До Адама
Chapter XVII
Someofthewomenandchildrenremainedinthecavestostrangletodeath,butthemajoritymetdeathoutside.
WhentheFire-Menhadinthisfashionclearedthefirsttierofcaves,theybeganmakingarrangementstoduplicatetheoperationonthesecondtierofcaves.Itwaswhiletheywereclimbingupwiththeirgrassandwood,thatRed-Eye,followedbyhiswife,withthebabyholdingtohertightly,madeasuccessfulflightupthecliff.TheFire-Menmusthaveconcludedthatintheintervalbetweenthesmoking-outoperationswewouldremaininourcaves;sothattheywereunprepared,andtheirarrowsdidnotbegintoflytillRed-Eyeandhiswifewerewellupthewall.Whenhereachedthetop,heturnedaboutandglareddownatthem,roaringandbeatinghischest.Theyarchedtheirarrowsathim,andthoughhewasuntouchedhefledon.
Iwatchedathirdtiersmokedout,andafourth.AfewoftheFolkescapedupthecliff,butmostofthemwereshotoffthefaceofitastheystrovetoclimb.IrememberLong-Lip.Hegotasfarasmyledge,cryingpiteously,anarrowclearthroughhischest,thefeatheredshaftstickingoutbehind,theboneheadstickingoutbefore,shotthroughthebackasheclimbed.Hesankdownonmyledgebleedingprofuselyatthemouth.
Itwasaboutthistimethattheuppertiersseemedtoemptythemselvesspontaneously.NearlyalltheFolknotyetsmokedoutstampededupthecliffatthesametime.Thiswasthesavingofmany.TheFirePeoplecouldnotshootarrowsfastenough.
