the jacket (the star-rover)-第50章

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had　not　the　faith　in　my　emprise　and　invention　to　venture　through　the

night　to　the　pit　and　the　stake　I　had　devised　for　the　undoing　of

Sabre…Tooth。　　But　my　woman；　my　savage　mate　held　me；　savage　that　I

was；　and　her　eyes　drew　me；　and　her　arms　chained　me；　and　her　twining

legs　and　heart　beating　to　mine　seduced　me　from　my　far　dream　of

things；　my　man's　achievement；　the　goal　beyond　goals；　the　taking　and

the　slaying　of　Sabre…Tooth　on　the　stake　in　the　pit。



Once　I　wan　Ushu；　the　archer。　　I　remember　it　well。　　For　I　was　lost

from　my　own　people；　through　the　great　forest；　till　I　emerged　on　the

flat　lands　and　grass　lands；　and　was　taken　in　by　a　strange　people；

kin　in　that　their　skin　was　white；　their　hair　yellow；　their　speech

not　too　remote　from　mine。　　And　she　was　Igar；　and　I　drew　her　as　I

sang　in　the　twilight；　for　she　was　destined　a　race…mother；　and　she

was　broad…built　and　full…dugged；　and　she　could　not　but　draw　to　the

man　heavy…muscled；　deep…chested；　who　sang　of　his　prowess　in　man…

slaying　and　in　meat…getting；　and　so；　promised　food　and　protection　to

her　in　her　weakness　whilst　she　mothered　the　seed　that　was　to　hunt

the　meat　and　live　after　her。



And　these　people　knew　not　the　wisdom　of　my　people；　in　that　they

snared　and　pitted　their　meat　and　in　battle　used　clubs　and　stone

throwing…sticks　and　were　unaware　of　the　virtues　of　arrows　swift…

flying；　notched　on　the　end　to　fit　the　thong　of　deer…sinew；　well…

twisted；　that　sprang　into　straightness　when　released　to　the　spring

of　the　ask…stick　bent　in　the　middle。



And　while　I　sang；　the　stranger　men　laughed　in　the　twilight。　　And

only　she；　Igar；　believed　and　had　faith　in　me。　　I　took　her　alone　to

the　hunting；　where　the　deer　sought　the　water…hole。　　And　my　bow

twanged　and　sang　in　the　covert；　and　the　deer　fell　fast…stricken；　and

the　warm　meat　was　sweet　to　us；　and　she　was　mine　there　by　the　water…

hole。



And　because　of　Igar　I　remained　with　the　strange　men。　　And　I　taught

them　the　making　of　bows　from　the　red　and　sweet…smelling　wood　like

unto　cedar。　　And　I　taught　them　to　keep　both　eyes　open；　and　to　aim

with　the　left　eye；　and　to　make　blunt　shafts　for　small　game；　and

pronged　shafts　of　bone　for　the　fish　in　the　clear　water；　and　to　flake

arrow…heads　from　obsidian　for　the　deer　and　the　wild　horse；　the　elk

and　old　Sabre…Tooth。　　But　the　flaking　of　stone　they　laughed　at；　till

I　shot　an　elk　through　and　through；　the　flaked　stone　standing　out　and

beyond；　the　feathered　shaft　sunk　in　its　vitals；　the　whole　tribe

applauding。



I　was　Ushu；　the　archer；　and　Igar　was　my　woman　and　mate。　　We　laughed

under　the　sun　in　the　morning；　when　our　man…child　and　woman…child；

yellowed　like　honey…bees；　sprawled　and　rolled　in　the　mustard；　and　at

night　she　lay　close　in　my　arms；　and　loved　me；　and　urged　me；　because

of　my　skill　at　the　seasoning　of　woods　and　the　flaking　of　arrow…

heads；　that　I　should　stay　close　by　the　camp　and　let　the　other　men

bring　to　me　the　meat　from　the　perils　of　hunting。　　And　I　listened；

and　grew　fat　and　short…breathed；　and　in　the　long　nights；　unsleeping；

worried　that　the　men　of　the　stranger　tribe　brought　me　meat　for　my

wisdom　and　honour；　but　laughed　at　my　fatness　and　undesire　for　the

hunting　and　fighting。



And　in　my　old　age；　when　our　sons　were　man…grown　and　our　daughters

were　mothers；　when　up　from　the　southland　the　dark　men；　flat…browed；

kinky…headed；　surged　like　waves　of　the　sea　upon　us　and　we　fled　back

before　them　to　the　hill…slopes；　Igar；　like　my　mates　far　before　and

long　after；　leg…twining；　arm…clasping；　unseeing　far　visions；　strove

to　hold　me　aloof　from　the　battle。



