До Адама

           Sometimeswethoughtwehadescaped,andsatdowntorest;butalways,beforewecouldrecoverourbreath,wewouldhearthehateful“Whoo-whoo!”criesandtheterrible“Goek!Goek!Goek!”Thislattersometimesterminatedinasavage“Hahahahahaaaaa!!!”

           AndinthisfashionwerewehuntedthroughtheforestbytheexasperatedTreePeople.Atlast,bymid-afternoon,theslopesbeganrisinghigherandhigherandthetreeswerebecomingsmaller.Thenwecameoutonthegrassyflanksofthemountains.Herewaswherewecouldmaketime,andheretheTreePeoplegaveupandreturnedtotheirforest.

           Themountainswerebleakandinhospitable,andthreetimesthatafternoonwetriedtoregainthewoods.ButtheTreePeoplewerelyinginwait,andtheydroveusback.Lop-EarandIsleptthatnightinadwarftree,nolargerthanabush.Herewasnosecurity,andwewouldhavebeeneasypreyforanyhuntinganimalthatchancedalong.

           Inthemorning,whatofournew-gainedrespectfortheTreePeople,wefacedintothemountains.Thatwehadnodefiniteplan,orevenidea,Iamconfident.Weweremerelydrivenonbythedangerwehadescaped.OfourwanderingsthroughthemountainsIhaveonlymistymemories.Wewereinthatbleakregionmanydays,andwesufferedmuch,especiallyfromfear,itwasallsonewandstrange.Also,wesufferedfromthecold,andlaterfromhunger.

           It—wasadesolatelandofrocksandfoamingstreamsandclatteringcataracts.