Pic felt no little surprise that the retreat of himself and companions was thus undisputed; but Hairi and Wulli showed no inclination7 to worry, so the matter passed from his thoughts. His fears subsided8, his suspicions were lulled9 and he permitted[123] himself a welcome feeling of security. All things pointed10 to an uninterrupted journey south and godspeed.
In the sheltered valley, the Mammoth11 and Rhinoceros12 found sufficient fodder13 to satisfy their wants. But grazing operations consumed much time. They reduced an otherwise rapid flight to a slow and orderly retreat. However, this mattered little. No unusual dangers had appeared and the three friends no longer considered themselves as hunted creatures fleeing through a hostile country. Even while passing through the Kentish Downs, they paid little attention to the narrowing, deepening valley and the mountains rising above them on both sides. Not until they found themselves in a narrow defile14, did any one of the three realize that the broad valley had gradually resolved itself into a deep gorge15 flanked by almost perpendicular16 walls. This gorge terminated in a cleft17 or pass, beyond which spread a vast, gently-rolling plain—the fertile lowlands of the Kentish Weald. The pass was the sole means of reaching the open country unless the trio saw fit to retrace18 their steps and climb the valley slopes for a wide detour19 eastward20. This latter course seemed a needless waste of time and effort considering the end to be attained21. The straightest and shortest route was by all odds22 the best. It lay before them, so they kept on.
[124]
The Mammoth and Rhinoceros began to feel cramped23 for space to maneuver24 their big bodies. No longer did they graze their way along. They appeared more interested in the gorge itself than the food it contained. Their attention became devoted25 to scenery entirely—to the steep, forbidding walls which hemmed27 them in; the rock-strewn heights above their heads and the narrow cleft in front.
As they approached this latter, all three instinctively28 slowed up; just why Pic could only imagine. What an ideal spot for—yes, for what? A wave of apprehension29 suddenly swept over him. No chill wind blew down the gorge; but his hands and feet were become quite cold. He stole a furtive30 glance at his two friends. Hairi was stamping his fore-feet, flapping his big ears and otherwise acting31 strangely. Wulli was turning his head from side to side, testing the air with deep, noisy sniffs32.
“This place seems to be growing too small for us,” said Pic, trying to appear calm; “Hairi is so big, he may never get through that hole.” He grinned a sickly grin that flashed up and died down again before the words were out of his mouth.
“It smells queer too,—this place does,” was Wulli’s disquieting33 response. “I wish we were somewhere else. Don’t you smell anything?” he suddenly asked his giant partner.
Hairi raised his trunk and made a thorough examination.[125] His nose-tip swept the heights on both sides and ahead of him, like the nozzle of a hose. He lowered it at last, looked at Wulli and nodded gravely. Both animals came to a sudden halt.
“Why do you stop?” Pic inquired in studied surprise. “We must go on.”
“Such strange odors,” the Mammoth replied. “The smell of men——”
“Men?” Pic felt as though ants were crawling up his back.
“Oomp! Yes—men,” Hairi replied. “How strange; I thought we had left them far behind.”
“There may be a few, hidden in a cave somewhere among the rocks,” said Pic with a forced smile. “Have no fear.”
“A few? No, many,” snorted the Mammoth. “I smell them everywhere; on both sides and before us. The air is rank with their foul34 odor.”
“It is; he says right,” Wulli added. “The Trog-men are all about us. I smell nothing else.”
Cold sweat dampened Pic’s forehead. The moment called for a keen eye and clear head. He stepped in the lead of the party and looked about him. In his friends’ powers of smell and hearing he had unbounded faith. He mistrusted the sharpness of their eyes but considered their ears and noses infallible. He now watched the Mammoth who had raised his trunk a second time and was pointing it[126] to the heights on his right. The Ape Boy looked in that direction. He dimly saw dark faces peering from behind the rocks which lay strewn along the high ground back from the edge of the gorge. Hairi’s trunk swung to the left;—more rocks and more faces peering down. Pic glanced behind him in dismay. What he saw, made his heart sink.
A wall of smoke filled the valley from height to height, greedily licked up the dry grass and sedge. Bright tongues of flame flashed from beneath. The meadows were afire.
