Страна слепых

           Butlifewasveryeasyinthatsnow-rimmedbasin,losttoalltheworld,withneitherthornsnorbriars,withnoevilinsectsnoranybeastssavethegentlebreedofllamastheyhadluggedandthrustandfollowedupthebedsoftheshrunkenriversinthegorgesupwhichtheyhadcome. Theseeinghadbecomepurblindsograduallythattheyscarcelynotedtheirloss. TheyguidedthesightlessyoungstershitherandthitheruntiltheyknewthewholeValleymarvellously,andwhenatlastsightdiedoutamongthemtheracelivedon. Theyhadeventimetoadaptthemselvestotheblindcontroloffire,whichtheymadecarefullyinstovesofstone. Theywereasimplestrainofpeopleatthefirst,unlettered,onlyslightlytouchedwiththeSpanishcivilisation,butwithsomethingofatraditionoftheartsofoldPeruandofitslostphilosophy. Generationfollowedgeneration. Theyforgotmanythings;theydevisedmanythings. Theirtraditionofthegreaterworldtheycamefrombecamemythicalincolouranduncertain. Inallthingssavesighttheywerestrongandable,andpresentlythechanceofbirthandhereditysentonewhohadanoriginalmindandwhocouldtalkandpersuadeamongthem,andthenafterwardsanother. Thesetwopassed,leavingtheireffects,andthelittlecommunitygrewinnumbersandinunderstanding,andmetandsettledsocialandeconomicproblemsthatarose. Generationfollowedgeneration.Generationfollowedgeneration.