До Адама
Chapter XVII
Theyfilledtheairwitharrows,andscoresofthestrickenFolkcametumblingdown;butstilltherewereafewwhoreachedthetopandgotaway.
Theimpulseofflightwasnowstrongerinmethancuriosity.Thearrowshadceasedflying.ThelastoftheFolkseemedgone,thoughtheremayhavebeenafewstillhidingintheuppercaves.TheSwiftOneandIstartedtomakeascrambleforthecliff-top.AtsightofusagreatcrywentupfromtheFirePeople.Thiswasnotcausedbyme,butbytheSwiftOne.Theywerechatteringexcitedlyandpointingherouttooneanother.Theydidnottrytoshoother.Notanarrowwasdischarged.Theybegancallingsoftlyandcoaxingly.Istoppedandlookeddown.Shewasafraid,andwhimperedandurgedmeon.Sowewentupoverthetopandplungedintothetrees.
Thiseventhasoftencausedmetowonderandspeculate.Ifshewerereallyoftheirkind,shemusthavebeenlostfromthematatimewhenshewastooyoungtoremember,elsewouldshenothavebeenafraidofthem.Ontheotherhand,itmaywellhavebeenthatwhileshewastheirkindshehadneverbeenlostfromthem;thatshehadbeenborninthewildforestfarfromtheirhaunts,herfathermaybearenegadeFire-Man,hermothermaybeoneofmyownkind,oneoftheFolk.Butwhoshallsay?Thesethingsarebeyondme,andtheSwiftOneknewnomoreaboutthemthandidI.
Welivedthroughadayofterror.Mostofthesurvivorsfledtowardtheblueberryswampandtookrefugeintheforestinthatneighborhood.AndalldayhuntingpartiesoftheFirePeoplerangedtheforest,killinguswherevertheyfoundus.
