The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-05-03
[Copyright. 1897. by II. @. Welsh
PART i.

their scarce words by gestures, and
talked together as the animals do, by
the passing of simple thoughts from
mind 10 mind-being themselves indeed
still OF the brotherhood of the beasts
Fifty thousand years ago IL was, fifty
thousand years-if the estimates OF the
biologists are correct.
And in those days the springtime was
as joyful as it is now, amidst the wood
land and marsh and open grass along
the river Wey, and sent the blood
coursing in just the same fashion. The
afternoon sky was blue with piled white
clouds sailing through it, and the south
west wind came like a soft caress. The
new-come swallows drove TO and fro
The reaches of the river were Spanglee
with white ranunculus. the marsyy
places were starred with ladies-smocb
and lit with marsh mallow wherever
the regiments of the sedges lowered
their swords, and the northward NOV.
ing hippopotami, shiny black monsters
sporting clumsily. came fioundering ano
bundering through it all, rejoicing
dimly and possessed with one clear
idea, to splash the river muddy.
Further up the river and well in sight
of the hippopotami number of little
buff-colored animals dabbled in the wa,
ter. There was no fear. no rivalry, and
no enmity between them and the hippo
potami. AS the great bulks came
crashing through the reeds and smashed
the mirror of the water into silyery
splashes, these little creatures shouted
ard gesticulated with glee. 1t was
the surest sign of high spring. "Bo.
loo!" they cried. "Baayah. Boloo!'
They were the children of the men folk
the smoke of whose encampment rose
from the knoll at the rivers bend
Wild-eyed youngsters they were, with
matted hair and little broad-nosed, i'm.
pish faces, covered (as some children
ere covered even nowadays) with deli.
cate down of hair. They were narrow
in the loins and long in the arms. And
their ears had no lobes, and had little
pointed tips. thing that still, in rare
instances, survives.
Their elders were hidden from the
wallowing hippopotami by the crest of
the knoll. The human squatting-place
was trampled area among the dead
brown fronds of Royal Fern, through
which the crosiers of this years growth
were unrolllng TO the light and warmth.
The fire was a smouldering heap of
char, light gray and black, replenished
by the old women from time to time
with brown leaves. Most of the men
were asleep-they slept sitting with
their foreheads ON their knees. They
had killed that morning good quarry,
enough for all, and some of the women
were still gnawing the bones that lay
scattered about. Others were making
heap of leaves and sticks to feed
Brother Fire when the darkness came
again, that he might grow strong and
tall herewith, and guard them against
the beasts.
None of these buff-slinned savages
were clothed, but wore about their hips
rude girdles of adder-slSin or cracking
undressed hide, from which depended lit
tie bags, not made, but torn from the
paws of beasts, and carrying the rudely.
dressed fints that were mems chief
weapons and tools. And one woman,
the mate of Uya the Cunning Man, wore
wonderful necklace of perforated
fossils-that others had worn before
her. Beside some of the sleeping men
lay the big antlers of an elk, with the
tines Clipped to sharp edges, and long
sticks, hacked at the ends with flints
into sharp points. But Uya the Cunning
did not sleep, but sat with bone in his
hand and scraped busilyN thereon with
flint, q thing no animal would do. He
was tho oldest man in the tribe, beetle.
browed, prognathous, lank-armed. And
by virtue both of his strength and Gun
ming be was master Of the tribe, and his
share was always the most and the best.
Eudena had hidden herself among
the alders, because she was afraid OF
Uya. She was still a girl, and her eyes
were bright and her smile pleasant TO
see. He had given her piece OF the
liver. mans piece, and a wonderful
treat for girl to get; but rs she took
Il the other woman with the necklace
had looked at her. an evil glance, and
Ugh-lomi had made noise in his
throat. At that Uya had locked at him
long and steadily, and Ugh-lomi's face
had fallen. And then Uya had looked
at her. She was frightened and she had
stolen away. while the feeding was still
going on. Afterwards Uya had wan
dered about as il looking for her, and
she crouched among the alders.
After little she saw Uya coming
down the knoll. He had seen the move
inent Of her pale arm amidst the thicket
he was very keen-eyed.
Eudena set off through the alders and
reeds as fast as she could GO. She did
not care where she went SO long as she
escaped Uya.
She was soon amidst t.e trees-she
was very feet OF foot, and she ran on
and on, until the forest was old and the
trees great. and the vines about their
stems where the light came were thick
as young trees, and the ropes Of ivy stout
aud tight Then al last she lay down