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第6节

before adam-第6节

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Chatterer。  He had set up a demoniacal chant of joy and

was keeping time to it with his teetering。  I quickly

hushed my whimpering。  I was no longer in the safety of

the trees; and I knew the danger I ran of bringing upon

myself the hunting animals by too audible an expression

of my grief。



I remember; as my sobs died down; that I became

interested in watching the strange light…effects

produced by partially opening and closing my tear…wet

eyelids。  Then I began to investigate; and found that I

was not so very badly damaged by my fall。  I had lost

some hair and hide; here and there; the sharp and

jagged end of a broken branch had thrust fully an inch

into my forearm; and my right hip; which had borne the

brunt of my contact with the ground; was aching

intolerably。  But these; after all; were only petty

hurts。  No bones were broken; and in those days the

flesh of man had finer healing qualities than it has

to…day。  Yet it was a severe fall; for I limped with my

injured hip for fully a week afterward。



Next; as I lay in the bushes; there came upon me a

feeling of desolation; a consciousness that I was

homeless。  I made up my mind never to return to my

mother and the Chatterer。  I would go far away through

the terrible forest; and find some tree for myself in

which to roost。  As for food; I knew where to find it。

For the last year at least I had not been beholden to

my mother for food。  All she had furnished me was

protection and guidance。



I crawled softly out through the bushes。  Once I looked

back and saw the Chatterer still chanting and

teetering。  It was not a pleasant sight。  I knew pretty

well how to be cautious; and I was exceedingly careful

on this my first journey in the world。



I gave no thought as to where I was going。  I had but

one purpose; and that was to go away beyond the reach

of the Chatterer。  I climbed into the trees and

wandered on amongst them for hours; passing from tree

to tree and never touching the ground。  But I did not

go in any particular direction; nor did I travel

steadily。 It was my nature; as it was the nature of all

my folk; to be inconsequential。  Besides; I was a mere

child; and I stopped a great deal to play by the way。



The events that befell me on my leaving home are very

vague in my mind。  My dreams do not cover them。  Much

has my other…self forgotten; and particularly at this

very period。  Nor have I been able to frame up the

various dreams so as to bridge the gap between my

leaving the home…tree and my arrival at the caves。



I remember that several times I came to open spaces。

These I crossed in great trepidation; descending to the

ground and running at the top of my speed。  I remember

that there were days of rain and days of sunshine; so

that I must have wandered alone for quite a time。  I

especially dream of my misery in the rain; and of my

sufferings from hunger and how I appeased it。  One very

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 r

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