The Washington critic., 1889-05-07
RED LIPS.

were not much given TO regard for !
taking the Grcgorian cal |
eDdar and counting backward just !
40, 600 plus 1889 years, this particular |
day would be located. There was no |
formal celebration, but, nevertheless, q |
good deal was going on in the neighbor- |
hood of the home of Fangs. Names |
were not common at the time men
toned, but the more advanced of the
cave dwcllers had them. Man had so
far advanced that only traces Of his ape
origin remained, and he had begun to
have q language. 1t was a queer
"clucking" sort of language, something
like that of the Busbmen, the low type
of man vet to be found In Africa, and II
ideas, but then primitive man didn't
have many ideas to express. Names.
so far as used, were ut this time derived
merely from some personal quality or
peculiarly Fongs was so called be-
cause of his huge teeth. His mate was
called She Fox; his daughter, not
Nellie, nor Jennie, nor Mamie
young ladies did not affect the
sie" thcn--but Red Lips She was,
for the age, remarkably pretty and
refined. She could cast eyes which
told story of suitor and there were
several kinds of snake she would not
cat. She was merry, energetic girl
and was the most useful member of the
family in tree climbing She was an
only child and rather petted. Her
father or mother rarely knocked her
down when angry, at least not with
very heavy club, and after her 14th
year rarely assaulted her at all. So far
as She Fox was concerned this kindness
largely resulted from discretion, the
daughter having in the last encounter
so bclabored the mother that she was
laid up for week. The father alb.
stained, chiefly because the daughter
had become useful Red Lips was
now 1S.
Fangs was II cave dwcllcr. His
home was sumptuously furnished. The
floor of the cave was strcwn with dry
grass, something that in most other
caves was lacking. Fangs was
prominent citizen. He was one of the
strongest men in the valley. He had
killed Red Beard another prominent
citizen, in little dispute over priority
of right to possession of o dead mastQ-
don discovered in n swamp, and had
for years been the terror of every cave
man in the region who possessed any
thing worth taking.
On this particular morning, which
would have been Christmas morning
had IL not come too early in the world $
history, Fangs left the cave after eating
the whole of waterfowl he had killed
with n stone the night before and some
half dozen field mice which his wife had
brought in. She Fox and Red Lips had
for breakfast only the bones of the duck
and some roots dug in the forest.
Fangs carried with him huge club,
and, in q rough pouch made of the skin
of some small wild animal, a collection
of stones of convenient size for throw.
ing. This was before man had invented
the bow or even the crude stone AK.
He came back in surly mood because
he had found nothing and killed moth,
ing, hut he brought companion with
him. This companion, whom he met
in the woods, was known as Wolf be-
cause his cOuntcnance reminded one of
q wolf. He could hardly be called u
gentleman, even as times and terms
went then. He was evidently not of an
old family, for he possessed something
more than rudimentary tail, and, had
his face looked less like that of a wolf,
II would have been that of baboon.
He was hairy, and his speech of rough
gutturals was imperfect. He could pro-
nounce but few words. He was, how.
ever, very strong, and Fangs rather liked
| him.
What Fangs did when he came in
was to propose a matrimonial alliance.
| That is, he grasped his daughter by the
arm and led her up to Wolf, and then,
pointing to an abandoned cave in the
hillside not far distant, pushed them to-
ward it. They did not have marriage
| ceremonies 10000 b. e. Wolf, who
had evidently been informed Of Fang's
desire and who was himself in favor OF
the alliance, seized the girl and began
dragging her off to the new home and
the honeymoon. She resisted, and
shrieked and clawcd like wildcat.
Her mother She Fox, came running
out, club in hand, but was promptly
knocked down by Fangs, who then
dragged her into the cave again, Mean
while the bridegroom was hauling the
bride away through furze and bushes n
a rapid rate Red Lips had ceased tc
struggle and was thinking. Hei
thoughts were not very well defined MOI
clear, but one thing she knew well-sht
did not want to live In q cave witt
Wolf She had "a fancy that she would
prefer to live instead with Yellow Hair
young cave man who had not yet sc
lected mate, and who was re
markably fleet of foot. They were now
very near the cave, and she knew that
| ha taI hn,snlf hpt la aat n ipn
would begin within very few moments
Wolf was strong, but slow Of move
ment. Red Lips was only less swift
than Yellow Hair. An idea occurred
to her. She bent her head and burie(
her strong teeth deep in the wrist OF th'
man who was half carrying, half drag
ging, her through the underwood.
With ahowl which justified his name
Wolf for an instant released his hold
She lcaped away like deer and darte(
into the forest. Yelling with pain anC
rage. Wolf pursued her, She gainct
on him steadily rs she ran, but ther
was light snow upon the ground ant
she could be followed by the trail whicl
her pursuer took up doggedly and deter
minedly. He knew that he could tir
her out and catch her in time. III
: solaced himself for her temporary escap
by thinking, as he ran, how fiercely h
would beat his bride before starting fo
the cave again, and, as he thought, hi
teeth showed like those Of dog o
today.
The chase lasted for hours and Re
Lips had gained perhaps n mile upo
her pursuer when her strength began
flag, The pace was telling upon hei
, She had run many miles. She wa
almost hopeless Of escape when sh
emerged into little glade, where sat
man gnawing contentedly at a raw raj
bit, He leaped to his feet as the gil
| annparpd hut n moment later recognize