before adam(亚当之前)-第14节
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went off alone through the trees。 I had no reason that I knew for wanting
to carry the puppy to the cave； except that I WANTED to； and I stayed by
my task。 I made the work a great deal easier by elaborating on Lop…Ear's
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idea。 Not only did I tie the puppy's legs； but I thrust a stick through his
jaws and tied them together securely。
At last I got the puppy home。 I imagine I had more pertinacity than
the average Folk； or else I should not have succeeded。 They laughed at
me when they saw me lugging the puppy up to my high little cave； but I
did not mind。 Success crowned my efforts； and there was the puppy。
He was a plaything such as none of the Folk possessed。 He learned
rapidly。 When I played with him and he bit me； I boxed his ears； and
then he did not try again to bite for a long time。
I was quite taken up with him。 He was something new； and it was a
characteristic of the Folk to like new things。 When I saw that he refused
fruits and vegetables； I caught birds for him and squirrels and young
rabbits。 （We Folk were meat…eaters； as well as vegetarians； and we were
adept at catching small game。） The puppy ate the meat and thrived。 As
well as I can estimate； I must have had him over a week。 And then；
coming back to the cave one day with a nestful of young…hatched
pheasants； I found Lop…Ear had killed the puppy and was just beginning to
eat him。 I sprang for Lop…Ear；the cave was small；and we went at it
tooth and nail。
And thus； in a fight； ended one of the earliest attempts to domesticate
the dog。 We pulled hair out in handfuls； and scratched and bit and
gouged。 Then we sulked and made up。 After that we ate the puppy。
Raw？ Yes。 We had not yet discovered fire。 Our evolution into cooking
animals lay in the tight…rolled scroll of the future。
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CHAPTER IX
Red…Eye was an atavism。 He was the great discordant element in
our horde。 He was more primitive than any of us。 He did not belong
with us； yet we were still so primitive ourselves that we were incapable of
a cooperative effort strong enough to kill him or cast him out。 Rude as
was our social organization； he was； nevertheless； too rude to live in it。
He tended always to destroy the horde by his unsocial acts。 He was
really a reversion to an earlier type； and his place was with the Tree People
rather than with us who were in the process of becoming men。
He was a monster of cruelty； which is saying a great deal in that day。
He beat his wivesnot that he ever had more than one wife at a time； but
that he was married many times。 It was impossible for any woman to
live with him； and yet they did live with him； out of compulsion。 There
was no gainsaying him。
No man was strong enough to stand against him。
Often do I have visions of the quiet hour before the twilight。 From
drinking…place and carrot patch and berry swamp the Folk are trooping
into the open space before the caves。 They dare linger no later than this；
for the dreadful darkness is approaching； in which the world is given over
to the carnage of the hunting animals； while the fore…runners of man hide
tremblingly in their holes。
There yet remain to us a few minutes before we climb to our caves。 We
are tired from the play of the day； and the sounds we make are subdued。
Even the cubs； still greedy for fun and antics； play with restraint。 The
wind from the sea has died down； and the shadows are lengthening with
the last of the sun's descent。 And then； suddenly； from Red…Eye's cave；
breaks a wild screaming and the sound of blows。 He is beating his wife。
At first an awed silence comes upon us。 But as the blows and
screams continue we break out into an insane gibbering of helpless rage。
It is plain that the men resent Red…Eye's actions； but they are too afraid of
him。 The blows cease； and a low groaning dies away； while we chatter
among ourselves and the sad twilight creeps upon us。
We； to whom most happenings were jokes； never laughed during Red…
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Eye's wife…beatings。 We knew too well the tragedy of them。 On more
than one morning； at the base of the cliff； did we find the body of his latest
wife。 He had tossed her there； after she had died； from his cave…mouth。
He never buried his dead。 The task of carrying away the bodies； that else
would have polluted our abiding…place； he left to the horde。 We usually
flung them into the river below the last drinking…place。
Not alone did Red…Eye murder his wives； but he also murdered for his
wives； in order to get them。 When he wanted a new wife and selected the
wife of another man； he promptly killed that man。 Two of these murders I
saw myself。 The whole horde knew； but could do nothing。 We had not
yet developed any government； to speak of； inside the horde。 We had
certain customs and visited our wrath upon the unlucky ones who violated
those customs。 Thus； for example； the individual who defiled a drinking…
place would be attacked by every onlooker； while one who deliberately
gave a false alarm was the recipient of much rough usage at our hands。
But Red…Eye walked rough…shod over all our customs； and we so feared
him that we were incapable of the collective action necessary to punish
him。
It was during the sixth winter in our cave that Lop…Ear and I
discovered that we were really growing up。 From the first it had been a
squeeze to get in through the entrance…crevice。 This had had its
advantages； however。 It had prevented the larger Folk from taking our
cave away from us。 And it was a most desirable cave； the highest on the
bluff； the safest； and in winter the smallest and warmest。
To show the stage of the mental development of the Folk； I may state
that it would have been a simple thing for some of them to have driven us
out and enlarged the crevice…opening。 But they never thought of it。
Lop…Ear and I did not think of it either until our increasing size compelled
us to make an enlargement。 This occurred when summer was well along
and we were fat with better forage。 We worked at the crevice in spells；
when the fancy struck us。
At first we dug the crumbling rocks away with our fingers； until our
nails got sore； when I accidentally stumbled upon the idea of using a piece
of wood on the rock。 This worked well。 Also it worked woe。 One
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morning early； we had scratched out of the wall quite a heap of fragments。
I gave the heap a shove over the lip of the entrance。 The next moment
there came up from below a howl of rage。 There was no need to look。
We knew the voice only too well。 The rubbish had descended upon Red…
Eye。
We crouched down in the cave in consternation。 A minute later he
was at the entrance； peering in at us with his inflamed eyes and raging like
a demon。 But he was too large。 He could not get in to us。 Suddenly
he went away。 This was suspicious。 By all we knew of Folk nature he
should have remained and had out his rage。 I crept to the entrance and
peeped down。 I could see him just beginning to mount the bluff again。
In one hand he carried a long stick。 Before I could divine his plan； he
was back at the entrance and savagely jabbing the stick in at us。
His thrusts were prodigious。 They could have disembowelled us。 We
shrank back against the side…walls； where
