The Thinking Rocks

by Butkus, C. Allan

  “Awho Ah!” Screamed the boy as he leapt from the bushes.

  Cano pretended that he had been caught unaware and was frightened; he dropped his spear and ax and spun around to face his captor. “Dola, you frightened me, you were so quiet. You move like a spirit in the woods.”

  The boy's face lit up, he was proud to receive praise from Cano. He could understand why his sister, Ceola, liked him. "Where did you find the snake Cano? How did you kill it? Weren't you afraid? Is it dead? Can I carry it into camp for you?"

  "Slow down Dola, I will tell the story tonight at the campfire. Because you are such a brave warrior, I will let you carry the snake into camp.” This was working out better than Cano could have hoped. He knew that Ceola loved her brother and she would realize that his actions were responsible for Dola feeling important. It was turning out to be a great day. He dropped the snake over Dola's shoulders and retrieved his weapons. The snake was so long that both ends trailed on the ground. This story was going to get better and better as time went on. The snake size would grow as the years went by and Dola got older and taller.

  Cano could not see all of the fifteen people that made the Clan of the Spear. Almost all of the six hunters would still be in the field with the exception of him. He could see a fire near the lodging of Koonai the Shaman, but he was not in sight. Moving toward his own lodging, he saw his brother, Gennos, working with something near their fire. His mother was not in sight either, she was ill and stayed in their lodging most of the time. He hoped her cough was better. She had started coughing up blood. Koonai's medicine did not seem to be helping her, as they had hoped.

  "AhoaHoa," called Dola to alert the clan. He danced ahead as best he could with the snake swinging around his short legs. "Look what Cano has brought us! Come, come quick!" Seeing Gennos by the fire, he called to him, “Gennos come see what your brother has killed, a snake!"

  Other figures started to emerge from their lodges and the nearby forest. Walking on with just a hint of pride in his step, Cano saw Ceola. His heart skipped a beat; he could feel his stomach tighten up. Cano liked the way that she walked, he liked the way she looked and he could almost forget how to talk when she smiled at him. Ceola had her younger sister Opla, who was half her size at her side. Dola, seeing his younger sister, did what young boys do to their sisters since time began. He ran forward with the snake to scare her. It worked. She screeched and headed away toward safety as fast as her short legs could carry her.

  Cano reached down and grabbed Dola by the arm as he rushed forward. The momentum of his quick dash caught Cano off balance and he bumped into Ceola and the three of them crashed to the ground.

  Falling to the ground with someone of the opposite sex that you like is an enjoyable experience, unless you include six feet of snake to the pile of people. Cano pulled the snake away from Dola, and scrambled to his feet, as did Ceola. The only one still sitting on the ground was Dola and from the look in Ceola's eyes it would be a long time before Dola sat down again. Seeing the look in her eyes, Cano tried to salvage something of the situation. “Ceola, I'm sorry about, I..."

  But she was more concerned catching Opla and calming her down. She looked down at Dola and said, "Get to our fire...Now!" She looked down at the snake and gave an involuntarily shudder. Looking back to Cano she gave him a weak smile and said, “It’s not your fault, I'm sorry, I have to go. Maybe we can talk later.” She paused and then added softly, "Alone?"

  She moved off quickly before he could determine exactly what she meant. It was much harder to understand women than men. She could mean that she wished to spend some time with him alone or she could mean she wanted to ask him why he had let Dola carry the snake. She was mad, but was she mad at him?

  He was still trying to figure out what she had meant when his brother shuffled up to him. Cano’s mind flashed back to the time that Gennos had been hurt. His father, Rahos, and Gennos had been on a hunt far from camp when it started to rain. It became a fearsome storm in a short time and the skies were laced with lightning. A bolt of lightning struck both of them as they huddled near a tall tree. It had killed their father and crippled Gennos. He lay there for three days, not being able to do more than drag himself a short distance to a stand of rocks.

