第 17 节
作者:负债赌博      更新:2024-05-25 15:05      字数:9322
  logs alongside each other。         And then; quite by accident; in the course of
  play; we discovered that when each; with one hand and foot; held on to the
  other's log; the logs were steadied and did not turn over。               Lying side by
  side in this position; our outside hands and feet were left free for paddling。
  Our    final  discovery   was     that  this  arrangement     enabled    us  to  use  still
  smaller logs and thereby gain greater speed。              And there our discoveries
  ended。     We had invented the most primitive catamaran; and we did not
  have sense enough to know it。          It never entered our heads to lash the logs
  together with tough vines or stringy roots。            We were content to hold the
  logs together with our hands and feet。
  It was not until we got over our first enthusiasm for navigation and had
  begun to return to our tree…shelter to sleep at night; that we found the Swift
  One。     I saw her first; gathering young acorns from the branches of a large
  oak near our tree。       She was very timid。        At first; she kept very still; but
  when   she   saw   that   she   was   discovered   she   dropped   to   the   ground   and
  dashed wildly away。         We caught occasional glimpses of her from day to
  day; and came to look for her when we travelled back and forth between
  our tree and the mouth of the slough。
  And then; one day; she did not run away。           She waited our coming; and
  made soft peace…sounds。          We could not get very near; however。 When we
  seemed to approach too close; she darted suddenly away and from a safe
  distance uttered the soft sounds again。          This continued for some days。          It
  took    a   long   while    to  get   acquainted     with   her;   but   finally  it  was
  accomplished and she joined us sometimes in our play。
  58
  … Page 59…
  Before Adam
  I liked her from the first。         She was of most pleasing appearance。 She
  was very mild。         Her eyes were the mildest I had ever seen。                 In this she
  was quite unlike the   rest of the girls   and women   of the   Folk; who   were
  born viragos。       She never made harsh; angry cries; and it seemed to be her
  nature to flee away from trouble rather than to remain and fight。
  The   mildness   I   have   mentioned   seemed   to   emanate   from   her   whole
  being。     Her   bodily   as   well   as   facial   appearance   was   the   cause   of   this。
  Her eyes were larger than most of her kind; and they were not so deep…set;
  while the lashes were longer and more regular。 Nor was her nose so thick
  and   squat。     It   had   quite   a   bridge;   and   the   nostrils   opened   downward。
  Her incisors were not large; nor was her upper lip long and down…hanging;
  nor   her   lower   lip   protruding。      She   was   not   very   hairy;   except   on   the
  outsides   of   arms   and   legs   and   across   the   shoulders;   and   while   she   was
  thin…hipped; her calves were not twisted and gnarly。
  I   have   often   wondered;   looking   back   upon   her   from   the   twentieth
  century through the medium of my dreams; and it has always occurred to
  me   that   possibly   she   may   have   been   related   to   the   Fire   People。       Her
  father;   or   mother;   might   well   have   come   from   that   higher   stock。   While
  such   things   were   not   common;   still   they   did   occur;   and   I   have   seen   the
  proof of   them  with   my  own   eyes;   even to the extent of   members   of   the
  horde turning renegade and going to live with the Tree People。
  All of which is neither here nor there。              The Swift One was radically
  different from any of the females of the horde; and I had a liking for her
  from     the   first。  Her    mildness     and    gentleness     attracted   me。    She     was
  never rough; and she never fought。               She always ran away; and right here
  may   be   noted   the   significance   of   the   naming   of   her。    She   was   a   better
  climber than Lop…Ear or I。 When we played tag we could never catch her
  except by accident; while she could catch us at will。                 She was remarkably
  swift in all her movements; and she had a genius for judging distances that
  was equalled only by her daring。              Excessively timid in all other matters;
  she   was   without   fear   when   it   came   to   climbing   or   running   through   the
  trees;  and   Lop…Ear   and   I   were   awkward   and   lumbering   and   cowardly  in
  comparison。
  She was an orphan。           We never saw her with any one; and there was
  59
  … Page 60…
  Before Adam
  no   telling   how   long   she   had   lived   alone   in   the   world。 She   must   have
  learned early in her helpless childhood that safety lay only in flight。                 She
  was very wise and very discreet。            It became a sort of game with Lop…Ear
  and me to try to find where she lived。             It was certain that she had a tree…
  shelter somewhere; and not very far away; but trail her as we would; we
  could never find it。       She was willing enough to join with us at play in the
  day…time; but the secret of her abiding…place she guarded jealously。
  60
  … Page 61…
  Before Adam
  CHAPTER XI
  It must be remembered that the description I have just given of the
  Swift One is not the description that would have been given by Big…Tooth;
  my other self of my dreams; my prehistoric ancestor。 It is by the medium
  of my dreams that I; the modern man; look through the eyes of Big…Tooth
  and see。
  And so it is with much that I narrate of the events of that far…off time。
  There   is   a   duality   about   my   impressions   that   is   too   confusing   to   inflict
  upon my readers。         I shall merely pause here in my narrative to indicate
  this   duality;   this   perplexing   mixing   of   personality。  It   is   I;   the   modern;
  who look back across the centuries and weigh and analyze the emotions
  and motives of Big…Tooth; my other self。             He did not bother to weigh and
  analyze。     He    was   simplicity   itself。   He  just   lived  events;   without    ever
  pondering why he lived them in his particular and often erratic way。
  As   I;  my   real   self;   grew   older;   I   entered   more   and   more   into   the
  substance of my dreams。           One may dream; and even in the midst of the
  dream   be   aware   that   he   is   dreaming;   and   if   the   dream   be   bad;   comfort
  himself   with   the   thought   that   it   is   only   a   dream。 This   is   a   common
  experience with all of us。        And so it was that I; the modern; often entered
  into my dreaming; and in the consequent strange dual personality was both
  actor and spectator。       And right often have I; the modern; been perturbed
  and   vexed   by   the   foolishness;   illogic;   obtuseness;   and   general   all…round
  stupendous stupidity of myself; the primitive。
  And   one   thing   more;   before   I   end   this   digression。  Have   you   ever
  dreamed that you dreamed? Dogs dream; horses dream; all animals dream。
  In Big…Tooth's day the half…men dreamed; and when the dreams were bad
  they howled in their sleep。        Now I; the modern; have lain down with Big…
  Tooth and dreamed his dreams。
  This is getting almost beyond the grip of the intellect; I know; but I do
  know that I have done this thing。           And let me tell you that the flying and
  crawling dreams of Big…Tooth were as vivid to him as the falling…through…
  space dream is to you。
  For Big…Tooth also had an other…self; and when he slept that other…self
  61
  … Page 62…
  Before Adam
  dreamed back into the past; back to the winged reptiles and the clash and
  the onset of dragons; and beyond that to the scurrying; rodent…like life of
  the tiny mammals; and far remoter still; to the shore…slime of the primeval
  sea。    I cannot; I dare not; say more。          It is all too vague and complicated
  and awful。      I can only hint of those vast and terrific vistas through which
  I have peered hazily at the progression of life; not upward from the ape to
  man; but upward from the worm。
  And now to return to my tale。            I; Big…Tooth; knew not the Swift One
  as a   creature   of   finer   facial and bodily  symmetry;  with   long…lashed   eyes
  and   a   bridge   to   her   nose   and   down…opening   nostrils   that   made   to