before adam-第22节

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！



have　torn　me　limb　from　limb。　　As　it　was；　to　my　death　I

carried　an　injured　shoulder　that　ached　and　went　lame　in

rainy　weather　and　that　was　a　mark　of　is　handiwork。



The　Swift　One　was　sick　at　the　time　I　received　this

injury。　　It　must　have　been　a　touch　of　the　malaria　from

which　we　sometimes　suffered；　but　whatever　it　was；　it

made　her　dull　and　heavy。　　She　did　not　have　the

accustomed　spring　to　her　muscles；　and　was　indeed　in

poor　shape　for　flight　when　Red…Eye　cornered　her　near

the　lair　of　the　wild　dogs；　several　miles　south　from　the

caves。　　Usually；　she　would　have　circled　around　him；

beaten　him　in　the　straight…away；　and　gained　the

protection　of　our　small…mouthed　cave。　　But　she　could

not　circle　him。　　She　was　too　dull　and　slow。　　Each　time

he　headed　her　off；　until　she　gave　over　the　attempt　and

devoted　her　energies　wholly　to　keeping　out　of　his

clutches。



Had　she　not　been　sick　it　would　have　been　child's　play

for　her　to　elude　him；　but　as　it　was；　it　required　all

her　caution　and　cunning。　It　was　to　her　advantage　that

she　could　travel　on　thinner　branches　than　he；　and　make

wider　leaps。　　Also；　she　was　an　unerring　judge　of

distance；　and　she　had　an　instinct　for　knowing　the

strength　of　twigs；　branches；　and　rotten　limbs。



It　was　an　interminable　chase。　　Round　and　round　and　back

and　forth　for　long　stretches　through　the　forest　they

dashed。　　There　was　great　excitement　among　the　other

Folk。　　They　set　up　a　wild　chattering；　that　was　loudest

when　Red…Eye　was　at　a　distance；　and　that　hushed　when

the　chase　led　him　near。　　They　were　impotent　onlookers。

The　females　screeched　and　gibbered；　and　the　males　beat

their　chests　in　helpless　rage。　　Big　Face　was　especially

angry；　and　though　he　hushed　his　racket　when　Red…Eye

drew　near；　he　did　not　hush　it　to　the　extent　the　others

did。



As　for　me；　I　played　no　brave　part。　　I　know　I　was

anything　but　a　hero。　　Besides；　of　what　use　would　it

have　been　for　me　to　encounter　Red…Eye？　He　was　the

mighty　monster；　the　abysmal　brute；　and　there　was　no

hope　for　me　in　a　conflict　of　strength。　　He　would　have

killed　me；　and　the　situation　would　have　remained

unchanged。　　He　would　have　caught　the　Swift　One　before

she　could　have　gained　the　cave。　　As　it　was；　I　could

only　look　on　in　helpless　fury；　and　dodge　out　of　the　way

and　cease　my　raging　when　he　came　too　near。



The　hours　passed。　　It　was　late　afternoon。　　And　still

the　chase　went　on。　　Red…Eye　was　bent　upon　exhausting

the　Swift　One。　　He　deliberately　ran　her　down。　　After　a

long　time　she　began　to　tire　and　could　no　longer

maintain　her　headlong　flight。　　Then　it　was　that　she

began　going　far　out　on　the　thinnest　branches；　where　he

could　not　follow。　　Thus　she　might　have　got　a　breathing

spell；　but　Red…Eye　was　fiendish。　　Unable　to　follow　her；

he　dislodged　her　by　shaking　her　off。　　With　all　his

strength　and　weight；　he　would　shake　the　branch　back　and

forth　until　he　snapped　her　off　as　one　would　snap　a　fly

from　a　whip…lash。　　The　first　time；　she　saved　herself　by

falling　into　branches　lower　down。　　Another　time；　though

they　did　not　save　her　from　the　ground；　they　broke　her

fall。　　Still　another　time；　so　fiercely　did　he　snap　her

from　the　branch；　she　was　flung　clear　across　a　gap　into

another　tree。　　It　was　remarkable；　the　way　she　gripped

and　saved　herself。　　Only　when　driven　to　it　did　she　seek

the　temporary　safety　of　the　thin　branches。　　But　she　was

so　tired　that　she　could　not　otherwise　avoid　him；　and

time　after　time　she　was　compelled　to　take　to　the　thin

branches。



Still　the　chase　went　on；　and　still　the　Folk　screeched；

beat　their　chests；　and　gnashed　their　teeth。　　Then　came

the　end。　　It　was　almost　twilight。　　Trembling；　panting；

struggling　for　breath；　the　Swift　One　clung　pitiably　to

a　high　thin　branch。　　It　was　thirty　feet　to　the　ground；

and　nothing　intervened。　　Red…Eye　swung　back　and　forth

on　the　branch　farther　down。　　It　became　a　pendulum；

swinging　wider　and　wider　with　every　lunge　of　his

weight。　　Then　he　reversed　suddenly；　just　before　the

downward　swing　was　completed。　Her　grips　were　torn

loose；　and；　screaming；　she　was　hurled　toward　the

ground。



But　she　righted　herself　in　mid…air　and　descended　feet

first。　Ordinarily；　from　such　a　height；　the　spring　in

her　legs　would　have　eased　the　shock　of　impact　with　the

ground。　　But　she　was　exhausted。　She　could　not　exercise

this　spring。　　Her　legs　gave　under　her；　having　only

partly　met　the　shock；　and　she　crashed　on　over　on　her