Pic felt like a rat caught in a trap. The blazing meadows cut off all retreat. His enemies held the heights on both sides; but he could see none of them in the gorge itself; none in the pass. The trio must either go forward or retrace their steps through the wall of smoke and fire. The latter choice gave little hope. Neither the Mammoth nor Rhinoceros would face the things they most dreaded—red tongues and white, curling clouds. One glimpse of the terror behind them, and they would break loose in a wild stampede. The Ape Boy looked wildly about him. Advance or retreat—which? He must act quickly, for his friends were becoming more and more alarmed.
Thus far the two animals suspected nothing of the danger in their rear. They stood cowering36 with fear of the threatening human odors and the rocks[127] which hemmed them in. In a moment, their thoughts would turn to the valley behind; their only chance of escape; and then—
“All is clear ahead,” Pic whispered. “There lies our safety. I can see through the cleft to where green pastures await us. Our foes37 lie concealed38 far back upon the heights. They must come much closer if they would stone and spear us. Move on and through before they cut us off.”
Thus encouraged, Hairi and Wulli set their great bodies in motion. Pic led the way, fully39 expecting to see a rush of dark figures hurrying to intercept40 them. But nothing of the sort occurred. Heads and faces appeared in plenty from behind every rock,—but no bodies. No hoarse41 cries arose amid a rush of hurrying feet. The heads craned eagerly forward and the faces stared down at the advancing trio; but they did nothing more and made no sound. The stillness of death was in the air. What did it all mean?
Pic was sorely perplexed42. The strange inaction of his enemies was more terrifying than the din26 of battle. Perhaps he but led his friends into some hidden death-trap. His eyes searched the pass ahead,—the jagged walls, then the ground strewn with tree branches, fresh dirt and grass; and as he looked, his heart leaped almost to his throat.
[128]
“Hold!” he muttered in a low, fearful voice. “Not another step or we are lost.”
At that moment, the Mammoth turned his head to seek the meaning of a new and terrifying odor coming from behind. He saw a wall of red tongues and white curling clouds sweeping43 down upon him.
“Aree, owk, owk; run, run!” he screamed in a frenzy44 of fear. He and the Rhinoceros were about to dash forward in a wild stampede, when Pic sprang in front of him with ax upraised; his face threatening and terrible to see.
“Stand back!” he yelled. “For your lives stand back;” and the flat of his blade smote45 the uplifted trunk a resounding46 blow such as the great Mammoth had never known. Hairi reared back amazed. The blow had struck his most sensitive spot; but the insult delivered by a mere47 pygmy rankled48 more deeply than an open wound. With a scream of rage, he raised a ponderous49 fore-limb to crush the author of such an indignity50, when the Ape Boy pointed to the ground almost beneath his feet.
“See! The pit; it is there.”
The Mammoth saw and shrank back in an agony of dread35. The Rhinoceros cowered51 by his side. Both were terrified, stunned52 by this new horror.
[129]
“Stand Back! For Your Lives, Stand Back!”
Partly screened by branches, dirt and grass, the mouth of a great pit yawned in the path. A few more steps and the whole party would have trodden[130] through its flimsy covering and disappeared into the dark cavity below. Pic stepped to the edge and peered down. The fear of death suddenly gripped his heart. He drew back trembling and afraid.
The pit was broad but the cleft was broader and he was small; so small that he might crawl along one side and get safely by. But the Mammoth and Rhinoceros must be left behind. They were huge, wonderful animals; his friends were—enough food for a hundred mouths. Surely the Men of Kent would be content with such a golden harvest and permit the lone53 Ape Boy to escape. But his companions might escape too, something within him said. Space remained between wall and pit for even a giant like the Mammoth to squeeze safely past; but, after all, Hairi was too frightened to think of such a thing and just when he most needed a clear head to guide him.
Loud shouts sounded upon the heights. Seeing that their plot was discovered, the Men of Kent were clambering down at top speed to reach positions commanding the outlet54 of the pass and thus close this last avenue of escape. Pic heard the shouts and knew that he must act quickly. There was yet time. He glided55 along one side of the pit, then stopped and looked back.
