His equipment consisted of a hide, a wooden javelin5 with fire-hardened point and a flint-ax. The latter, his main reliance, was his recently acquired blade bound to a long wooden haft. He had spent much time upon this his masterpiece. “No man with such a weapon need starve,” he calculated. Had Gonch thought otherwise, he would never have considered making the journey. The hide he carried was intended as a body covering when he stopped at night to rest. Provisions he had none because the Castillan larder6 was as bare as a bone. He must depend upon his own hunting from the very start.
At sunrise the next day, he stood at the cave-mouth[7] fully7 equipped for his perilous8 undertaking. He warmed himself by the fire which burned at the threshold. This was to be the last time he did so for many a long day. Fire meant health and comfort; more than that, frequently it was all that stood between the cave-men and death. Men treasured it even more than they did their lives. Gonch was now leaving his one and only true friend: the fire that blazed upon the cave-hearth.
Every Castillan was on hand to bid the Muskman farewell. The children, those which famine and disease had spared, looked upon him wonderingly. The women admired. The men had caught the spirit of this adventure. Any or all of them would have been glad to accompany him, had he but said the word. But the word was not said. This was a one-man project requiring much thought and care for its successful execution and Gonch would trust nobody but himself. His was a bold undertaking which promised rich returns if successful. He was to see the Mammoth9 Man in person and persuade or force that wonderful being to return to Castillo with him. Once there, he would make flint weapons for his new masters and the whole tribe would prosper10 accordingly. It was an admirable conception. All that remained was for the Muskman to carry it out.
As he left the fire, the cave-men pressed about him to wish him good luck. Totan alone stood aloof11 scowling12 ferociously13. He was chief of the Castillans and Gonch only second man but in the[8] latter he saw possibilities of a dangerous rival; not one whom he need fear in single combat but who might accomplish by chicanery14 what he could not do by force. The hetman was saying to himself: “You have undertaken too much, vain boaster. If you are lucky enough to escape death in the far-off country, you will find it here when you return to disappoint us”; and Gonch was thinking at the same time as he observed the hetman glaring at him: “I am not risking my life for you, stupid pig. Some day you and all the rest of these savages15 will be my slaves.” Then he turned away and clambered down the mountain side while the men of Castillo yelled themselves hoarse16 and finally returned to the fire to warm themselves, leaving the Muskman to go the rest of his way alone.
His path led directly eastward17 along the northern slopes of the Cantabrian Mountains. It was a strange country to him, once he had travelled several days journey beyond the province of Castillo. Its inhabitants—men and beasts—were strange too and looked askance at the intruder—a lone3 man armed with a flint-ax and wooden spear. However, Gonch led a charmed life. He met occasional bands of roving hunters, some of which he fled from and others avoided by concealing20 himself.
Animals were far more numerous than human beings. Gonch encountered them everywhere and at all times, singly and in groups, packs and herds21: horse, bison and long-horned ox of the meadow lands; moose, boar and stag of the forests; and[9] various other lesser22 creatures of field, hill and glade23. As a rule, all grazing and browsing24 animals made a practice of avoiding the rough country where rocks, hills and thickets25 abounded26, for in such regions all manner of flesh-eaters made their homes. It was not a fellow feeling that attracted the cannibal man to the rough country. He felt more at home there because it suited his physical being best. This refers mainly to his foot structure. Short heels and flexible toes were best fitted for clambering over cliffs and through the timber; not for travelling hard level roads. And so Gonch sought the broken region which, although his favorite element, had its drawbacks, for now he came in close contact with the prowling flesh-eaters.
Hyenas27 were too cowardly to attack him and lynxes, which usually hunted singly, he looked upon as a fair match because of his flint-ax; a formidable weapon in the hands of a strong and courageous28 man. Gonch was a strong and courageous man who feared no beast nor human being, Totan alone excepted. His knowledge of woodcraft, powers of scent29, sight and hearing were a match for any animal. These gifts in addition to his human wit and cunning carried him through many apparently30 hopeless situations.
