The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-05-03

all the animals vanishing before the
Terror The Sun was coming, lord of
the sky, as the grizzly was lord of the
forest. Eudena wondered what would
happen if one star stayed behind. And
then the sky paled to the dawn.
When the daylight came the fear of
lurking things passed, and she could
descend. She was stiff, and as she had
not been trained to eat at least once in
three hours, but instead had often tasted
three days, she did not feel uncomforta-
bly, hungry. She crept down the tree very
cautiously, and went her way stealthily
sprang or deer started but the terror of
the grizzly bear froze her marrow.
Her desire was now 10 find her people
again. Her dread of Uya the Cunning
was consumed by greater dread Of
loneliness. But she had lost her direc-
tion. She had run heedlessly overnight,
and she could not tell whether the squat
ting-place was sunward or where it lay.
Ever and again she stopped and lis
tened, and at last, very far away, she
heard n measured chinking. She knew
the sound was that of n man sharpen
ing a flint.
Presently the trees began to thin out,
and then came a regiment of nettles
barring the way. She turned aside, and
then she came to d fallen tree that she
knew, with 4 noise of bees about it,
And so presently she was in sight of
the knoll, very far off, and the river un-
der it, and the children and the hippo
potami just as they had been yester-
day, and the thin spire of smoke sway
ing in the morning breeze. She crept
into thicket of braclten, out of which
a rabbit scuttled, and lay awhile to
watch the squatting-place.
The men were mostly out of sight,
saving Wau, the flint-chopper. Theywere
away hunting-food, no doubt. Some
of the women, too, were down in the
stream, STOPPING intent, seeking mus
sells, crayfsh and water-snails, and at
the sight of their occupation Eudena
felt hungry. She rose, and ran through
the fern, designing to join them. AS
she went she heard a voice among the
bracken calling softly. She stopped.
Then suddenly she heard rustic be-
hind her, and turning, saw Ugb-lomi
rising out of the fern. There were
streaks of brown blood and dirt on
his face. and his eyes were fierce, and
the white stone of Uya, the white Fire
Stone, that none but Uya dared TO
touch, was in his hand. In a stride
he was beside her. and gripped her arm.
He swung her about. and thrust her
before him towards the woods. "Uya,"
he said. and waved his arms about.
She heard a cry, looked back, and saw
oil the women standing up. and two
wading out of the stream. Then came
a nearer bowling, and the old woman
with the beard who watched the fire
on the knoll, was waving her arms,
and Wan, the man who had been chip
ping the flint, was getting to his feet.
The little children too were hurrying
and shouting.
"Come," said Ugh-lomi, and dragged
her by the arm.
She still did not understand.
"Uya," said Ugh-lomi, and she glanced
back again at the screaming curve OF
figures, and dimly understood.
Wan and all the women and children
were coming towards them, n scattered
array of buff, shock-headed figures,
bowling, leaping and crying. Down
among the ferns 10 the right came n
man, heading them Off from the wood.
Ugh-lomi left her arm, and the two
began running side by side, leaping the
bracken and stepping clear and wide.
Uudena, knowing her fleetness and the
fectness of Ugh-lomi, laughed aloud
at the unequal chase. They were an
exceptionally STRAIGHTFORWARD couple
for those days.
They soon cleared the open, and drew
near the wood of chestnut trees again.
Suddenly Eudena cried ard swerved
aside, pointing, and looking up through
the trce-stems. Ugh-lomi saw the feet
and legs of men running towards him.
Eudcna was already running of at n
tangent. And as he too turned TO fol-
low her they heard tho voice OF IVA
coming through the trees, and roaring
out his rage at them.
Then terror came in their hearts, not
the tcrrort that numbs. hut the terror that
makes one silent and swift. They were
cut of now on two sides. They were in
sort Of corner of pursuit, On the right
hand. and near by them. came the men
wit ana ncavy, with bearded Jya, ant
or in hand, leading them; and on the
left, scattered as one scatters corn, yell
ow dashes among the fern and grass.
an Wau and the women; and even the
little children from the shallow had
Joined the chase. The two parties con-
scrged upon them. or they went, with
Eudcna ahead.
They knew there was no mercy for
them. There was no hunting so sweet
10 these ancient men as the hunting Of
men. And Uya in the night had marked
Urh-lomi with the death word. Ugh
ic,,i was the DAYS quarry.