before adam-第8节

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unsatisfied　and　angry。　　It　was　evident　that　his　night's

hunting　had　been　unsuccessful　and　that　he　had　expected

to　make　a　meal　off　of　us。　　He　caught　sight　of　the　two

Folk　at　the　other　cave…mouth　and　sprang　for　them。　　Of

course；　they　darted　through　the　passageway　into　the

first　cave。　　He　emerged　angrier　than　ever　and　snarling。



Pandemonium　broke　loose　amongst　the　rest　of　us。　　All　up

and　down　the　great　bluff；　we　crowded　the　crevices　and

outside　ledges；　and　we　were　all　chattering　and

shrieking　in　a　thousand　keys。　　And　we　were　all　making

facessnarling　faces；　this　was　an　instinct　with　us。

We　were　as　angry　as　Saber…Tooth；　though　our　anger　was

allied　with　fear。　　I　remember　that　I　shrieked　and　made

faces　with　the　best　of　them。　　Not　only　did　they　set　the

example；　but　I　felt　the　urge　from　within　me　to　do　the

same　things　they　were　doing。　　My　hair　was　bristling；

and　I　was　convulsed　with　a　fierce；　unreasoning　rage。



For　some　time　old　Saber…Tooth　continued　dashing　in　and

out　of　first　the　one　cave　and　then　the　other。　　But　the

two　Folk　merely　slipped　back　and　forth　through　the

connecting　crevice　and　eluded　him。　　In　the　meantime　the

rest　of　us　up　the　bluff　had　proceeded　to　action。　　Every

time　he　appeared　outside　we　pelted　him　with　rocks。　At

first　we　merely　dropped　them　on　him；　but　we　soon　began

to　whiz　them　down　with　the　added　force　of　our　muscles。



This　bombardment　drew　Saber…Tooth's　attention　to　us　and

made　him　angrier　than　ever。　　He　abandoned　his　pursuit

of　the　two　Folk　and　sprang　up　the　bluff　toward　the　rest

of　us；　clawing　at　the　crumbling　rock　and　snarling　as　he

clawed　his　upward　way。　　At　this　awful　sight；　the　last

one　of　us　sought　refuge　inside　our　caves。　　I　know　this；

because　I　peeped　out　and　saw　the　whole　bluff…side

deserted；　save　for　Saber…Tooth；　who　had　lost　his

footing　and　was　sliding　and　falling　down。



I　called　out　the　cry　of　encouragement；　and　again　the

bluff　was　covered　by　the　screaming　horde　and　the　stones

were　falling　faster　than　ever。　　Saber…Tooth　was　frantic

with　rage。　　Time　and　again　he　assaulted　the　bluff。

Once　he　even　gained　the　first　crevice…entrances　before

he　fell　back；　but　was　unable　to　force　his　way　inside。

With　each　upward　rush　he　made；　waves　of　fear　surged

over　us。　　At　first；　at　such　times；　most　of　us　dashed

inside；　but　some　remained　outside　to　hammer　him　with

stones；　and　soon　all　of　us　remained　outside　and　kept　up

the　fusillade。



Never　was　so　masterly　a　creature　so　completely　baffled。

It　hurt　his　pride　terribly；　thus　to　be　outwitted　by　the

small　and　tender　Folk。　　He　stood　on　the　ground　and

looked　up　at　us；　snarling；　lashing　his　tail；　snapping

at　the　stones　that　fell　near　to　him。　Once　I　whizzed

down　a　stone；　and　just　at　the　right　moment　he　looked

up。　　It　caught　him　full　on　the　end　of　his　nose；　and　he

went　straight　up　in　the　air；　all　four　feet　of　him；

roaring　and　caterwauling；　what　of　the　hurt　and

surprise。



He　was　beaten　and　he　knew　it。　　Recovering　his　dignity；

he　stalked　out　solemnly　from　under　the　rain　of　stones。

He　stopped　in　the　middle　of　the　open　space　and　looked

wistfully　and　hungrily　back　at　us。　　He　hated　to　forego

the　meal；　and　we　were　just　so　much　meat；　cornered　but

inaccessible。　　This　sight　of　him　started　us　to

laughing。　　We　laughed　derisively　and　uproariously；　all

of　us。　　Now　animals　do　not　like　mockery。　　To　be　laughed

at　makes　them　angry。　And　in　such　fashion　our　laughter

affected　Saber…Tooth。　　He　turned　with　a　roar　and

charged　the　bluff　again。　　This　was　what　we　wanted。　The

fight　had　become　a　game；　and　we　took　huge　delight　in

pelting　him。



But　this　attack　did　not　last　long。　　He　quickly

recovered　his　common　sense；　and　besides；　our　missiles

were　shrewd　to　hurt。　Vividly　do　I　recollect　the　vision

of　one　bulging　eye　of　his；　swollen　almost　shut　by　one

of　the　stones　we　had　thrown。　　And　vividly　do　I　retain

the　picture　of　him　as　he　stood　on　the　edge　of　the

forest　whither　he　had　finally　retreated。　　He　was

looking　back　at　us；　his　writhing　lips　lifted　clear　of

the　very　roots　of　his　huge　fangs；　his　hair　bristling

and　his　tail　lashing。　　He　gave　one　last　snarl　and　slid

from　view　among　the　trees。



And　then　such　a　chattering　as　went　up。　　We　swarmed　out

of　our　holes；　examining　the　marks　his　claws　had　made　on

the　crumbling　rock　of　the　bluff；　all　of　us　talking　at

once。　　One　of　the　two　Folk　who　had　been　caught　in　the

double　cave　was　part…grown；　half　child　and　half　youth。