A fortnight of incessant31 plodding32 brought him to a broad pass running through the Cantabrians from north to south. A river flowed through it to the Gascon Gulf33. As he stood upon the bank of this river, his sharp ears caught the sound of distant[10] howls coming from behind him. Far away he saw a group of animals, mere34 specks35 racing36 over the hills and after him full cry. Fastening his hide and weapons about his shoulders in a pack so as to leave his arms free, Gonch waded37 into the river and swam across. On nearing the eastern shore, he made no effort to continue his flight, not even attempting a landing but remaining in the water which reached to above his knees. Here he rid himself of his spear and hide, tossing them to the bank above his head. Thus free of all encumbrance38 except his ax, he rested and made ready to defend himself.
The howling grew louder and as the fugitive39 looked to the west bank from whence he had come, he saw a dozen or more wolves tearing down the slopes to where he had first entered the water. Here the trail was lost and for a time the fierce beasts were at fault running up and down near the water’s edge and occasionally stopping to look across the river; but finally all waded in and the flotilla of heads came sailing across the stream. Gonch stood motionless in the water awaiting them, holding his ax in his jaws40 and with a stone snatched from the river bottom, held in either hand. As the pack came within throwing range, they were greeted with a volley of stones, one following another as fast as Gonch could pluck them from the river-bed. This was more than his assailants had bargained for. Many of the missiles reached their marks and the howls changed to yelps41 of pain. The wolves of the mountain slopes were a poor lot compared with their giant cousins, the Cave and Timber variety, or the Muskman would probably have been obliged to finally decide the issue at close quarters with the flint-ax. However, in the present circumstances, this proved unnecessary. His enemies, although having stomach for food, had little for fighting and were only too glad to swim back the way they had come as soon as they found themselves getting the worst of it.
Finding himself in no further immediate42 danger, Gonch climbed the bank, recovered his spear and hide and then resumed his journey. Near the eastern terminus of the Cantabrians, a region of rocks and ravines, he was obliged to pass through the lion country. This was by far the most difficult and most dangerous portion of his journey. It would appear that the good fortune he had experienced thus far was about to desert him, for just when he needed his wits and strength most, an attack of mountain influenza43 sapped his vitality44 and almost destroyed his power of scent. He strove to continue but finding the task too great while the malady45 was upon him, he climbed to the loftiest and most inaccessible46 rocks he could find, there to lie in his hide-wrappings in a torment47 of pain and burning fever.
For two long nights and days, he lay there while great shaggy lions glided48 in and out among the rocks and underbrush, snarling49 and growling50 and frequently emitting thunderous roars, for in some[13] way it had become known to them that a puny51 Trog-man had dared intrude18 upon their domains52. During the second night of his sickness, Gonch’s fever left him and he became conscious of what was going on about him. Above his head was the dark blue sky and a full moon flooding the country with its jejune53 light. Below him, the rocks cast deep shadows one upon another. Then appeared other shadows which moved to the accompaniment of low snuffling growls54 and he discerned four figures crawling at the foot of the very rocks among whose tops he lay hidden. Even one lion would have found Gonch easy prey55, but here were four with many others no doubt not far distant.
Fortunately none of the animals ascended56 to where the Muskman had taken refuge. Perhaps his scent had grown cold or perhaps his trackers felt a certain timidity about rushing too blindly upon one whose very boldness suggested unknown power to defend himself. When the daylight came, they went away, thus enabling the Muskman to drag himself down to where a tiny stream of water spouted57 from the rocks. He cooled his parched58 lips and aching head and this gave him strength enough to kill a rabbit by the well-aimed blow of a stone pitched by his hand. The food gave him further strength and after climbing back to his nest and securing a refreshing59 sleep, he was enabled to proceed upon his way.