  Cano search had brought him to his brother on that third day. He had seen a gathering of buzzards and knew that something was dead or dying. He found his brother clutching his spear and using it to threaten the birds if they tried to get too close. He had been forced too watch day after day as the birds had eaten his father. The birds were watching and waiting for him to die. They were patient. They could wait. When Cano came upon the scene, he made sure the only dangers in the clearing were the birds. Then he rushed forward and scared them away. They were reluctant to leave; they had tasted human flesh and wanted more. He gave his brother some dried berries and some water from his water bag. Because of his leg injuries it was difficult to get Gennos back to camp; he had to be carried most of the way. Although the pain must have been bad, Gennos only showed it when he was jolted or when Cano stumbled. After they had made it back safely to camp it took a long while for Gennos to regain his health. His leg had been badly burned and it at first looked as though he would die. He slowly regained his health, but would never be able to walk normally again. As could be expected, the injury caused a major change in him. He became subdued and quiet. He was clearly glad that he had been saved, but he seemed to withdraw into himself. Even months later he preferred to be alone. He told Cano that he had wanted to die when he found that he could not walk or run anymore. Koonai had come and cast spells and used his magical powers to try to determine what the Great Spirit's purpose was in taking a great hunter away and crippling a young hunter. After days of fasting and meditation, Koonai announced to the clan that the Great Spirit had sent a message to Gennos that he was not to be a hunter. He would begin training as a medicine man. The Great Spirit's message was that Gennos was special. The Great Spirit had given him a gift. What that gift was, no one knew. When questioned about the gift, Koonai said, "Even though we do not know what the gift is, it does not mean the gift doesn't exist. The Great Spirit will make the gift known when the time was right."

  Gennos had told Cano that night that he would rather have his legs than the gift. That night it had rained and there was more lightning. A tree near camp was struck by lightning; and exploded in flames. Gennos never spoke of his loss or the gift again.

  Smiling at Cano, Gennos said, “Oh, great hunter, I see that you brought food for the fire tonight, but why did you try to tie Ceola up with it? Is this the way you pick a mate?”

  Cano had to wonder how his brother could joke about almost anything when he had so much to complain about. Reaching out and grasping his brother's shoulder, "No, gifted one. That is not the way that I planned it, I think that I should have a talk with Dola about this." Just then, they could hear a young hunter crying out in pain. Cano smiled at his brother and said “But then, I'm sure that Ceola is letting him know that what he did is not the way he should act. Cano smiled and then said, "I still may throw him in the river."

  His brother smiled and then said, "I'm not sure if throwing Dola in the river will make Ceola like you anymore than she does now. I have seen how you look at each other, but you have other problems. You are not the only one who likes her; you know that Bana wants her and being the chief's son does give him a good chance to get her first.”

  Cano paused before he answered. “You’re right and it makes me sick that I may not have her for a mate. I think she likes me best, but I'm not sure. I get confused when I'm around her. It was not like this when we were younger. Women are hard to understand." Taking in a deep breath he asked, "What have you been up to besides watching me make mistakes with Ceola?"

  A smile broke out on Gennos' face, “Wait until you see what I have! It's not done, but I think it's something important. I haven't even shown it to Koonai. I wanted to show you first and see what you think."

  They made
their way over to their lodge and Cano hung the snake up on a tree branch so that it could be skinned. Gennos ducked inside the lodge and soon emerged with what looked like a short spear with the point tied on wrong. It was about as long as Cano's forearm. The point of the spear was poorly suited to the shaft; it was heavy and broad. The biggest problem was that the sharp part was not on the top but to the side.

  Cano looked to Gennos questioningly, "I don't understand, it looks like a child's toy that was made wrong."

  "That's right, that's just what it is, but it's more! Let me tell you about it. I was starting our fire and saw Dola playing hunter with Bana's little sister, Lorou. He had made a small spear but could not find a good point and he didn't know how to make one. He found a sharp stone that he thought was close enough and tried to tie it to the shaft. It came loose and was flopping around and he couldn’t throw it very far or straight. He became angry and smashed it down on a log and it came all to pieces. He went off to play some other game with Lorou. Our fire had started but I needed more wood so I went over to where Dola had left his broken spear. When I picked up the spear, I noticed something strange. The head of the spear was stuck deep in the log. It was too big and heavy to be in the log that deep. However, there it was, and a small boy put it there! I got the head out of the log, but I had a hard time doing it. I brought the parts back to our lodge and started working on them. This is what I made." He said holding up the short spear.

  "So?" Cano looked at Gennos.

  Gennos reached down and picked up a heavy branch. He handed it to him and said, "Break this." Cano accepted the branch and holding it by the ends tried to break it across his chest, when this failed, he tried to break it across his knee. This failed also. “Brother, I don't know what you are trying to prove. This is a strong branch.”

  Taking the branch, Gennos laid it on the ground and picked up the short spear by the end opposite the head. He raised it high above his head, but instead of throwing it forward, he swung it down on to the branch. It split in half. Smiling at his brother, he said "Any questions?"

