward the south shore; but
before we could make a landing flung us back toward the
north shore。
Here arose dissension。 Seeing the north shore so near;
I began to paddle for it。 Lop…Ear tried to paddle for
the south shore。 The logs swung around in circles; and
we got nowhere; and all the time the forest was
flashing past as we drifted down the stream。 We could
not fight。 We knew better than to let go the grips of
hands and feet that held the logs together。 But we
chattered and abused each other with our tongues until
the current flung us toward the south bank again。 That
was now the nearest goal; and together and amicably we
paddled for it。 We landed in an eddy; and climbed
directly into the trees to reconnoitre。
CHAPTER XIII
It was not until the night of our first day on the
south bank of the river that we discovered the Fire
People。 What must have been a band of wandering
hunters went into camp not far from the tree in which
Lop…Ear and I had elected to roost for the night。 The
voices of the Fire People at first alarmed us; but
later; when darkness had come; we were attracted by the
fire。 We crept cautiously and silently from tree to
tree till we got a good view of the scene。
In an open space among the trees; near to the river;
the fire was burning。 About it were half a dozen
Fire…Men。 Lop…Ear clutched me suddenly; and I could
feel him tremble。 I looked more closely; and saw the
wizened little old hunter who had shot Broken…Tooth out
of the tree years before。 When he got up and walked
about; throwing fresh wood upon the fire; I saw that he
limped with his crippled leg。 Whatever it was; it was
a permanent injury。 He seemed more dried up and
wizened than ever; and the hair on his face was quite
gray。
The other hunters were young men。 I noted; lying near
them on the ground; their bows and arrows; and I knew
the weapons for what they were。 The Fire…Men wore
animal skins around their waists and across their
shoulders。 Their arms and legs; however; were bare;
and they wore no footgear。 As I have said before; they
were not quite so hairy as we of the Folk。 They did
not have large heads; and between them and the Folk
there was very little difference in the degree of the
slant of the head back from the eyes。
They were less stooped than we; less springy in their
movements。 Their backbones and hips and knee…joints
seemed more rigid。 Their arms were not so long as ours
either; and I did not notice that they ever balanced
themselves when they walked; by touching the ground on
either side with their hands。 Also; their muscles were
more rounded and symmetrical than ours; and their faces
were more pleasing。 Their nose orifices opened
downward; likewise the bridges of their noses were more
developed; did not look so squat nor crushed as ours。
Their lips were less flabby and pendent; and their
eye…teeth did not look so much like fangs。 However;
they were quite as thin…hipped as we; and did not weigh
much more。 Take it all in all; they were less different
from us than were we from the Tree People。 Certainly;
all three kinds were related; and not so remotely
related at that。
The fire around which they sat was especially
attractive。 Lop…Ear and I sat for hours; watching the
flames and smoke。 It was most fascinating when fresh
fuel was thrown on and showers of sparks went flying
upward。 I wanted to come closer and look at the fire;
but there was no way。 We were crouching in the forks
of a tree on the edge of the open space; and we did not
dare run the risk of being discovered。
The Fire…Men squatted around the fire and slept with
their heads bowed forward on their knees。 They did not
sleep soundly。 Their ears twitched in their sleep; and
they were restless。 Every little while one or another
got up and threw more wood upon the fire。 About the
circle of light in the forest; in the darkness beyond;
roamed hunting animals。 Lop…Ear and I could tell them
by their sounds。 There were wild dogs and a hyena; and
for a time there was a great yelping and snarling that
awakened on the instant the whole circle of sleeping
Fire…Men。
Once a lion and a lioness stood beneath our tree and
gazed out with bristling hair and blinking eyes。 The
lion licked his chops and was nervous with eagerness;
as if he wanted to go forward and make a meal。 But the
lioness was more cautious。 It was she that discovered
us; and the pair stood and looked up at us; silently;
with twitching; scenting nostrils。 Then they growled;
looked once again at the fire; and turned away into the
forest。
For a much longer time Lop…Ear and I remained and
watched。 Now and again we could hear the crashing of
heavy bodies in the thickets and underbrush; and from
the darkness of the other side; across the circle; we
could see eyes gleaming in the firelight。 In the
distance we heard a lion roar; and from far off came
the scream of some stricken animal; splashing and
floundering in a drinking…place。 Also; from the river;
came a great grunting of rhinoceroses。
In the morning; after having had our sleep; we crept
back to the fire。 It was still smouldering; and the
Fire…Men were gone。 We made a circle through the
forest to make sure; and then we ran to the fire。 I
wanted to see what it was like; and between thumb and
finger I picked up a glowing coal。 My cry of pain and
fear; as I dropped it; stampeded Lop…Ear into the
trees; and his flight frightened me after him。
The next time we came back more cautiously; and we
avoided the glowing coals。 We fell to imitating the
Fire…Men。 We squatted down by the fire; and with heads
bent forward on our knees; made believe to sleep。 Then
we mimicked their speech; talking to each other in
their fashion and making a great gibberish。 I
remembered seeing the wizened old hunter poke the fire
with a stick。 I poked the fire with a stick; turning
up masses of live coals and clouds of white ashes。
This was great sport; and soon we were coated white
with the ashes。
It was inevitable that we should imitate the Fire…Men
in replenishing the fire。 We tried it first with small
pieces of wood。 It was a success。 The wood flamed up
and crackled; and we danced and gibbered with delight。
Then we began to throw on larger pieces of wood。 We
put on more and more; until we had a mighty fire。 We
dashed excitedly back and forth; dragging dead limbs
and branches from out the forest。 The flames soared
higher and higher; and the smoke…column out…towered the
trees。 There was a tremendous snapping and crackling
and roaring。 It was the most monumental work we had
ever effected with our hands; and we were proud of it。
We; too; were Fire…Men; we thought; as we danced there;
white gnomes in the conflagration。
The dried grass and underbrush caught fire; but we did
not notice it。 Suddenly a great tree on the edge of
the open space burst into flames。
We looked at it with startled eyes。 The heat of it
drove us back。 Another tree caught; and another; and
then half a dozen。 We were frightened。 The monster
had broken loose。 We crouched down in fear; while the
fire ate around the circle and hemmed us in。 Into
Lop…Ear's eyes came the plaintive look that always
accompanied incomprehension; and I know that in my eyes
must have been the same look。 We huddled; with our
arms around each other; until the heat began to reach
us and the odor of burning hair was in our nostrils。
Then we made a dash of it; and fled away westward
through the forest; looking back and laughing as we
ran。
By the middle of the day we came to a neck of land;
made; as we afterward discovered; by a great curve of
the river that almost completed a circle。 Right across
the neck lay bunched several low and partly wooded
hills。 Over these we climbed; looking backward at the
forest which had become a sea of flame that swept
eastward before a rising wind。 We continued to the
west; following the river bank; and before we knew it
we were in the midst of the abiding…place of the Fire
People。
This abiding…place was a splendid strategic selection。
It was a peninsula; protected on three sides by the
curving river。 On only one side was it accessible by