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for　a　long　time　and　watched　us；　looking　our　caves　and

the　cliff…wall　up　and　down。　　He　descended　one　of　the

run…ways　to　a　drinking…place；　returning　a　few　minutes

later　by　another　run…way。　　Again　he　stood　and　watched

us　carefully；　for　a　long　time。　　Then　he　turned　on　his

heel　and　limped　into　the　forest；　leaving　us　calling

querulously　and　plaintively　to　one　another　from　the

cave…mouths。







CHAPTER　XVI





I　found　her　down　in　the　old　neighborhood　near　the

blueberry　swamp；　where　my　mother　lived　and　where

Lop…Ear　and　I　had　built　our　first　tree…shelter。　　It　was

unexpected。　　As　I　came　under　the　tree　I　heard　the

familiar　soft　sound　and　looked　up。　　There　she　was；　the

Swift　One；　sitting　on　a　limb　and　swinging　her　legs　back

and　forth　as　she　looked　at　me。



I　stood　still　for　some　time。　　The　sight　of　her　had　made

me　very　happy。　　And　then　an　unrest　and　a　pain　began　to

creep　in　on　this　happiness。　　I　started　to　climb　the

tree　after　her；　and　she　retreated　slowly　out　the　limb。

Just　as　I　reached　for　her；　she　sprang　through　the　air

and　landed　in　the　branches　of　the　next　tree。　　From　amid

the　rustling　leaves　she　peeped　out　at　me　and　made　soft

sounds。　　I　leaped　straight　for　her；　and　after　an

exciting　chase　the　situation　was　duplicated；　for　there

she　was；　making　soft　sounds　and　peeping　out　from　the

leaves　of　a　third　tree。



It　was　borne　in　upon　me　that　somehow　it　was　different

now　from　the　old　days　before　Lop…Ear　and　I　had　gone　on

our　adventure…journey。　I　wanted　her；　and　I　knew　that　I

wanted　her。　　And　she　knew　it；　too。　That　was　why　she

would　not　let　me　come　near　her。　　I　forgot　that　she　was

truly　the　Swift　One；　and　that　in　the　art　of　climbing

she　had　been　my　teacher。　　I　pursued　her　from　tree　to

tree；　and　ever　she　eluded　me；　peeping　back　at　me　with

kindly　eyes；　making　soft　sounds；　and　dancing　and

leaping　and　teetering　before　me　just　out　of　reach。　　The

more　she　eluded　me；　the　more　I　wanted　to　catch　her；　and

the　lengthening　shadows　of　the　afternoon　bore　witness

to　the　futility　of　my　effort。



As　I　pursued　her；　or　sometimes　rested　in　an　adjoining

tree　and　watched　her；　I　noticed　the　change　in　her。　　She

was　larger；　heavier；　more　grown…up。　　Her　lines　were

rounder；　her　muscles　fuller；　and　there　was　about　her

that　indefinite　something　of　maturity　that　was　new　to

her　and　that　incited　me　on。　　Three　years　she　had　been

gonethree　years　at　the　very　least；　and　the　change　in

her　was　marked。　　I　say　three　years；　it　is　as　near　as　I

can　measure　the　time。　　A　fourth　year　may　have　elapsed；

which　I　have　confused　with　the　happenings　of　the　other

three　years。　　The　more　I　think　of　it；　the　more

confident　I　am　that　it　must　be　four　years　that　she　was

away。



Where　she　went；　why　she　went；　and　what　happened　to　her

during　that　time；　I　do　not　know。　　There　was　no　way　for

her　to　tell　me；　any　more　than　there　was　a　way　for

Lop…Ear　and　me　to　tell　the　Folk　what　we　had　seen　when

we　were　away。　　Like　us；　the　chance　is　she　had　gone　off

on　an　adventure…journey；　and　by　herself。　　On　the　other

hand；　it　is　possible　that　Red…Eye　may　have　been　the

cause　of　her　going。　　It　is　quite　certain　that　he　must

have　come　upon　her　from　time　to　time；　wandering　in　the

woods；　and　if　he　had　pursued　her　there　is　no　question

but　that　it　would　have　been　sufficient　to　drive　her

away。　　From　subsequent　events；　I　am　led　to　believe　that

she　must　have　travelled　far　to　the　south；　across　a

range　of　mountains　and　down　to　the　banks　of　a　strange

river；　away　from　any　of　her　kind。　　Many　Tree　People

lived　down　there；　and　I　think　it　must　have　been　they

who　finally　drove　her　back　to　the　horde　and　to　me。　　My

reasons　for　this　I　shall　explain　later。



The　shadows　grew　longer；　and　I　pursued　more　ardently

than　ever；　and　still　I　could　not　catch　her。　　She　made

believe　that　she　was　trying　desperately　to　escape　me；

and　all　the　time　she　managed　to　keep　just　beyond　reach。

I　forgot　everythingtime；　the　oncoming　of　night；　and

my　meat…eating　enemies。　　I　was　insane　with　love　of　her；

and　withanger；　too；　because　she　would　not　let　me　come

up　with　her。　　It　was　strange　how　this　anger　against　her

seemed　to　be　part　of　my　desire　for　her。



As　I　have　said；　I　forgot　everything。　　In　racing　across

an　open　space　I　ran　full　tilt　upon　a　colony　of　snakes。

They　did　not　deter　me。　　I　was　mad。　　They　struck　at　me；

but　I　ducked　and　dodged　and　ran　on。　　Then　there　was　a

python　that　ordinarily　would　have　sent　me　screeching　to

