In the Morning of Time

EN OF THE

let, they shifted, and bowed their crests, and thrust out shooting tongues, till Gr?m, sitting on his haunches and staring with fascinated eyes, had no choice but to believe that they were live things like himself. The girl, curled up at his side like a cat, paid little attention to the marvel of the flames. Her big, dark eyes, wild and furtive under the dark, tangled masses of her hair, kept wandering back and forth between the man's

But those sounds of menace from the darkness behind him he affected not to hear at all. He could see from the girl's eyes that the menace was not yet close at hand; and since he had learned the power of the fire, and his own mastery over that power, he felt himself suddenly little less than a god. The fire was surely something of a god; and if he had any measure of control over the fire, so as to make it serve him surely, then still more o

es dilate as she clutched at his knee. A slow smile spread across his bony face, a

heavily from side to side as if he were trying to nerve himself up to a closer approach to the fire. Some twenty paces further along the fringe of mingled light and shadow, their bodies thrust half way forth from the undergrowth, stood a pair of huge, ruddy cave-bears, their monstrous heads held low and swaying surlily from side to side as they eyed the prey which they dared not rush in and seize. The man-animal they had hitherto regarded as easy prey, and they were filled with rage at the temerity of these two humans in

naked knees and covered her face with her hair. Smiling at her terror, Gr?m thrust the branch into the flames. When it was all ablaze he raised it above his head, and, carrying his spear in his right hand, he rushed at the saber-tooth. For a few seconds the monster faced his approach, but Gr?m saw the shrinking in his furious eyes, and came o

ng-places on the 74 ragged slopes. Then he fed his fire with more dry wood till the fierce heat of it drove him back. Returning to the side of the wondering girl, he sat down, and contemplated his handiwork with swelling pride. When the flames died

himself continued for an hour or two his experiments with the fire, building small ones in a circle about him, discovering t

erious new creature was bound to bring about. At last, when the night was half worn through, he awakened the girl, bade her keep sharp watch

Gr?m 75 and the girl stood erect in the flooding light and scanned the strange landscape. Gr?m's sagacious eyes noted the fertility of the level lands at a distance from the fire, and of the clefts, ledge

er them. Some inkling of his purposes he confided to the girl, who stood looking up at him with eyes of dog-like devotion from under the matted splendor of her hair. If he was still the man she lo

a bundle of blazing brands. He had conceived the idea of keeping the bright god alive by feeding him

g 76 them again into activity; and the care of the mysterious things made progress slow. Gr?m learned much, and rapidly, in these anxious efforts. He discovered once, just at a critical moment, the r

ss was dry. It flared up on the sudden. The bear stopped short. Gr?m piled on more grass, shouted arrogantly, and rushed at the beast wit

the fire he fed it to a safe volume. And the girl, flinging hers

ered a supply of dry wood, taught the girl to feed the flames––which she did with head bowed in awe––and passed the hours of darkness, once so dreaded, in proud defiance of the great beasts which pro

of fear and remorse, she knelt at Gr?m's side, awakened him, and showed him what she had done. She expected a merciless beating, according to the rough-and-ready customs of her tribe. But Gr?

eeing that he had never heard of it as a customary thing that a man should regard a woman in any such manner. At the same time he w

irl crept up to him on her knees, weeping. For a few seconds he paid her no heed. But when he found

t do not be afraid. He lives back there in the val

t only wished to comfort and shield her, then she felt quite sure he

en, to hold spear and club always in readiness, and to climb into a tree at night for safety like the apes. But he let no sign of his

oceros, against whose massive hide Gr?m's spear and club would have been about as effective as a feather duster. But they had fled mockingly, for the clums

n. 79 Once a prowling leopard confronted them for a moment, only to flee in great leaps before their instant and unhesitating attack. Once a huge bird, nearly nine feet high, and with a beak over a foot in length, struck at them savagely, with a shrill hissing, through a fringe of reeds, because the

e gathered, when Gr?m crossed the brook, and came striding up the slope, with A-ya close behind him. She had been travel

looks. She could not understand it, but she divined that there was some plot afoot against Gr?m. Her heart swelled with rage, and her dark-maned head 80 went up arrogantly, for she felt as if the strongest and wisest of the tribe were now but children in comparison with her lord. But, though children, they were many, and she closed up behind him for a guard, grasping more firmly the shaft of her short, serviceabl

his broad shoulders squared themselves

ay hold themselves secure against all enemies. And I have come back, as was agreed, to lead the tribe thither before our enemies destroy us. I ha

ing relentless inquisition of the eyes that answered his so steadily, he seemed to ponder Gr?m's words. Slowly the anger 81 faded from his

e at length, slowly, "of desert

ord "accused"; then his deep eyes blazed, and he

emanded harshly. The Chief

harge was false. Also, you have been accused of stealing the girl A-ya. But y

a quick, decisive motio

true man!" said he sternly. "I did not steal the

wg's corner, but Gr?m sm

on her, and I saw that she was very fair and very brave. And I took her. So that now she is my woman, and I hold to her, Chief! But I will pay you for h

between us later. But I will not confront you with your accusers, for there shall be no fighting between ourselves when our warriors th

o his own cave, where they might talk in private. But Gr?m hesitated, feari

" said he. "I would n

prehensive and significant

voice which thundered over the amphith

r. And the girl, with a haughty indifference she was far from feeling, s

tified, and remembering his past services, ran up and took a hand in reducing Mawg to submission. For a few seconds Gr?m looked on contemptuously; then he turned on his heel and followed the Chief, as if he did not hold his rival worth a further thought. Mawg struggled to his feet. Gr?m had disappeared. But his eyes fell on the figure of A-ya, slim and brown and tall, standing in the entrance of the near-by cave. He made as if to rush upon her, but a bunch of men stood in the way, plainly ready to stop him. He looked at his kinsmen, but they hu

muttered an old man through hi

ng that his enemy might return and try to snatc

hink it worth while to raise the alarm. When day came, it was found that two kinsmen of Mawg, with the two young women who were attached to them, had fled to join the deserter in the bush. The

