The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1916-04-29

t=>s4sJ had padded out into the cur.
rent that learned his intention. He
paused to point at the far shore and
resumed his padding. at the same time
uttcring loud and encouraging cries.
understood. and we padded energeti-
I cally. The swift current caught us.
| flung us toward the south shore, but
before we could make a landing flung
MS back toward the north shore.
Here arose dissenslon. Seeing the
north shore so near began to paddle
for It, Lop Ear tried to paddle for the
south shore. The logs swung around
In circles and we got nowhere, and all
I the time the forest was flashing past
as we drifted down the stream. We
could not fight. We knew better than
to LET go the grips Of hands and feet
that held the logs together. But we
Chartered and abused each other with
our tongues until the current flung us
toward the south bank again. That
was now the nearest goal, and together
and amicably we padded for 1t. We
landed In an eddy and climbed directly
litO tTeeS 10
1t was not until the night Of our first
day on the south bank of the river that
we discovered the Fire People. What
must have been a band of wandering
hunters went into camp not far from
the tree in which Lop Ear and had
elected to roost for the night The
voices of the Fire People at first alarm
ed us, but later, when darkness had
come, we were attracted by the fire.
We crept cautiously and silently from
tree to tree till we got good view of
the scene
In an open space among the trees
near to the river the fire was burning.
About 1t were half dozen fire men.
Lop Ear clutched me suddenly and l
could feel him tremble. looked more
closely and saw the wizened little old
hunter who had shot Broken Tooth out
OF the tree years before. When he got
up and walked about. throwing fresh
wood upon the fire. saw that he
iimped with his crippled leg. What.
ever 1t was, II was permanent In
jury. He seemed more dried up and
wizened than ever and the hair on his
face was quite gray.
The other hunters were young men.
l noted. lying near them on the ground,
their bows ana arrows. and l knew
the weapons for what they were. The
Fire Men wore animal skins around
their wrists and across their shoul.
ders. Their arms and legs, however.
were bare, and they wore no footgear.
AS nave said before, they were not
quite so hairy as we of the folk. They
did not have large heads, and between
them ana the folk there was very lit.
tie difference In the degree Of the slant
OF the head back from the eyes.
Ihey were less stopped than we, less
springy in their movements. Their
backbones and hips and knee Joints
seemed more rigid. Their arms were
not so long as ours either, and | did
not notice that they ever balanced
themselves when they walked by touch.
ing the ground on either side with
their hands; also their muscles were
more rounded and symmetrical than
ours. and their faces were more pleas.
ing. Their nose orlfces opened down
ward; likewise the bridges of their
noses were more developed and did nor
look so squat nor crushed as Ours
Their lips were less nabby ana pen.
dent, and their eyeteeth did not look
so much like fangs. However. they
were quite rs thin hipped MS we ana
did not weigh much more Take It all
In all they were less different from us
than We're we from the Tree People.
Certainly all three kinds were related.
and not so remotely related at that.
The fire around which they sat was
especially attractive. Lop Ear and |
sat for hours watching the flames and
smoke IL was most fascinating when
fresh fuel was thrown on and showers
OF sparks were dying upward. want.
ell TO come closer and look at the fire.
but there was no way. We were
crouching In the forks of a tree on the
edge OF the open space. and we did
not dare run the risk Of being dscov.
cred
The Fire Men squatted around the
hre and slept with their heads bowed
forward on their knees. They did not
sleep soundly. Their ears twitched I'm
their sleep. and they were restless.
Every little while one or another got
up and threw more wood upon the fire,
About the circle OF light In the forest.
In the darkness beyond. roamed hunt
ing animals. Lop Ear and could tell
them by their sounds. There were