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Authors: Allan Richard Shickman
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their caves.
In time the weather turned fine again, but the air was crispâcolder than it had been earlier. A warming blaze became possible at last, and gave some relief. The men gathered around it, making plans, while the women were sent to gather fuel where they could find it. Then the clans moved on, treading the expanse of empty land to a rolling section where they would ascend to the brow of a hill and sink down, only to approach another rising and take it in their stride. The rains had left mires in the lower sections, which, for all the fair weather, were unpleasant to traverse. Whenever the band did cross these marshy places, they were slowed down and chilled. Carrion-devouring birds were seen circling overhead, but at last it was time to camp for the night, and a great new fire dispersed these creatures of prey.
The next morning, the clans awoke to an unusually thick fog that greatly limited their vision. The people were not inclined to move from their relative comfort when they could hardly see, and they began renewing their fires and warming themselves. However, the leaders, conferring together, resolved to press on, and goaded their clans to move. Every breath of wind reminded them that delay could be fatal.
But moving was dangerous too. Silence would be required. In the thick mist, careless chatter might alert unseen enemies and leave the group open to ambush; so a call for quiet was whispered from one to another. The men glanced around with unusual vigilance, clinging to their poison-tipped spears and readying themselves for anything that might spring at them. Every so often they were startled by the cry of a bird or animal they could not see.
The laborious, half-blind advance had not gone far when Chul, who was in the lead, motioned the train to stop. Just ahead, enveloped in fog and only faintly visible against the heavy, misty air, was the ponderous form of a mammoth. Its great domed skull, dark fur, and dangerous tusks would be seen close up, but at first it seemed almost as white as the surrounding vaporâa massive, monstrous blur. It turned out that its huge hooves were sunk in a morass of mud, and it was hardly able to move.
What luck! With a brusque hand signal and no word spoken, Chul alerted the numerous travelers. The babies were hushed and muffled as the women noiselessly drew back. At the same time, Chul waved some hunters forward with their envenomed spears.
The men knew what to do. Splitting into two groups, each band walked stealthily in single file to form a large ring around the great animal (a curl-tusked hill of hairy flesh), and at a signal threw their sharpened staves at their large target. The shrill elephant cry was dreadful as the men simultaneously struck. The mammoth struggled clumsily against the mire and the strange invaders, panic in its eyes. But it was doomed. The more the trapped beast strove, the more it slipped and sank. The thick hide protected it from an easy kill, but the powerful poison, entering through small wounds, did its work. The pathetic creature collapsed to its knees, flailing the ponderous trunk and screeching in terror. When it heavily lay down on its side, still wallowing, ropes were used to ensnare the hooves and trunk.
A few daring youths mounted atop the recumbent animal, among them Zan-Gah, who with grim efficiency stabbed at the animalâs soft throat with repeated spear thrusts. When he hit an artery, the blood issued out in jets, covering most of Zanâs body with the red shower and spilling onto the muddy bed beneath. The helpless animal thrashed and throbbed for a while, making strangled, snorting noises. Then its breath stopped and it was dead.
The hunters were silent at first, awed with their own accomplishment. Then, in the deep fog, and despite the danger of being overheard, a dull cheer of relief and rejoicing rose. It had been an easy kill, and here was meat enough for all the five clans! There would be no weary foraging for
In time the weather turned fine again, but the air was crispâcolder than it had been earlier. A warming blaze became possible at last, and gave some relief. The men gathered around it, making plans, while the women were sent to gather fuel where they could find it. Then the clans moved on, treading the expanse of empty land to a rolling section where they would ascend to the brow of a hill and sink down, only to approach another rising and take it in their stride. The rains had left mires in the lower sections, which, for all the fair weather, were unpleasant to traverse. Whenever the band did cross these marshy places, they were slowed down and chilled. Carrion-devouring birds were seen circling overhead, but at last it was time to camp for the night, and a great new fire dispersed these creatures of prey.
The next morning, the clans awoke to an unusually thick fog that greatly limited their vision. The people were not inclined to move from their relative comfort when they could hardly see, and they began renewing their fires and warming themselves. However, the leaders, conferring together, resolved to press on, and goaded their clans to move. Every breath of wind reminded them that delay could be fatal.
But moving was dangerous too. Silence would be required. In the thick mist, careless chatter might alert unseen enemies and leave the group open to ambush; so a call for quiet was whispered from one to another. The men glanced around with unusual vigilance, clinging to their poison-tipped spears and readying themselves for anything that might spring at them. Every so often they were startled by the cry of a bird or animal they could not see.
The laborious, half-blind advance had not gone far when Chul, who was in the lead, motioned the train to stop. Just ahead, enveloped in fog and only faintly visible against the heavy, misty air, was the ponderous form of a mammoth. Its great domed skull, dark fur, and dangerous tusks would be seen close up, but at first it seemed almost as white as the surrounding vaporâa massive, monstrous blur. It turned out that its huge hooves were sunk in a morass of mud, and it was hardly able to move.
What luck! With a brusque hand signal and no word spoken, Chul alerted the numerous travelers. The babies were hushed and muffled as the women noiselessly drew back. At the same time, Chul waved some hunters forward with their envenomed spears.
The men knew what to do. Splitting into two groups, each band walked stealthily in single file to form a large ring around the great animal (a curl-tusked hill of hairy flesh), and at a signal threw their sharpened staves at their large target. The shrill elephant cry was dreadful as the men simultaneously struck. The mammoth struggled clumsily against the mire and the strange invaders, panic in its eyes. But it was doomed. The more the trapped beast strove, the more it slipped and sank. The thick hide protected it from an easy kill, but the powerful poison, entering through small wounds, did its work. The pathetic creature collapsed to its knees, flailing the ponderous trunk and screeching in terror. When it heavily lay down on its side, still wallowing, ropes were used to ensnare the hooves and trunk.
A few daring youths mounted atop the recumbent animal, among them Zan-Gah, who with grim efficiency stabbed at the animalâs soft throat with repeated spear thrusts. When he hit an artery, the blood issued out in jets, covering most of Zanâs body with the red shower and spilling onto the muddy bed beneath. The helpless animal thrashed and throbbed for a while, making strangled, snorting noises. Then its breath stopped and it was dead.
The hunters were silent at first, awed with their own accomplishment. Then, in the deep fog, and despite the danger of being overheard, a dull cheer of relief and rejoicing rose. It had been an easy kill, and here was meat enough for all the five clans! There would be no weary foraging for
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