До Адама

           Andatwentyortwenty-fivefootdeliberatedropcleardowntothegroundwasnothingtous.Infact,Iamalmostafraidtosaythegreatdistanceswedropped.Aswegrewolderandheavierwefoundwehadtobemorecautiousindropping,butatthatageourbodieswereallstringsandspringsandwecoulddoanything.

           Broken-Toothdisplayedremarkableagilityinthegame.Hewas“It”lessfrequentlythananyofus,andinthecourseofthegamehediscoveredonedifficult“slip”thatneitherLop-EarnorIwasabletoaccomplish.Tobetruthful,wewereafraidtoattemptit.

           Whenwewere“It,”Broken-Toothalwaysranouttotheendofaloftybranchinacertaintree.Fromtheendofthebranchtothegrounditmusthavebeenseventyfeet,andnothingintervenedtobreakafall.Butabouttwentyfeetlowerdown,andfullyfifteenfeetoutfromtheperpendicular,wasthethickbranchofanothertree.

           Asweranoutthelimb,Broken-Tooth,facingus,wouldbeginteetering.Thisnaturallyimpededourprogress;buttherewasmoreintheteeteringthanthat.Heteeteredwithhisbacktothejumphewastomake.Justaswenearlyreachedhimhewouldletgo.Theteeteringbranchwaslikeaspring-board.Itthrewhimfarout,backward,ashefell.Andashefellheturnedaroundsidewiseintheairsoastofacetheotherbranchintowhichhewasfalling.Thisbranchbentfardownundertheimpact,andsometimestherewasanominouscrackling;butitneverbroke,andoutoftheleaveswasalwaystobeseenthefaceofBroken-Toothgrinningtriumphantlyupatus.

           Iwas“It”thelasttimeBroken-Toothtriedthis.