До Адама
Chapter IX
Andthen,suddenly,fromRed-Eye’scave,breaksawildscreamingandthesoundofblows.Heisbeatinghiswife.
Atfirstanawedsilencecomesuponus.Butastheblowsandscreamscontinuewebreakoutintoaninsanegibberingofhelplessrage.ItisplainthatthemenresentRed-Eye’sactions,buttheyaretooafraidofhim.Theblowscease,andalowgroaningdiesaway,whilewechatteramongourselvesandthesadtwilightcreepsuponus.
We,towhommosthappeningswerejokes,neverlaughedduringRed-Eye’swife-beatings.Weknewtoowellthetragedyofthem.Onmorethanonemorning,atthebaseofthecliff,didwefindthebodyofhislatestwife.Hehadtossedherthere,aftershehaddied,fromhiscave-mouth.Heneverburiedhisdead.Thetaskofcarryingawaythebodies,thatelsewouldhavepollutedourabiding-place,helefttothehorde.Weusuallyflungthemintotheriverbelowthelastdrinking-place.
NotalonedidRed-Eyemurderhiswives,buthealsomurderedforhiswives,inordertogetthem.Whenhewantedanewwifeandselectedthewifeofanotherman,hepromptlykilledthatman.TwoofthesemurdersIsawmyself.Thewholehordeknew,butcoulddonothing.Wehadnotyetdevelopedanygovernment,tospeakof,insidethehorde.Wehadcertaincustomsandvisitedourwrathupontheunluckyoneswhoviolatedthosecustoms.Thus,forexample,theindividualwhodefiledadrinking-placewouldbeattackedbyeveryonlooker,whileonewhodeliberatelygaveafalsealarmwastherecipientofmuchroughusageatourhands.