a　tree…top。　　He　did　run　me　into　a　tree；　but　the　Swift

One　was　going　out　of　sight；　and　I　sprang　back　to　the

ground　and　went　on。　　It　was　a　close　shave。　　Then　there

was　my　old　enemy；　the　hyena。　　From　my　conduct　he　was

sure　something　was　going　to　happen；　and　he　followed　me

for　an　hour。　　Once　we　exasperated　a　band　of　wild　pigs；

and　they　took　after　us。　　The　Swift　One　dared　a　wide

leap　between　trees　that　was　too　much　for　me。　　I　had　to

take　to　the　ground。　　There　were　the　pigs。　　I　didn't

care。　　I　struck　the　earth　within　a　yard　of　the　nearest

one。　　They　flanked　me　as　I　ran；　and　chased　me　into　two

different　trees　out　of　the　line　of　my　pursuit　of　the

Swift　One。　　I　ventured　the　ground　again；　doubled　back；

and　crossed　a　wide　open　space；　with　the　whole　band

grunting；　bristling；　and　tusk…gnashing　at　my　heels。



If　I　had　tripped　or　stumbled　in　that　open　space；　there

would　have　been　no　chance　for　me。　　But　I　didn't。　　And　I

didn't　care　whether　I　did　or　not。　　I　was　in　such　mood

that　I　would　have　faced　old　Saber…Tooth　himself；　or　a

score　of　arrow…shooting　Fire　People。　　Such　was　the

madness　of　love。。。with　me。　　With　the　Swift　One　it　was

different。　　She　was　very　wise。　　She　did　not　take　any

real　risks；　and　I　remember；　on　looking　back　across　the

centuries　to　that　wild　love…chase；　that　when　the　pigs

delayed　me　she　did　not　run　away　very　fast；　but　waited；

rather；　for　me　to　take　up　the　pursuit　again。　　Also；　she

directed　her　retreat　before　me；　going　always　in　the

direction　she　wanted　to　go。



At　last　came　the　dark。　　She　led　me　around　the　mossy

shoulder　of　a　canyon　wall　that　out…jutted　among　the

trees。　　After　that　we　penetrated　a　dense　mass　of

underbrush　that　scraped　and　ripped　me　in　passing。　　But

she　never　ruffled　a　hair。　　She　knew　the　way。　　In　the

midst　of　the　thicket　was　a　large　oak。　　I　was　very　close

to　her　when　she　climbed　it；　and　in　the　forks；　in　the

nest…shelter　I　had　sought　so　long　and　vainly；　I　caught

her。



The　hyena　had　taken　our　trail　again；　and　he　now　sat

down　on　the　ground　and　made　hungry　noises。　　But　we　did

not　mind；　and　we　laughed　at　him　when　he　snarled　and

went　away　through　the　thicket。　It　was　the　spring…time；

and　the　night　noises　were　many　and　varied。　As　was　the

custom　at　that　time　of　the　year；　there　was　much

fighting　among　the　animals。　　From　the　nest　we　could

hear　the　squealing　and　neighing　of　wild　horses；　the

trumpeting　of　elephants；　and　the　roaring　of　lions。　　But

the　moon　came　out；　and　the　air　was　warm；　and　we　laughed

and　were　unafraid。



I　remember；　next　morning；　that　we　came　upon　two　ruffled

cock…birds　that　fought　so　ardently　that　I　went　right　up

to　them　and　caught　them　by　their　necks。　　Thus　did　the

Swift　One　and　I　get　our　wedding　breakfast。　　They　were

delicious。　　It　was　easy　to　catch　birds　in　the　spring　of

the　year。　　There　was　one　night　that　year　when　two　elk

fought　in　the　moonlight；　while　the　Swift　One　and　I

watched　from　the　trees；　and　we　saw　a　lion　and　lioness

crawl　up　to　them　unheeded；　and　kill　them　as　they

fought。



There　is　no　telling　how　long　we　might　have　lived　in　the

Swift　One's　tree…shelter。　　But　one　day；　while　we　were

away；　the　tree　was　struck　by　lightning。　　Great　limbs

were　riven；　and　the　nest　was　demolished。　　I　started　to

rebuild；　but　the　Swift　One　would　have　nothing　to　do

with　it。　　As　I　was　to　learn；　she　was　greatly　afraid　of

lightning；　and　I　could　not　persuade　her　back　into　the

tree。　　So　it　came　about；　our　honeymoon　over；　that　we

went　to　the　caves　to　live。　　As　Lop…Ear　had　evicted　me

from　the　cave　when　he　got　married；　I　now　evicted　him；

and　the　Swift　One　and　I　settled　down　in　it；　while　he

slept　at　night　in　the　connecting　passage　of　the　double

cave。



And　with　our　coming　to　live　with　the　horde　came

trouble。　　Red…Eye　had　had　I　don't　know　how　many　wives

since　the　Singing　One。　　She　had　gone　the　way　of　the

rest。　　At　present　he　had　a　little；　soft；　spiritless

thing　that　whimpered　and　wept　all　the　time；　whether　he

beat　her　or　not；　and　her　passing　was　a　question　of　very

little　time。　　Before　she　passed；　even；　Red…Eye　set　his

eyes　on　the　Swift　One；　and　when　she　passed；　the

persecution　of　the　Swift　One　began。



Well　for　her　that　she　was　the　Swift　One；　that　she　had

that　amazing　aptitude　for　swift　flight　through　the

trees。　　She　needed　all　her　wisdom　and　daring　in　order

to　keep　out　of　the　clutches　of　Red…Eye。　I　could　not

help　her。　　He　was　so　powerful　a　monster　that　he　could

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

carried