And　I　tore　myself　from　her；　fat　and　short…breathed；　while　she　wept

that　no　longer　I　loved　her；　and　I　went　out　to　the　night…fighting　and

dawn…fighting；　where；　to　the　singing　of　bowstrings　and　the　shrilling

of　arrows；　feathered；　sharp…pointed；　we　showed　them；　the　kinky…

heads；　the　skill　of　the　killing　and　taught　them　the　wit　and　the

willing　of　slaughter。



And　as　I　died　them　at　the　end　of　the　fighting；　there　were　death

songs　and　singing　about　me；　and　the　songs　seemed　to　sing　as　these

the　words　I　have　written　when　I　was　Ushu；　the　archer；　and　Igar；　my

mate…woman；　leg…twining；　arm…clasping；　would　have　held　me　back　from

the　battle。



Once；　and　heaven　alone　knows　when；　save　that　it　was　in　the　long　ago

when　man　was　young；　we　lived　beside　great　swamps；　where　the　hills

drew　down　close　to　the　wide；　sluggish　river；　and　where　our　women

gathered　berries　and　roots；　and　there　were　herds　of　deer；　of　wild

horses；　of　antelope；　and　of　elk；　that　we　men　slew　with　arrows　or

trapped　in　the　pits　or　hill…pockets。　　From　the　river　we　caught　fish

in　nets　twisted　by　the　women　of　the　bark　of　young　trees。



I　was　a　man；　eager　and　curious　as　the　antelope　when　we　lured　it　by

waving　grass　clumps　where　we　lay　hidden　in　the　thick　of　the　grass。

The　wild　rice　grew　in　the　swamp；　rising　sheer　from　the　water　on　the

edges　of　the　channels。　　Each　morning　the　blackbirds　awoke　us　with

their　chatter　as　they　left　their　roosts　to　fly　to　the　swamp。　　And

through　the　long　twilight　the　air　was　filled　with　their　noise　as

they　went　back　to　their　roosts。　　It　was　the　time　that　the　rice

ripened。　　And　there　were　ducks　also；　and　ducks　and　blackbirds

feasted　to　fatness　on　the　ripe　rice　half　unhusked　by　the　sun。



Being　a　man；　ever　restless；　ever　questing；　wondering　always　what　lay

beyond　the　hills　and　beyond　the　swamps　and　in　the　mud　at　the　river's

bottom；　I　watched　the　wild　ducks　and　blackbirds　and　pondered　till　my

pondering　gave　me　vision　and　I　saw。　　And　this　is　what　I　saw；　the

reasoning　of　it：



Meat　was　good　to　eat。　　In　the　end；　tracing　it　back；　or　at　the　first；

rather；　all　meat　came　from　grass。　　The　meat　of　the　duck　and　of　the

blackbird　came　from　the　seed　of　the　swamp　rice。　　To　kill　a　duck　with

an　arrow　scarce　paid　for　the　labour　of　stalking　and　the　long　hours

in　hiding。　　The　blackbirds　were　too　small　for　arrow…killing　save　by

the　boys　who　were　learning　and　preparing　for　the　taking　of　larger

game。　　And　yet；　in　rice　season；　blackbirds　and　ducks　were

succulently　fat。　　Their　fatness　came　from　the　rice。　　Why　should　I

and　mine　not　be　fat　from　the　rice　in　the　same　way？



And　I　thought　it　out　in　camp；　silent；　morose；　while　the　children

squabbled　about　me　unnoticed；　and　while　Arunga；　my　mate…woman；

vainly　scolded　me　and　urged　me　to　go　hunting　for　more　meat　for　the

many　of　us。



Arunga　was　the　woman　I　had　stolen　from　the　hill…tribes。　　She　and　I

had　been　a　dozen　moons　in　learning　common　speech　after　I　captured

her。　　Ah；　that　day　when　I　leaped　upon　her；　down　from　the　over…

hanging　tree…branch　as　she　padded　the　runway！　　Fairly　upon　her

shoulders　with　the　weight　of　my　body　I　smote　her；　my　fingers　wide…

spreading　to　clutch　her。　　She　squalled　like　a　cat　there　in　the

runway。　　She　fought　me　and　bit　me。　　The　nails　of　her　hands　were　like

the　claws　of　a　tree…cat　as　they　tore　at　me。　　But　I　held　her　and

mastered　her；　and　for　two　days　beat　her　and　forced　her　to　travel

with　me　down　out　of　the　canyons　of　the　Hill…Men　to　the　grass　lands

where　the　river　flowed　through　the　rice…swamps　and　the　ducks　and　the

blackbirds　fed　fat。



I　saw　my　vision　when　the　rice　was　ripe。　　I　put　Arunga　in　the　bow　of

the　fire…hollowed　log　that　was　most　rudely　a　canoe。　　I　bade　her