The Mammoth and Rhinoceros stood watching him, stupefied, panic-stricken by the terrors about[131] them. They were his friends; his only friends and they had shared with him their joys and sorrows. Once they had saved him from Grun Waugh’s terrible wrath56; then in a cave, now his father’s tomb. He remembered and felt ashamed and his heart beat strong, for the warrior’s courage now came upon him and his fear of death was passed. He pointed to the space between pit and rock-wall and beckoned57 the two great brutes58 to follow him.
“Come,” he cried, “the earth is firm here. Agh, dear friends; do come and quickly”; but they held back trembling. While he urged and they hesitated, the Men of Kent came racing59 along the heights and took up positions above the mouth of the pass. In a few moments, the rocks swarmed60 with human beings with stones and darts held ready waiting for the trio to emerge. The gorge echoed back their exultant61 yells; from behind, came the roar of flames and crackling brush. Hairi and Wulli stared helplessly at Pic. The latter came dashing back.
“Quick!” he cried. “Raise your foreleg—your trunk. Help me to climb up.” Even in his terror, Hairi remembered. He raised his foreleg and assisted the Ape Boy to climb astride his neck.
“Forward,” his rider sternly commanded. “And hug the wall. Go on, I tell you; there is room to[132] pass”; but the Mammoth stood still, quivering in every muscle—paralyzed with fear.
Pic raised his ax—the blade of Ach Eul. “Quick; do as I say or I will kill you,” he snarled62. “Move on.”
Still trembling from head-peak to toe, the Mammoth obeyed and moved forward. He neared the side of the pit, cautiously testing each bit of ground with his foot and crowding hard against the rock-wall as he advanced. The Rhinoceros followed closely on his partner’s heels. He dared not look down for fear another glimpse of the dark hole might shatter his already over-balanced nerves and cause him to fall in. With a bound, the Mammoth cleared the last bit of treacherous63 footing and stood before the outlet of the pass with the Rhinoceros pressed closely to his side. Above their heads concealed from sight by the steep rock-walls, awaited the Men of Kent brandishing64 their darts and stones.
“Forward,” cried Pic. “And move slowly. When we go through that opening, do not look around or try to run. If you do, you die,” and he held his ax on high so that the Mammoth might see and remember.
Hairi had ceased to tremble now. He was calmed, awed65 by his rider’s commanding presence. His nerves reacted. He raised his head and strode boldly to the mouth of the pass. Above swarmed[133] his enemies awaiting his appearance—the signal for attack; then suddenly all stood transfixed with amazement66 at an unearthly sight sufficient to terrify the boldest.
From the mouth of the cleft, a huge shaggy head with long trunk and curling tusks67 slowly emerged. It was surmounted68 by the figure of a man bearing an upraised ax. A great hairy body followed with a smaller one pressed closely to its side. But the awe-struck Men of Kent had neither eyes nor thoughts for the Ape Boy, the Mammoth and Woolly Rhinoceros. All remembrance of them had vanished at sight of the wonderful head and its human rider. Every voice was hushed; every hand grasping dart2 or stone remained upraised and rigid69 as the trio emerged into the open. The shower of missiles threatened but did not fall as the Mammoth—now under complete control—swept majestically70 on with slow and measured tread. With no more thought of the wrath they held ready to launch upon their intended victims, the Men of Kent stood like statues, gazing in breathless wonder upon the Man Mammoth—sun-god and ruler of the sky. Rooted to the heights and motionless like the shrubs71 about them, they watched the receding72 figures grow smaller and smaller and finally disappear amid the rolling plains and woodlands of the Kentish Weald.