I

saber-tooth and the red bear to instant flight, and that he had somehow managed to subdue this powerful and mysterious being into the service of the tribe. Bawr had examined with deep musing the strange black bite of the Bright One on Gr?m's club and spear. And he realized readily enough that with such an ally 85 the tribe, even in its present state of weakness, wo

umbling, and protest, and shrill lamentation in the caves; but Bawr being in no mood, since the defection of Mawg and his party, to tolerate any opposition, and Gr?m being now regarded as a dangerous wizard, the preparation for departure went on as smoothly as if all were of one mind. Packing was no great matter to the People of the Little Hills, the richest of whom could transport all his wealth on the back of the feeblest of his wives. So 86 it came that before the sun marked noon the whole tribe was on the march, trailing forth from the neck of the amphitheater at the heels of Gr?m and A-ya, and picking their way over the bones of their slain enemies which the vultures and the jackals had already

tribe. When news of what he had seen was passed from mouth to mouth through the tribe every murmur was hushed, a

afely beyond range of the beast-men's ears. For Bawr had observed that even the saber-tooth had a certain uneasiness at the sound of many human voices together. At night––and it was their rule to make camp while the sun was yet several hours high––with the aid of their flint spear-heads they would laboriously cut down the saplings of the long-thorned acacia, and

y direction. The nearest warriors hurled their spears as they sprang 88 aside, and several of the weapons went deep into the monster's flanks, but without checking him. He had fixed his eyes on one victim, an old man with a conspicuous shock of snow-white hair, and him he followed inexorably. The doomed wretch screamed with despair when he found himself thus hideously selected, and ran, doubling like a rabbit. Just as the monster overtook him he fell, paralyzed with his fright, and one tremendous horn pinned him to the earth. At this instant the Chief arrived, running up from the

n bull to be cut up for carrying––a rank food, but sustaining, and not to be despised when one is on a journey with uncertainties ahead. And the delay was more than compensated for by the new spirit which now

glimpse of the dancing flames until close upon them. Down behind a long line of woods he led them, with no warning of what was to come. Then suddenly ar

flanks, emerged around the elbow of woods and saw his people thus prostrate before the shining wonder, he too was moved to follow their example, for his heart went cold within him. But not without reason was he Chief, for he could control himself as well as others. A pallor spread beneath the smoky tan of

onder, and into the valley, that we may make camp, for there are many great beasts here, and very fierce. And te

Gr?m led the Chief up to the flames and hurriedly explained to him what he had found out as to how they must be managed. Then, leaving him to ponder the miracle, and to experiment, he took A-ya to help him

him so free from jealousy of Gr?m's prestige. His shrewd perceptions told him that Gr?m would far rather see him rule the tribe, so long as he ruled it effectually, than be troubled with the task himself. But there were others in the tribe whom he suspected of being less disinterested––who were capable of becoming troublesome if ever he should find his strength failing. One of these, in particular, a gigantic, black-browed fellow by the name of Ne-boo, remotely akin to the deserter Mawg, was now watching him with eyes more keen and considerate than those of his compa

-boo caught it, to drop it instantly with a yell of pain and terror. It fell, scraping his leg, a

im." With the air of a high priest he picked the brand up, and held it again into the flames. And Gr?m returning

were the houses of the red bear, the saber-tooth and the bone-crushing hyenas, but, as he explained to the Chief with thrilling elation, the Shining One would drive these monsters out, and teach them to keep their distance. To Bawr, who had had some experience in his

s prowled roaring all about them, held off by nothing more substantial than just those thin and darting tongues of flame. That the little, bright things could bite terribly they had evidence enough, both in the charred and 93 corroded wood which the fl

s had leapt up into full fury, and were chasing the fugitives up the valley with a roar. In the sudden great glare could be seen saber-tooths stretching out in panic-stricken flight, burly red bear fleeing with their awkward but deadly swift gallop, huge hyenas scattering to this side and that, and many furtive unknown creatures driven into a blind and howling rout. Gr?m himself was as thunderstruck as any one at the amazing result of his action, but his quick wits told him to disguise his astonishment, and bear himself as if it were exactly what he had planned. The Chief copied his attitude 94 with scrupulous precision and unfailing nerve

corched and thoroughly cowed by the conflagration of the previous night. The other cave had been already vacated by the hyena pack, which had no stomach to face these throwers of flame. Before the mouth of each cave, at a safe distance, a fire was lighted––a notice to all the beasts that their rule was at an end. The whole tribe was set to

rom the one fire to the other, and tending them reverently, as one performing a rite. Gr?m's eyes took on a certain illumination at the sight

wo best men of my own kin, and two others whom you shall select, as servants of the Bright One. And I will make a law that the people shall henceforth worship only the Bright One, instead of, as heretofore, the Thunder, and the Wind, and the unknown

ways of making the wild flames 96 serviceable to man. "But," he w

pondered

he, eyeing Gr?m's face, "or she

good priest," said Gr?m dril

as he thought it good for his hearers to know. He declared that the ones he had chosen for the great honor of serving the fires must tend them by turns, night

, are not such hills as those whose bald and windy tops are keeping the bones of our fathers. But you shall be kn