Chapter XIII

           ItwasnotuntilthenightofourfirstdayonthesouthbankoftheriverthatwediscoveredtheFirePeople.WhatmusthavebeenabandofwanderinghunterswentintocampnotfarfromthetreeinwhichLop-EarandIhadelectedtoroostforthenight.ThevoicesoftheFirePeopleatfirstalarmedus,butlater,whendarknesshadcome,wewereattractedbythefire.Wecreptcautiouslyandsilentlyfromtreetotreetillwegotagoodviewofthescene.

           Inanopenspaceamongthetrees,neartotheriver,thefirewasburning.AboutitwerehalfadozenFire-Men.Lop-Earclutchedmesuddenly,andIcouldfeelhimtremble.Ilookedmoreclosely,andsawthewizenedlittleoldhunterwhohadshotBroken-Toothoutofthetreeyearsbefore.Whenhegotupandwalkedabout,throwingfreshwooduponthefire,Isawthathelimpedwithhiscrippledleg.Whateveritwas,itwasapermanentinjury.Heseemedmoredriedupandwizenedthanever,andthehaironhisfacewasquitegray.

           Theotherhunterswereyoungmen.Inoted,lyingnearthemontheground,theirbowsandarrows,andIknewtheweaponsforwhattheywere.TheFire-Menworeanimalskinsaroundtheirwaistsandacrosstheirshoulders.Theirarmsandlegs,however,werebare,andtheyworenofootgear.AsIhavesaidbefore,theywerenotquitesohairyasweoftheFolk.Theydidnothavelargeheads,andbetweenthemandtheFolktherewasverylittledifferenceinthedegreeoftheslantoftheheadbackfromtheeyes.

           Theywerelessstoopedthanwe,lessspringyintheirmovements.Theirbackbonesandhipsandknee-jointsseemedmorerigid.