He encountered lions and panthers before he reached the level country but he managed to escape[14] them all. He survived hunger and cold. Storm, torrent60, avalanche61; all swept above and around him leaving him unscathed. It now seemed as though some kind fate had chosen to watch over this evil man; evil because he had never known good and whose bold purpose would never have been undertaken had it not promised to result in his own selfish advancement62. He arrived safely at the western terminus of the Pyrenees mountains and avoided the difficulties of their passage by deviating63 northward64 to the shores of the Gascon Gulf then eastward once more into the lowlands of southwestern France. This latter was a soggy region watered by many creeks65 and larger streams whose origin might have been traced to the northern slopes of the Pyrenees. Gonch had a hard time of it getting past all this; wading66, swimming and dragging his mud-laden feet through bogs67 and sloughs68. After crossing the Garonne River, the worst of his journey was over, for between it and the Dordogne, lay much of his favorite rugged69 country; broad table-lands, cliffs and ravines, frequently broken by dense70 brakes and groups of forest trees. When finally the Dordogne River was passed, he adopted extra precautions and took more pains to conceal19 himself, for now all signs pointed71 to the proximity72 of human beings.
A mile or more upstream from where he had crossed the Dordogne, the river was joined by one of its northern tributaries73, the Vézère. The latter meandered74 through a deep rock-channel with[15] stately cliff’s and fertile meadows alternating along its banks. The cliffs in many places extended almost to the river margin75; in others, they lay far back. The valley between them was but a wide ditch cut through a limestone76 plateau with a river winding77 through it from side to side. “A river winds through a broad valley between walls of stone”; Gonch suddenly recalled the stranger’s words. He glowed with the excitement of discovery and gazed eagerly at the distant cliffs which as much as said:
“This is man’s country; probably the home of him you have come to see.” Soon he observed a faint haze78 ascending79 above the rocks and so he proceeded in that direction, following the right bank of the Vézère or rather the border of the plateau which overlooked it. Finally his nose caught whiffs of smoke and he saw white wreaths ascending above the cliffs ahead of him. Throwing himself flat on his chest and stomach, he wriggled80 his way to the edge of the plateau and peered over.
To his disappointment, he saw nothing, for the rock-wall leaned outward and he could only guess what might be beneath. However, there was a deep rift81 in the plateau. It was near at hand and led down almost to the valley, so he dropped into that and made his way to the outlet82. From there, twenty feet above the ground crouching83 low so as to escape being seen, he had a clear view of what was transpiring84 in the valley below.
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1
toiled
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| 长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的过去式和过去分词 )； 艰难缓慢地移动，跋涉 | |
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undertaking
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| n.保证，许诺，事业 | |
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lone
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| adj.孤寂的，单独的；唯一的 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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javelin
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| n.标枪，投枪 | |
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larder
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| n.食物贮藏室，食品橱 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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8
perilous
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| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
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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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prosper
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| v.成功，兴隆，昌盛；使成功，使昌隆，繁荣 | |
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aloof
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| adj.远离的；冷淡的，漠不关心的 | |
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scowling
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| 怒视，生气地皱眉( scowl的现在分词 ) | |
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ferociously
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| 野蛮地，残忍地 | |
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chicanery
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| n.欺诈，欺骗 | |
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savages
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| 未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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16
hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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17
eastward
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| adv.向东；adj.向东的；n.东方，东部 | |
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intrude
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| vi.闯入；侵入；打扰，侵扰 | |
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conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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concealing
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，遮住( conceal的现在分词 ) | |
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21
herds
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| 兽群( herd的名词复数 )； 牧群； 人群； 群众 | |
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22
lesser
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| adj.次要的，较小的；adv.较小地，较少地 | |
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23
glade
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| n.林间空地，一片表面有草的沼泽低地 | |
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24
browsing
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| v.吃草( browse的现在分词 )；随意翻阅；（在商店里）随便看看；（在计算机上）浏览信息 | |
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thickets
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| n.灌木丛( thicket的名词复数 )；丛状物 | |
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abounded
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| v.大量存在，充满，富于( abound的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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27
hyenas
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| n.鬣狗( hyena的名词复数 ) | |
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28
courageous
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| adj.勇敢的，有胆量的 | |
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29
scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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30
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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31
incessant
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| adj.不停的，连续的 | |
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plodding
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| a.proceeding in a slow or dull way | |
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gulf
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| n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂 | |
