按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
horde； and he had never seen anything like it before。
I remember the worried； plaintive look that came into
his eyes as he examined the ice。 （This plaintive look
always came into our eyes when we did not understand a
thing； or when we felt the prod of some vague and
inexpressible desire。） Red…Eye； too； when he
investigated the ice； looked bleak and plaintive； and
stared across the river into the northeast； as though
in some way he connected the Fire People with this
latest happening。
But we found ice only on that one morning； and that was
the coldest winter we experienced。 I have no memory of
other winters when it was so cold。 I have often
thought that that cold winter was a fore…runner of the
countless cold winters to come； as the ice…sheet from
farther north crept down over the face of the land。 But
we never saw that ice…sheet。 Many generations must
have passed away before the descendants of the horde
migrated south； or remained and adapted themselves to
the changed conditions。
Life was hit or miss and happy…go…lucky with us。
Little was ever planned； and less was executed。 We ate
when we were hungry； drank when we were thirsty；
avoided our carnivorous enemies； took shelter in the
caves at night； and for the rest just sort of played
along through life。
We were very curious； easily amused； and full of tricks
and pranks。 There was no seriousness about us； except
when we were in danger or were angry； in which cases
the one was quickly forgotten and the other as quickly
got over。
We were inconsecutive； illogical； and inconsequential。
We had no steadfastness of purpose； and it was here
that the Fire People were ahead of us。 They possessed
all these things of which we possessed so little。
Occasionally； however； especially in the realm of the
emotions； we were capable of long…cherished purpose。
The faithfulness of the monogamic couples I have
referred to may be explained as a matter of habit； but
my long desire for the Swift One cannot be so
explained； any more than can be explained the undying
enmity between me and Red…Eye。
But it was our inconsequentiality and stupidity that
especially distresses me when I look back upon that
life in the long ago。 Once I found a broken gourd which
happened to lie right side up and which had been filled
with the rain。 The water was sweet； and I drank it。 I
even took the gourd down to the stream and filled it
with more water； some of which I drank and some of
which I poured over Lop…Ear。 And then I threw the
gourd away。 It never entered my head to fill the gourd
with water and carry it into my cave。 Yet often I was
thirsty at night； especially after eating wild onions
and watercress； and no one ever dared leave the caves
at night for a drink。
Another time I found a dry； gourd； inside of which the
seeds rattled。 I had fun with it for a while。 But it
was a play thing； nothing more。 And yet； it was not
long after this that the using of gourds for storing
water became the general practice of the horde。 But I
was not the inventor。 The honor was due to old
Marrow…Bone； and it is fair to assume that it was the
necessity of his great age that brought about the
innovation。
At any rate； the first member of the horde to use
gourds was Marrow…Bone。 He kept a supply of
drinking…water in his cave； which cave belonged to his
son； the Hairless One； who permitted him to occupy a
corner of it。 We used to see Marrow…Bone filling his
gourd at the drinking…place and carrying it carefully
up to his cave。 Imitation was strong in the Folk； and
first one； and then another and another； procured a
gourd and used it in similar fashion； until it was a
general practice with all of us so to store water。
Sometimes old Marrow…Bone had sick spells and was
unable to leave the cave。 Then it was that the
Hairless One filled the gourd for him。 A little later；
the Hairless One deputed the task to Long…Lip； his
son。 And after that； even when Marrow…Bone was well
again； Long…Lip continued carrying water for him。 By
and by； except on unusual occasions； the men never
carried any water at all； leaving the task to the women
and larger children。 Lop…Ear and I were independent。
We carried water only for ourselves； and we often
mocked the young water…carriers when they were called
away from play to fill the gourds。
Progress was slow with us。 We played through life；
even the adults； much in the same way that children
play； and we played as none of the other animals
played。 What little we learned； was usually in the
course of play； and was due to our curiosity and
keenness of appreciation。 For that matter； the one big
invention of the horde； during the time I lived with
it； was the use of gourds。 At first we stored only
water in the gourdsin imitation of old Marrow…Bone。
But one day some one of the womenI do not know which
onefilled a gourd with black…berries and carried it
to her cave。 In no time all the women were carrying
berries and nuts and roots in the gourds。 The idea；
once started； had to go on。 Another evolution of the
carrying…receptacle was due to the women。 Without
doubt； some woman's gourd was too small； or else she
had forgotten her gourd； but be that as it may； she
bent two great leaves together； pinning the seams with
twigs； and carried home a bigger quantity of berries
than could have been contained in the largest gourd。
So far we got； and no farther； in the transportation of
supplies during the years I lived with the Folk。 It
never entered anybody's head to weave a basket out of
willow…withes。 Sometimes the men and women tied tough
vines about the bundles of ferns and branches that they
carried to the caves to sleep upon。 Possibly in ten or
twenty generations we might have worked up to the
weaving of baskets。 And of this； one thing is sure： if
once we wove withes into baskets； the next and
inevitable step would have been the weaving of cloth。
Clothes would have followed； and with covering our
nakedness would have come modesty。
Thus was momentum gained in the Younger World。 But we
were without this momentum。 We were just getting
started； and we could not go far in a single
generation。 We were without weapons； without fire； and
in the raw beginnings of speech。 The device of writing
lay so far in the future that I am appalled when I
think of it。
Even I was once on the verge of a great discovery。 To
show you how fortuitous was development in those days
let me state that had it not been for the gluttony of
Lop…Ear I might have brought about the domestication of
the dog。 And this was something that the Fire People
who lived to the northeast had not yet achieved。 They
were without dogs； this I knew from observation。 But
let me tell you how Lop…Ear's gluttony possibly set
back our social development many generations。
Well to the west of our caves