Now I stept back a space from the edge of the rock, and had the Diskos
very ready; for it was needful that I should kill one of those brute men
speedy, that I have no danger that one take me in the back, whilst that
I fight with the other.
Then, in a moment it did seem, there came upward of the rock edge, the
great and brutish face of the man. And in that moment that I slew him, I
did note curiously how that he had large teeth upon each side of the
mouth; and was aware that he had come so quiet as a great cat. And in
the backward parts of my brain, I bethought that even thus, maybe, was
primal man, so that a strange and secondary questioning and wondering
did live in that part of me; and I did learn from these scarce conscious
reasonings that I was of belief the thing was truly a man; but very
crude and dangerous. And surely it is strange that I had all this
thought in that little moment; but in verity so it was; though I doubt
not but I bettered it with after thoughts, when a while had gone.
Now the first man died ere his great haired breast was come upward over
the rock; and he sank back, and sagged and fell dully, and I heard him
bodge downward from rock to rock, very lumbersome; and so in a moment
was silence.
Then did I look this way and that way of the ledge; for the second Humpt
Man was not yet upon me; and I feared that the pause did mean a cunning
mischief and strategy. And when a little time had past, and all the
while I was ready with the Diskos, and naught did come upward to harm
me, I stept very soft to the edge of the rock-ledge, and lookt downward;
but there was nowhere any thing to see.
Now, for a little moment, I did think that the brutish man had run off,
being feared by the death that I did deal unto the first; yet I put this
from me at once; for I did wot that such a creature did not be like to
fear in such wise; but was rather set to some horrid cunning of attack,
as I did fear, and was somewhere below me among the holes of the great
rock.
Then I did think sudden that he might be gone upward, so that he should
come down upon my back, and I lookt upward of the mighty rock; but did
see naught; and afterward I stoopt forward a great way beyond the edge,
so that I should perceive whether the man did hide beneath. And, behold!
he was there below me, and crouched under the rock-shelf, ready to his
spring. And in that moment, he made unto me with so mighty a leap as any
tiger should give. And he came half over the edge, and gript the Diskos
by the handle, in an instant.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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