side。　　This；　as　it　turned　out；　did　not　injure　her；　but

it　did　knock　the　breath　from　her　lungs。　　She　lay

helpless　and　struggling　for　air。



Red…Eye　rushed　upon　her　and　seized　her。　　With　his

gnarly　fingers　twisted　into　the　hair　of　her　head；　he

stood　up　and　roared　in　triumph　and　defiance　at　the　awed

Folk　that　watched　from　the　trees。　Then　it　was　that　I

went　mad。　　Caution　was　thrown　to　the　winds；　forgotten

was　the　will　to　live　of　my　flesh。　　Even　as　Red…Eye

roared；　from　behind　I　dashed　upon　him。　　So　unexpected

was　my　charge　that　I　knocked　him　off　his　feet。　　I

twined　my　arms　and　legs　around　him　and　strove　to　hold

him　down。　　This　would　have　been　impossible　to

accomplish　had　he　not　held　tightly　with　one　hand　to　the

Swift　One's　hair。



Encouraged　by　my　conduct；　Big…Face　became　a　sudden

ally。　　He　charged　in；　sank　his　teeth　in　Red…Eye's　arm；

and　ripped　and　tore　at　his　face。　　This　was　the　time　for

the　rest　of　the　Folk　to　have　joined　in。　　It　was　the

chance　to　do　for　Red…Eye　for　all　time。　　But　they

remained　afraid　in　the　trees。



It　was　inevitable　that　Red…Eye　should　win　in　the

struggle　against　the　two　of　us。　　The　reason　he　did　not

finish　us　off　immediately　was　that　the　Swift　One

clogged　his　movements。　　She　had　regained　her　breath　and

was　beginning　to　resist。　　He　would　not　release　his

clutch　on　her　hair；　and　this　handicapped　him。　　He　got　a

grip　on　my　arm。　　It　was　the　beginning　of　the　end　for

me。　　He　began　to　draw　me　toward　him　into　a　position

where　he　could　sink　his　teeth　into　my　throat。　　His

mouth　was　open；　and　he　was　grinning。　　And　yet；　though

he　had　just　begun　to　exert　his　strength；　in　that　moment

he　wrenched　my　shoulder　so　that　I　suffered　from　it　for

the　remainder　of　my　life。



And　in　that　moment　something　happened。　　There　was　no

warning。　　A　great　body　smashed　down　upon　the　four　of　us

locked　together。　　We　were　driven　violently　apart　and

rolled　over　and　over；　and　in　the　suddenness　of　surprise

we　released　our　holds　on　one　another。　　At　the　moment　of

the　shock；　Big…Face　screamed　terribly。　　I　did　not　know

what　had　happened；　though　I　smelled　tiger　and　caught　a

glimpse　of　striped　fur　as　I　sprang　for　a　tree。



It　was　old　Saber…Tooth。　　Aroused　in　his　lair　by　the

noise　we　had　made；　he　had　crept　upon　us　unnoticed。　　The

Swift　One　gained　the　next　tree　to　mine；　and　I

immediately　joined　her。　　I　put　my　arms　around　her　and

held　her　close　to　me　while　she　whimpered　and　cried

softly。　　From　the　ground　came　a　snarling；　and　crunching

of　bones。　It　was　Saber…Tooth　making　his　supper　off　of

what　had　been　Big…Face。　　From　beyond；　with　inflamed

rims　and　eyes；　Red…Eye　peered　down。　　Here　was　a　monster

mightier　than　he。　　The　Swift　One　and　I　turned　and　went

away　quietly　through　the　trees　toward　the　cave；　while

the　Folk　gathered　overhead　and　showered　down　abuse　and

twigs　and　branches　upon　their　ancient　enemy。　　He　lashed

his　tail　and　snarled；　but　went　on　eating。



And　in　such　fashion　were　we　saved。　　It　was　a　mere

accidentthe　sheerest　accident。　　Else　would　I　have

died；　there　in　Red…Eye's　clutch；　and　there　would　have

been　no　bridging　of　time　to　the　tune　of　a　thousand

centuries　down　to　a　progeny　that　reads　newspapers　and

rides　on　electric　carsay；　and　that　writes　narratives

of　bygone　happenings　even　as　this　is　written。







CHAPTER　XVII



It　was　in　the　early　fall　of　the　following　year　that　it

happened。　After　his　failure　to　get　the　Swift　One；

Red…Eye　had　taken　another　wife；　and；　strange　to　relate；

she　was　still　alive。　　Stranger　still；　they　had　a　baby

several　months　oldRed…Eye's　first　child。　His　previous

wives　had　never　lived　long　enough　to　bear　him　children。

The　year　had　gone　well　for　all　of　us。　　The　weather　had

been　exceptionally　mild　and　food　plentiful。　　I　remember

especially　the　turnips　of　that　year。　　The　nut　crop　was

also　very　heavy；　and　the　wild　plums　were　larger　and

sweeter　than　usual。



In　short；　it　was　a　golden　year。　　And　then　it　happened。

It　was　in　the　early　morning；　and　we　were　surprised　in

our　caves。　　In　the　chill　gray　light　we　awoke　from

sleep；　most　of　us；　to　encounter　death。　　The　Swift　One

and　I　were　aroused　by　a　pandemonium　of　screeching　and

gibbering。　　Our　cave　was　the　highest　of　all　on　the

cliff；　and　we　crept　to　the　mouth　and　peered　down。　　The

open　space　was　filled　with　the　Fire　People。　　Their

cries　and　yells　were　added　to　the　clamor；　but　they　had

order　and　plan；　while　we　Folk　had　none。　　Each　one　of　us

fought　and　acted　for　himself；　and　no　one　of　us　knew　the

extent　of　the　cal