paddle。　　In　the　stern　I　spread　a　deerskin　she　had　tanned。　　With　two

stout　sticks　I　bent　the　stalks　over　the　deerskin　and　threshed　out

the　grain　that　else　the　blackbirds　would　have　eaten。　　And　when　I　had

worked　out　the　way　of　it；　I　gave　the　two　stout　sticks　to　Arunga；　and

sat　in　the　bow　paddling　and　directing。



In　the　past　we　had　eaten　the　raw　rice　in　passing　and　not　been

pleased　with　it。　　But　now　we　parched　it　over　our　fire　so　that　the

grains　puffed　and　exploded　in　whiteness　and　all　the　tribe　came

running　to　taste。



After　that　we　became　known　among　men　as　the　Rice…Eaters　and　as　the

Sons　of　the　Rice。　　And　long；　long　after；　when　we　were　driven　by　the

Sons　of　the　River　from　the　swamps　into　the　uplands；　we　took　the　seed

of　the　rice　with　us　and　planted　it。　　We　learned　to　select　the

largest　grains　for　the　seed；　so　that　all　the　rice　we　thereafter　ate

was　larger…grained　and　puffier　in　the　parching　and　the　boiling。



But　Arunga。　　I　have　said　she　squalled　and　scratched　like　a　cat　when

I　stole　her。　　Yet　I　remember　the　time　when　her　own　kin　of　the　Hill…

Men　caught　me　and　carried　me　away　into　the　hills。　　They　were　her

father；　his　brother；　and　her　two　own　blood…brothers。　　But　she　was

mine；　who　had　lived　with　me。　　And　at　night；　where　I　lay　bound　like　a

wild　pig　for　the　slaying；　and　they　slept　weary　by　the　fire；　she

crept　upon　them　and　brained　them　with　the　war…club　that　with　my

hands　I　had　fashioned。　　And　she　wept　over　me；　and　loosed　me；　and

fled　with　me；　back　to　the　wide　sluggish　river　where　the　blackbirds

and　wild　ducks　fed　in　the　rice　swampsfor　this　was　before　the　time

of　the　coming　of　the　Sons　of　the　River。



For　she　was　Arunga；　the　one　woman；　the　eternal　woman。　　She　has　lived

in　all　times　and　places。　　She　will　always　live。　　She　is　immortal。

Once；　in　a　far　land；　her　name　was　Ruth。　　Also　has　her　name　been

Iseult；　and　Helen；　Pocahontas；　and　Unga。　　And　no　stranger　man；　from

stranger　tribes；　but　has　found　her　and　will　find　her　in　the　tribes

of　all　the　earth。



I　remember　so　many　women　who　have　gone　into　the　becoming　of　the　one

woman。　　There　was　the　time　that　Har；　my　brother；　and　I；　sleeping　and

pursuing　in　turn；　ever　hounding　the　wild　stallion　through　the

daytime　and　night；　and　in　a　wide　circle　that　met　where　the　sleeping

one　lay；　drove　the　stallion　unresting　through　hunger　and　thirst　to

the　meekness　of　weakness；　so　that　in　the　end　he　could　but　stand　and

tremble　while　we　bound　him　with　ropes　twisted　of　deer…hide。　　On　our

legs　alone；　without　hardship；　aided　merely　by　witthe　plan　was

minemy　brother　and　I　walked　that　fleet…footed　creature　into

possession。



And　when　all　was　ready　for　me　to　get　on　his　backfor　that　had　been

my　vision　from　the　firstSelpa；　my　woman；　put　her　arms　about　me；

and　raised　her　voice　and　persisted　that　Har；　and　not　I；　should　ride；

for　Har　had　neither　wife　nor　young　ones　and　could　die　without　hurt。

Also；　in　the　end　she　wept；　so　that　I　was　raped　of　my　vision；　and　it

was　Har；　naked　and　clinging；　that　bestrode　the　stallion　when　he

vaulted　away。



It　was　sunset；　and　a　time　of　great　wailing；　when　they　carried　Har　in

from　the　far　rocks　where　they　found　him。　　His　head　was　quite　broken；

and　like　honey　from　a　fallen　bee…tree　his　brains　dripped　on　the

ground。　　His　mother　strewed　wood…ashes　on　her　head　and　blackened　her

face。　　His　father　cut　off　half　the　fingers　of　one　hand　in　token　of

sorrow。　　And　all　the　women；　especially　the　young　and　unwedded；

screamed　evil　names　at　me；　and　the　elders　shook　their　wise　heads　and

muttered　and　mumbled　that　not　their　fathers　nor　their　fathers'

fathers　had　betrayed　such　a　madness。　　Horse　meat　was　good　to　eat；

young　colts　were　tende