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1
hurl
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| vt.猛投，力掷，声叫骂 | |
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2
dart
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| v.猛冲，投掷；n.飞镖，猛冲 | |
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3
darts
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| n.掷飞镖游戏；飞镖( dart的名词复数 )；急驰，飞奔v.投掷，投射( dart的第三人称单数 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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4
conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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5
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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6
determinedly
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| adv.决意地；坚决地，坚定地 | |
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7
inclination
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| n.倾斜；点头；弯腰；斜坡；倾度；倾向；爱好 | |
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8
subsided
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| v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的过去式和过去分词 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上 | |
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9
lulled
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| vt.使镇静，使安静（lull的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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10
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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mammoth
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| n.长毛象；adj.长毛象似的，巨大的 | |
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12
rhinoceros
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| n.犀牛 | |
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13
fodder
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| n.草料；炮灰 | |
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14
defile
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| v.弄污，弄脏；n.(山间)小道 | |
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15
gorge
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| n.咽喉，胃，暴食，山峡；v.塞饱，狼吞虎咽地吃 | |
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16
perpendicular
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| adj.垂直的，直立的；n.垂直线，垂直的位置 | |
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17
cleft
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| n.裂缝；adj.裂开的 | |
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18
retrace
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| v.折回；追溯，探源 | |
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19
detour
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| n.绕行的路，迂回路；v.迂回，绕道 | |
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20
eastward
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| adv.向东；adj.向东的；n.东方，东部 | |
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21
attained
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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22
odds
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| n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别 | |
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23
cramped
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| a.狭窄的 | |
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24
maneuver
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| n.策略[pl.]演习；v.(巧妙)控制；用策略 | |
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25
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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26
din
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| n.喧闹声，嘈杂声 | |
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27
hemmed
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| 缝…的褶边( hem的过去式和过去分词 )； 包围 | |
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28
instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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29
apprehension
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| n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑 | |
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30
furtive
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| adj.鬼鬼崇崇的，偷偷摸摸的 | |
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31
acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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32
sniffs
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| v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的第三人称单数 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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33
disquieting
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| adj.令人不安的，令人不平静的v.使不安，使忧虑，使烦恼( disquiet的现在分词 ) | |
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34
foul
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| adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规 | |
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35
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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36
cowering
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| v.畏缩，抖缩( cower的现在分词 ) | |
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37
foes
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| 敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 ) | |
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38
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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39
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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40
intercept
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| vt.拦截，截住，截击 | |
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41
hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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42
perplexed
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| adj.不知所措的 | |
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43
sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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44
frenzy
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| n.疯狂，狂热，极度的激动 | |
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45
smote
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| v.猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去式 ) | |
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46
resounding
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| adj. 响亮的 | |
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47
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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48
rankled
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| v.（使）痛苦不已，（使）怨恨不已( rankle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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49
ponderous
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| adj.沉重的，笨重的，(文章)冗长的 | |
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50
indignity
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| n.侮辱，伤害尊严，轻蔑 | |
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51
cowered
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| v.畏缩，抖缩( cower的过去式 ) | |
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52
stunned
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| adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词 | |
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53
lone
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| adj.孤寂的，单独的；唯一的 | |
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54
outlet
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| n.出口/路；销路；批发商店；通风口；发泄 | |
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55
glided
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| v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔 | |
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56
wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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57
beckoned
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| v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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58
brutes
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| 兽( brute的名词复数 )； 畜生； 残酷无情的人； 兽性 | |
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59
racing
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| n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的 | |
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60
swarmed
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| 密集( swarm的过去式和过去分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去 | |
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61
exultant
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| adj.欢腾的，狂欢的，大喜的 | |
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62
snarled
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| v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的过去式和过去分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
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63
treacherous
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| adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的 | |
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64
brandishing
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| v.挥舞( brandish的现在分词 )；炫耀 | |
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65
awed
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| adj.充满敬畏的，表示敬畏的v.使敬畏，使惊惧( awe的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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66
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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67
tusks
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| n.（象等动物的）长牙( tusk的名词复数 )；獠牙；尖形物；尖头 | |
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68
surmounted
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| 战胜( surmount的过去式和过去分词 )； 克服（困难）； 居于…之上； 在…顶上 | |
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69
rigid
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| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
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70
majestically
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| 雄伟地； 庄重地； 威严地； 崇高地 | |
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71
shrubs
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| 灌木( shrub的名词复数 ) | |
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72
receding
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| v.逐渐远离( recede的现在分词 )；向后倾斜；自原处后退或避开别人的注视；尤指问题 | |
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