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34
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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specks
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| n.眼镜；斑点，微粒，污点( speck的名词复数 ) | |
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racing
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| n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的 | |
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37
waded
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| （从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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38
encumbrance
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| n.妨碍物，累赘 | |
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39
fugitive
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| adj.逃亡的，易逝的；n.逃犯，逃亡者 | |
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40
jaws
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| n.口部；嘴 | |
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41
yelps
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| n.（因痛苦、气愤、兴奋等的）短而尖的叫声( yelp的名词复数 )v.发出短而尖的叫声( yelp的第三人称单数 ) | |
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42
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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43
influenza
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| n.流行性感冒，流感 | |
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44
vitality
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| n.活力，生命力，效力 | |
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45
malady
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| n.病，疾病(通常做比喻) | |
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46
inaccessible
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| adj.达不到的，难接近的 | |
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47
torment
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| n.折磨；令人痛苦的东西(人)；vt.折磨；纠缠 | |
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48
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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49
snarling
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| v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的现在分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
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50
growling
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| n.吠声, 咆哮声 v.怒吠, 咆哮, 吼 | |
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51
puny
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| adj.微不足道的，弱小的 | |
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52
domains
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| n.范围( domain的名词复数 )；领域；版图；地产 | |
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53
jejune
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| adj.枯燥无味的，贫瘠的 | |
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54
growls
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的第三人称单数 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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55
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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56
ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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57
spouted
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| adj.装有嘴的v.（指液体）喷出( spout的过去式和过去分词 )；滔滔不绝地讲；喋喋不休地说；喷水 | |
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58
parched
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| adj.焦干的；极渴的；v.（使）焦干 | |
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59
refreshing
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| adj.使精神振作的，使人清爽的，使人喜欢的 | |
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60
torrent
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| n.激流，洪流；爆发，(话语等的)连发 | |
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61
avalanche
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| n.雪崩，大量涌来 | |
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62
advancement
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| n.前进，促进，提升 | |
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63
deviating
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| v.偏离，越轨( deviate的现在分词 ) | |
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64
northward
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| adv.向北；n.北方的地区 | |
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65
creeks
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| n.小湾( creek的名词复数 )；小港；小河；小溪 | |
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66
wading
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| （从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的现在分词 ) | |
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67
bogs
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| n.沼泽，泥塘( bog的名词复数 )；厕所v.（使）陷入泥沼， （使）陷入困境( bog的第三人称单数 )；妨碍，阻碍 | |
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68
sloughs
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| n.沼泽( slough的名词复数 )；苦难的深渊；难以改变的不良心情；斯劳(Slough)v.使蜕下或脱落( slough的第三人称单数 )；舍弃；除掉；摒弃 | |
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69
rugged
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| adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的 | |
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70
dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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71
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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72
proximity
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| n.接近，邻近 | |
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73
tributaries
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| n. 支流 | |
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74
meandered
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| （指溪流、河流等）蜿蜒而流( meander的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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75
margin
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| n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘 | |
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76
limestone
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| n.石灰石 | |
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77
winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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78
haze
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| n.霾，烟雾；懵懂，迷糊；vi.(over)变模糊 | |
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79
ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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80
wriggled
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| v.扭动，蠕动，蜿蜒行进( wriggle的过去式和过去分词 )；（使身体某一部位）扭动；耍滑不做，逃避（应做的事等） | |
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81
rift
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| n.裂口，隙缝，切口；v.裂开，割开，渗入 | |
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82
outlet
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| n.出口/路；销路；批发商店；通风口；发泄 | |
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83
crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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84
transpiring
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| （事实，秘密等）被人知道( transpire的现在分词 )； 泄露； 显露； 发生 | |
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