They　had　come　out　proudly　from　their　refuge；　and　we

surrounded　them　in　an　admiring　crowd。　　Then　the　young

fellow's　mother　broke　through　and　fell　upon　him　in　a

tremendous　rage；　boxing　his　ears；　pulling　his　hair；　and

shrieking　like　a　demon。　She　was　a　strapping　big　woman；

very　hairy；　and　the　thrashing　she　gave　him　was　a

delight　to　the　horde。　　We　roared　with　laughter；　holding

on　to　one　another　or　rolling　on　the　ground　in　our　glee。



In　spite　of　the　reign　of　fear　under　which　we　lived；　the

Folk　were　always　great　laughers。　　We　had　the　sense　of

humor。　　Our　merriment　was　Gargantuan。　　It　was　never

restrained。　　There　was　nothing　half　way　about　it。　　When

a　thing　was　funny　we　were　convulsed　with　appreciation

of　it；　and　the　simplest；　crudest　things　were　funny　to

us。　　Oh；　we　were　great　laughers；　I　can　tell　you。



The　way　we　had　treated　Saber…Tooth　was　the　way　we

treated　all　animals　that　invaded　the　village。　　We　kept

our　run…ways　and　drinking…places　to　ourselves　by　making

life　miserable　for　the　animals　that　trespassed　or

strayed　upon　our　immediate　territory。　Even　the　fiercest

hunting　animals　we　so　bedevilled　that　they　learned　to

leave　our　places　alone。　　We　were　not　fighters　like

them；　we　were　cunning　and　cowardly；　and　it　was　because

of　our　cunning　and　cowardice；　and　our　inordinate

capacity　for　fear；　that　we　survived　in　that　frightfully

hostile　environment　of　the　Younger　World。



Lop…Ear；　I　figure；　was　a　year　older　than　I。　　What　his

past　history　was　he　had　no　way　of　telling　me；　but　as　I

never　saw　anything　of　his　mother　I　believed　him　to　be

an　orphan。　　After　all；　fathers　did　not　count　in　our

horde。　　Marriage　was　as　yet　in　a　rude　state；　and

couples　had　a　way　of　quarrelling　and　separating。

Modern　man；　what　of　his　divorce　institution；　does　the

same　thing　legally。　　But　we　had　no　laws。　　Custom　was

all　we　went　by；　and　our　custom　in　this　particular

matter　was　rather　promiscuous　。



Nevertheless；　as　this　narrative　will　show　later　on；　we

betrayed　glimmering　adumbrations　of　the　monogamy　that

was　later　to　give　power　to；　and　make　mighty；　such

tribes　as　embraced　it。　Furthermore；　even　at　the　time　I

was　born；　there　were　several　faithful　couples　that

lived　in　the　trees　in　the　neighborhood　of　my　mother。

Living　in　the　thick　of　the　horde　did　not　conduce　to

monogamy。　　It　was　for　this　reason；　undoubtedly；　that

the　faithful　couples　went　away　and　lived　by　themselves。

Through　many　years　these　couples　stayed　together；

though　when　the　man　or　woman　died　or　was　eaten　the

survivor　invariably　found　a　new　mate。



There　was　one　thing　that　greatly　puzzled　me　during　the

first　days　of　my　residence　in　the　horde。　　There　was　a

nameless　and　incommunicable　fear　that　rested　upon　all。

At　first　it　appeared　to　be　connected　wholly　with

direction。　　The　horde　feared　the　northeast。　　It　lived

in　perpetual　apprehension　of　that　quarter　of　the

compass。　　And　every　individual　gazed　more　frequently

and　with　greater　alarm　in　that　direction　than　in　any

other。



When　Lop…Ear　and　I　went　toward　the　north…east　to　eat

the　stringy…rooted　carrots　that　at　that　season　were　at

their　best；　he　became　unusually　timid。　　He　was　content

to　eat　the　leavings；　the　big　tough　carrots　and　the

little　ropy　ones；　rather　than　to　venture　a　short

distance　farther　on　to　where　the　carrots　were　as　yet

untouched。　　When　I　so　ventured；　he　scolded　me　and

quarrelled　with　me。　　He　gave　me　to　understand　that　in

that　direction　was　some　horrible　danger；　but　just　what

the　horrible　danger　was　his　paucity　of　language　would

not　permit　him　to　say。



Many　a　good　meal　I　got　in　this　fashion；　while　he

scolded　and　chattered　vainly　at　me。　　I　could　not

understand。　　I　kept　very　alert；　but　I　could　see　no

danger。　　I　calculated　always　the　distance　between

myself　and　the　nearest　tree；　and　knew　that　to　that

haven　of　refuge　I　could　out…foot　the　Tawny　One；　or　old

Saber…Tooth；　did　one　or　the　other　suddenly　appear。



One　late　afternoon；　in　the　village；　a　great　uproar

arose。　　The　horde　was　animated　with　a　single　emotion；

that　of　fear。　　The　bluff…side　swarmed　with　the　Folk；

all　gazing　and　pointing　into　the　northeast。　　I　did　not

know　what　it　was；　but　I　scrambled　all　the　way　up　to　the

safety　of　my　own　high　little　cave　before　ever　I　turned

around　to　see。



And　then；　across　the　river；　away　into　the　northeast；　I

saw　for　the　first　time　the　mystery　of　smoke。　　It　was

the　biggest　animal　I　had　ever　seen。　　I　thought　it　was　a

monster　snake；　up…ended；　rearing　its　head　high　above