The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1916-04-22

around to the side and then on In
front. Its teeth were not tied, and the
next thing It did was to sink its teeth
into Lop Ears soft and unprotected
stomach. HeSet out scream, nearly
fell and clutched n branch violently
with both hands to save himself. The
vine around his neck broke. aud the
| W;Tpy its four legs still tied dropped
to the ground. The hyena proceeded
to dine.
Lop Ear was disgusted and angry.
He abused the hyena and then went
Off alone through the trees. had no
reason that | knew for wanting to car.
ry the puppy to the cave except that
wanted TO, and l stayed by my task.
made the work great deal easter by
celebrating on Lop Ears idea. Not
only did | tie the puppy's legs. but /
thrust stick through his jaws and
tied them together securely.
At last got the puppy home. i'm
Rgine | had more pertinucity than the
average folk. or else | should not have
succeeded. They laughed Mt me when
they saw me Juggling the puppy up to
my high little cave, but did not mind
Success crowned my efforts, aud there
was the puppy. lie was "A plaything
such as none of the folk possessed
He learned rapidly. When | PLAYED
with him and he bit me boxed his
ears. and then he did not try again to
bite for n long time.
| was quite taken up with him. He
was something new, and It was a
characteristic of the folk To like new
things. when | saw that he refused
fruits and vegetables, caught birds
for him and squirrels and young rab-
bits. eve folk were meat eaters as
well as vcgetarlans, and we were
adept at catching small game) The
puppy ate the meat and thrlved. Az
well as | can estimate, 4 must have
had him over week. And then, com.
ing back to the cave one day with
nestful Of young Matched pheasants.
found Lop Ear had killed the puppy
and was just beginning to eat him.
sprang for Lop Ear-the cave was
small-nnd we went mt II tooth and
nail
And thus. in fight, ended one OF
the earliest attempts to domesticate
the dog. We pulled hair out in hand
fuls and scratched and bit and gouged
Then we sulked and made up. After
that we ate the puppy. Raw? Yes.
We had not yet discovered fire. Our
evolution into cooking animals lay in
the tight rolled scroll of the future.
Red Eye was an atavism. He was
the great discordant element in our
horde. He was more primitive than
any Of us. He did not belong with us,
yet we were still so primitive our
selves that we were incapable Of a
cooperative effort strong enough to
kill him or cast him out. Rude as was
our social organization. he was, never.
theless, too rude to live In It. He
tended always to destroy the horde
by his unsocial acts. He was really
a reverslon to an earlier type. and his
place was with the Tree People rath.
er than with us who were in the proc.
ess Of becoming men.
He was n monster OF cruelty, which
Is saying great denl in that day. He
beat his wives-not that he ever had
more than one wife at time. but that
he was married many times. It was
Impossible for any woman TO live with
him, and yet they did live with him,
out OF compulsion. There was no gain.
saying him. No man was strong
enough to stand against him.
Often do l have visions of the quiet
hour before the twilight. From drink.
Ing place and carrot patch and berry
swamp the folk are trooping into the
open space before the caves. They
dare llnger no later than this, for the
dreadful darkness Is approaching in
which the world Is given over to the
carnage Of the hunting animals. while
the forerunners Of man hide trembling.
ly In their holes.
There yet remain to us few min.
utes before we climb to our caves. We
are tired from the play OF the day, and
the sounds We make are subdued
Even the cubs. still greedy for fun and
antics. play with restraint. The wind
from the sea has died down. and the
0h"u'"o uie VhSiHtIlilB WIFI lllt liSl
of the suns descent. And then sud.
denly from Red Eyes cave breaks
wild screaming and the sound OF
blows. He is beating his wife.
At first an awed silence comes upon
u.s. But as the blows aud screams
continue we break out into an insane
gibbering Of helpless rage. 1t Is plain
that the men resent Red Eyes actions
but they are too afraid Of him. The
blows cease, and a low grooming dies
away, while we chatter among our
selves and the sad twilight creeps
upon US.
We, to whom most happenings were
jokes, never laughed during Red Eyes
wife beatings. We knew too well the
tragedy of them. On more than one
morning, at the base of the cliff. did
we find the body of his latest wife lie