by J. H. Rosny
The rainy season was near.
As they took refuge behind their barricade, in the shadow of the porphyry rocks, the women thought of the wanderer whose terrible arms had vanquished the Dhole-Men; and their agony was increased by the thought. He would have struck down the red beasts with his club and his spear . . .
There was no doubt that the sabre-tooth tigers must have captured insufficient prey on the previous night, for they came to spy upon the cave long before twilight. The day was already darkened by the clouds that had covered the sky; a cutting wind came up from the plain and howled dismally among the rocks; some of the children were crying, and the
Wolf-Women, crowded together near the opening, were looking out mournfully on the landscape; Ouchr was thinking that the wild beasts would continue to inhabit the rocks.
The wind hurled itself with greater fury against the mountain, the sabre-tooth tigers appeared together before the refuge and lifted up their voices in a roar. Ouchr much distressed, went forward to prepare the defense.
Suddenly a long weapon whirled through the air and one of the wild beasts, the male, hit in the back of the neck, flung himself towards the Wolf-Women. Spears were thrust firmly through the rocky openings, and a second javelin was imbedded in the red body; a clamour arose above the noise of the wind, a great form appeared and a club whirled formidably.
Falling over each other in the attempt, the women thrust aside the boulders that defended their den. . . . The male sabre-tooth was lying on the ground, the female, terrified by its cries of agony and the sudden appearance of so many enemies, fled towards the river.
The Wolf-Women, growling with joy, pressed round their saviour. All the massive faces lit up; the large eyes were fixed upon Aoun with excited worship. He brought with him security, the certainty of conquering the elements, beasts and men. . . . The son of Urus, feeling that he should never go back to his life among the Oulhamrs, cried, “Listen! Aoun and Zouhr have returned to the Wolf-Women. They will not leave them again. They will live all together in the big cave near to which they exterminated the Dhole-Men!”
As he spoke, their joy became deeper: the Wolf-Women bowed before him as a sign of love and obedience. His heart swelled, he forgot the bitter disappointment he had suffered on his return to the men of his own race, and only thought how a new horde would grow up under his leadership.
"Ouchr and the Wolf-Women will be your warriors,” said the woman chief. "Where you live they will live. They will do your will and follow your customs.”
"They will become a horde to be feared,” said Aoun, “they will learn to make and wield harpoons, spears, hatchets, bows and arrows. They will fear neither the Dhole-Men nor the Red beast.”
The women collected branches; a magnificent fire lit up the darkness; the night hours were no longer full of ambushes, and the happiness which spread over those youthful hearts seemed to extend itself over the great river and to know no bounds!
Zouhr alone was melancholy; he would not feel satisfied until he saw again the chain of rocks and the giant feline.
The wind howled as the little horde reached the cave on the twelfth day. Fox-bats had sought a refuge there, but they flew away when they saw Ouchr; a falcon took wing with a hoarse cry. Standing on the platform, Aoun stretched out his hand towards the savannah and jungle. They teemed with animal life; a never-ending population of fishes, tortoises, crocodiles, hippopotami, pythons, purple herons, yellow-headed cranes, black storks, ibis, cormorants and blackfooted geese lived in the river or on its banks; the savannah, jungle and forest were over-populated witb swamp deer, axis, antelopes, fallow deer, wild asses, horses, onagers, gaurs, buffaloes and wild goats; numberless parrots, doves, birds of the sparrow tribe and pheasants filled the branches; the rich vegetation would supply them with roots, tender stalks and fruit. Aoun felt himself to be stronger than the great carnivores, and rich in the blood of a conquering race that coursed in his veins. . . . Around him, Djeha, Ouchr and the others seemed the continuation of himself. . . .
The Wah went slowly down towards the deep cave. He went to the fissure and looked in: the den was empty. . . . Zouhr shivered, crept through the opening, and began to explore the deep shadows of the cave. Fresh bones mingled with the dry ones, the smell of the giant feline hung about in the darkness. The son of Earth left the cave and wandered about for a long time in great anxiety, without heeding the wild beasts that might be hidden in the underwood. . . . He had hardly entered the jungle when his face cleared.
“The Lion of the Rocks!"
There among the bamboos, the colossal form was couched on the body of a swamp-deer. . . . The feline raised its great head at the sound of the man’s voice, then with a gentle roar it bounded towards him. . . .
Zouhr’s joy was complete. When the animal came close to him, he passed his two hands through its mane, and a pride equal to that of Aoun swelled his feeble breast.
novel of the days of mighty mammoths, sabertooth tigers, and courageous cavemen is one of the classics of the author who has been considered to be the Edgar Rice Burroughs of France.