before adam-第12部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


into　cooking　animals　lay　in　the　tight…rolled　scroll　of


the　future。







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…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

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　we　were　almost　out　of　range。　　But　by

industrious　poking　he　got　us　now　and　againcruel；

scraping　jabs　with　the　end　of　the　stick　that　raked　off

the　hide　and　hair。　　When　we　screamed　with　the　hurt；　he

roared　his　satisfaction　and　jabbed　the　harder。



I　began　to　grow　angry。　　I　had　a　temper　of　my　own　in

those　days；　and　pretty　considerable　courage；　too；

albeit　it　was　largely　the　courage　of　the　cornered　rat。

I　caught　hold　of　the　stick　with　my　hands；　but　such　was

his　strength　that　he　jerked　me　into　the　crevice。　　He

reached　for　me　with　his　long　arm；　and　his　nails　tore　my

flesh　as　I　leaped　back　from　the　clutch　and　gained　the

comparative　safety　of　the　side…wall。



He　began　poking　again；　and　caught　me　a　painful　blow　on

the　shoulder。　　Beyond　shivering　with　fright　and　yelling

when　he　was　hit；　Lop…Ear　did　nothing。　　I　looked　for　a

stick　with　which　to　jab　back；　but　found　only　the　end　of

a　branch；　an　inch　through　and　a　foot　long。　　I　threw

this　at　Red…Eye。　　It　did　no　damage；　though　he　howled

with　a　sudden　increase　of　rage　at　my　daring　to　strike

back。　He　began　jabbing　furiously。　　I　found　a　fragment

of　rock　and　threw　it　at　him；　striking　him　on　the　chest。



This　emboldened　me；　and；　besides；　I　was　now　as　angry　as

he；　and　had　lost　all　fear。　　I　ripped　fragment　of　rock

from　the　wall。　　The　piece　must　have　weighed　two　or

three　pounds。　　With　my　strength　I　slammed　it　full　into

Red…Eye's　face。　　It　nearly　finished　him。　　He　staggered

backward；　dropping　his　stick；　and　almost　fell　off　the

cliff。



He　was　a　ferocious　sight。　　His　face　was　covered　with

blood；　and　he　was　snarling　and　gnashing　his　fangs　like

a　wild　boar。　　He　wiped　the　blood　from　his　eyes；　caught

sight　of　me；　and　roared　with　fury。　　His　stick　was　gone；

so　he　began　ripping　out　chunks　of　crumbling　rock　and

throwing　them　in　at　me。　　This　supplied　me　with

ammunition。　　I　gave　him　as　good　as　he　sent；　and　better；

for　he　presented　a　good　target；　while　he　caught　only

glimpses　of　me　as　I　snuggled　against　the　side…wall。



Suddenly　he　disappeared　again。　　From　the　lip　of　the

cave　I　saw　him　descending。　　All　the　horde　had　gathered

outside　and　in　awed　silence　was　looking　on。　　As　he

descended；　the　more　timid　ones　scurried　for　their

caves。　　I　could　see　old　Marrow…Bone　tottering　along　as

fast　as　he　could。　　Red…Eye　sprang　out　from　the　wall　and

finished　the　last　twenty　feet　through　the　air。　　He

landed　alongside　a　mother　who　was　just　beginning　the

ascent。　　She　screamed　with　fear；　and　the　two…year…old

child　that　was　clinging　to　her　released　its　grip　and

rolled　at　Red…Eye's　feet。　　Both　he　and　the　mother

reached　for　it；　and　he　got　it。　　The　next　moment　the

frail　little　body　had　whirled　through　the　air　and

shattered　against　the　wall。　　The　mother　ran　to　it；

caught　it　up　in　her　arms；　and　crouched　over　it　crying。



Red…Eye　started　over　to　pick　up　the　stick。　　Old

Marrow…Bone　had　tottered　into　his　way。　　Red…Eye's　great

hand　shot　out　and　clutched　the　old　man　by　the　back　of

the　neck。　　I　looked　to　see　his　neck　broken。　　His　body

went　limp　as　he　surrendered　himself　to　his　fate。

Red…Eye　hesitated　a　moment；　and　Marrow…Bone；　shivering

terribly；　bowed　his　head　and　covered　his　face　with　his

crossed　arms。　　Then　Red…Eye　slammed　him　face…downward

to　the　ground。　　Old　Marrow…Bone　did　not　struggle。　　He

lay　there