До Адама
Chapter X
Alightfanofairslowlydriftedthelogawayfromtheshore,andwhenInoticedhispredicamentthedistancewasalreadytoogreatforhimtoleap.
Atfirsttheepisodeseemedmerelyfunnytome.Butwhenoneofthevagrantimpulsesoffear,commoninthatageofperpetualinsecurity,movedwithinme,Iwasstruckwithmyownloneliness.IwasmadesuddenlyawareofLop-Ear’sremotenessoutthereonthatalienelementafewfeetaway.Icalledloudlytohimawarningcry.Heawokefrightened,andshiftedhisweightrashlyonthelog.Itturnedover,sousinghimunder.Threetimesagainitsousedhimunderashetriedtoclimboutuponit.Thenhesucceeded,crouchinguponitandchatteringwithfear.
Icoulddonothing.Norcouldhe.Swimmingwassomethingofwhichweknewnothing.Wewerealreadytoofarremovedfromthelowerlife-formstohavetheinstinctforswimming,andwehadnotyetbecomesufficientlyman-liketoundertakeitastheworkingoutofaproblem.Iroameddisconsolatelyupanddownthebank,keepingasclosetohiminhisinvoluntarytravelsasIcould,whilehewailedandcriedtillitwasawonderthathedidnotbringdownuponuseveryhuntinganimalwithinamile.
Thehourspassed.Thesunclimbedoverheadandbeganitsdescenttothewest.ThelightwinddieddownandleftLop-Earonhislogfloatingaroundahundredfeetaway.Andthen,somehow,Iknownothow,Lop-Earmadethegreatdiscovery.Hebeganpaddlingwithhishands.Atfirsthisprogresswasslowanderratic.Thenhestraightenedoutandbeganlaboriouslytopaddlenearerandnearer.Icouldnotunderstand.
