[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

his boat he raised his voice in a loud halloo.
Presently a clattering of falling stones from the cliff facing the beach attracted the attention of Tur and the
girl. Already half way down, the figure of an agile giant was leaping toward them in descent. From his
shoulders fluttered the skin of a cave-lion. From his shock of black hair a single long feather rose straight
and defiantly aloft.
A single glance revealed to Tur the fact that this was no member of his tribe. It was a stranger, and so an
enemy. Nat-ul recognized Nu at once. She gave a little cry of delight at sight of him, a cry that was
answered by a shout of encouragement from Nu. Tur threw the girl roughly into the bottom of the boat,
holding her there with one hand, though she fought bitterly to escape, while with his free hand he dragged
first his boat and then Nu's out into deeper water.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
Handicapped though he was, Tur worked rapidly, for he was at home in the surf and wonderfully
proficient in the handling of the cumbersome craft of his tribe even under the most adverse conditions. At
last he succeeded in shoving Nu's boat into the grip of a receding roller that carried it swiftly away from
shore, and at the same time he shoved his own through, leaping into it with his captive.
Nat-ul fought her way to her knees, calling aloud to Nu, and striving desperately to throw herself
overboard, but Tur held her fast, paddling with one hand, and when Nu reached the water's edge they
were well beyond his reach. So, too, was his own tree-trunk. Between him and Nat-ul the sea swarmed
with carnivorous reptiles. Every instant was carrying her away from him. The troglodyte scarce hesitated.
With a swift movement he threw off his lion skin and discarded his stone ax, then, naked but for a loin
cloth, and armed only with his knife he dove through the pounding surf into the frightful sea.
As Nat-ul witnessed his act she redoubled her efforts to retard Tur. Crawling to her knees she threw
both arms about her captor's neck, dragging him down until he could no longer wield his paddle. Tur
fought to disengage himself. He did not wish to kill or maim his captive -- she was far too beautiful to
destroy or disfigure -- he wanted her in all her physical perfection, just as she was.
Gradually Nu was overhauling them. Twice he was attacked by slimy monsters. Once he fought his way
to victory, and again the two who menaced him fell to fighting between themselves and forgot their prey.
At last he was within reach of Tur's boat. Nat-ul battling with desperation and every ounce of her
strength to hamper Tur's movements was tugging at the man's arms. He could do nothing, and already Nu
had seized the side of the craft and was raising one leg over it.
With a sudden wrench Tur freed his right hand. Nat-ul strove to regain it, but the great fist rose above
her face. With terrific impact it fell upon her forehead. All went black before her as she released her hold
upon Tur and sank to the bottom of the boat, unconscious.
Instantly Tur snatched up his paddle and leaping to his feet beat furiously at Nu's head and hands.
Bravely the man strove to force his way into the boat in the face of this terrific punishment; but it was too
severe, and at last, half stunned, he slipped back into the water, as Tur drove his paddle once again and
the rude craft forged away toward the mainland.
When Nat-ul regained consciousness she found herself lymg upon a shaggy aurochs skin beneath a rude
shelter of thatch and hide. Her hands and feet were securely bound with tough bullock sinew. When she
struggled to free herself they cut into her soft flesh, hurting cruelly. So she lay still looking straight up at
the funnel-like peak of the shelter's interior.
She knew where she was. This was one of the strange caves of the people she had seen working upon
the tree trunks, for what purpose she now knew. She turned her head toward the entrance. Beyond she
saw men and women squatting about small fires, eating. It was already dark. Beyond them were other
fires, larger fires that kept the savage carnivora at bay.
And beyond this outer circle of fires, from out of the outer darkness, came the roaring and the coughing,
the grunting and the growling of scores of terrible beasts of prey, that slunk back and forth about the
encampment thirsting for the blood of the men and women and children who huddled within the safety of
the protecting fires.
Occasionally a little boy would snatch up a burning brand and hurl it among the night prowlers. There
would be a chorus of angry screams and low toned, rumbling growls as the menacers retreated for an
instant, then the ring of shadowy forms, and the glowing spots of burning flame that were their eyes,
would reform out of the stygian blackness of the night.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
Once a cave-lion, emboldened by familiarity with the camp fires of primitive people, leaped through the
encircling ring of flame. Into the midst of a family party he sprang, seizing upon an old man. Instantly a
half hundred warriors snatched up their spears, and as the lion turned with his prey and leaped back into
the night fifty harpoons caught him in mid-air.
Down he came directly on top of a flaming pile of brush, and with him came the old man. The warriors
leaped forward with whirling axes. What mattered it if the old man was pierced by a dozen of the spears
that had been intended for the marauder? They leaped and shouted in savage glee, for the lion was dead
even before a single ax had smitten him. The old man was dead, too. Him they hurled out to the beasts
beyond the flames; the lion they first skinned.
It was an awful spectacle, that evening scene in the far antiquity of man, when the Boat Builders, come
north in search of new fisheries, camped upon the shore of the Restless Sea in the edge of the jungle
primeval; but to Nat-ul it presented nothing remarkable. To such scenes she had been accustomed since
earliest childhood. Of course, with her people the danger of attack by wild beasts at night was minimized [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

zanotowane.pl

doc.pisz.pl

pdf.pisz.pl

qus.htw.pl