  A smile spread across Cano's face. "Only one. Can I have it?"

  The Birds

  The clan chief's son Bana was crouched in the brush near the stream. To his right, a fair distance away, Moki lay on his stomach with his spear at his side. Both hunters were indistinguishable from their background. They were both motionless with their heads tilted down and eyes downcast. They were waiting for Loki to get into position on the far side of the stream. Their prey was a flock of turkeys that had been feeding along the stream. They came to this area each day about the same time. The ambush site was almost perfect. Trees ringed the clearing and branches overhung the stream. The birds would have a difficult time getting into the air. This would mean that they would stay on the ground, but they were fast, much faster than a running man. There was only one escape route through the trees, and Bana and Moki were waiting in it for them.

  Bana saw a flurry of movement from the corner of his eyes, as the first of the birds arrived. Within moments the whole flock was feeding quietly near the stream. Bana gave the call of the dove and then repeated it, paused, then repeated it again. Loki answered the call without movement and got ready for the attack on the birds. A large male turkey had raised his head as it was looking toward Loki's position.

  Loki jumped to his feet and rushed forward screaming and waving his spear. The birds started sounding alarms and rushing about looking for an escape route. About this time Loki’s feet became tangled in vines and he went crashing down the bank and into the water. The large tom let out some loud gobble noises that inspired the turkeys to new levels of activity. They rushed toward Bana and Moki in a packed flock. Bana leaped to his feet, and reversing his spear, swung at a hen, catching her in the neck and sending her down in a cloud of feathers. He next swung at a young tom and again connected with its head and put it down. Turning his spear over he drove the point through a large hen, which came within range. Moki was in the middle of the flock swinging madly at the fleeing turkeys. He had two down and then he connected with another. Confused by the frontal attack, the turkeys plunged back toward Loki. He was splashing around in the water and trying to find his spear. The large tom turkey lead the flock toward this lesser evil in a last ditch attempt at escape. Unfortunately for Loki, in his search for his spear he grabbed the tom turkey by the leg as it went by. The tom was about 4 feet tall and at the best of times, it had a vile disposition. It proceeded to beat Loki heavily about the head and shoulders with its wings as it slashed him with its spurs and talons. The sound of its squawks was almost as painful to the ears as were the gouges from its sharp beak. The tom was quite good at his work, and presented Loki with a black eye and a cut lip in the first few seconds of the confrontation. He pecked at Loki's eyes but missed and connected with his nose, tearing it open in a spray of blood. By this time, Loki had reasoned that he did not have a hold of his spear. He had also deduced that whatever it was he was holding, it was not something he wanted to keep holding, and let go. The tom, freed at last, took one more swing at Loki with his left wing and knocked him over backwards. In the process of falling, Loki landed a hen turkey killing her instantly. The rest of the turkeys followed the leader past Loki to safety

  Bana, after making sure there were no turkeys hiding, called to Moki "I think your brother is better at chasing turkeys than he is at catching them."

  Moki looked up as he finished arranging his kill on the ground. Smiling at Bana, he said, "I noticed that he caught the largest turkey but he changed his mind about keeping it. He is my brother, but as a hunter, he has much to learn.” Motioning to his brother to bring his turkey over he said, "Let us see who is hurt worse, you or the dead bird.” Loki approached his brother while holding one of his hands over his bleeding nose, and the other grasping the dead turkey.

  Bana watched as Moki looked at Loki's injuries and stopped the nosebleed. The brothers were both about the same size and height despite Moki being two years older than Loki. The most distinctive thing about them was the length of their arms, which seemed too long for their bodies. Neither appeared as smart as Bana was, but they were good followers. They both knew that one day he would lead the clan.

  However, one of them had a secret, and it was Loki. His secret was a trait, which would serve him well. He liked to appear as a fool, he found it useful when others underestimated him. He was careful to conceal his secret for the time being. He knew in time he would benefit from this deception. Now it was best to appear the fool and to follow Bana.

  Bana stretched his arms and took a deep breath. Life was good. He was returning to camp with game and he had his followers with him. His father the chief would be proud. He thought of how they would entertain the clan at the fire tonight. He would have Moki and Loki act out their part of the hunt but he would direct it, as a chief should. His thoughts shifted from hunting to Ceola. He would show her that he was the best choice for a mate. Never mind Cano, he thought. There was no way that Cano would look better in Ceola's eyes than he would tonight.

  "Come, we must leave this place. Already there are buzzards circling. They will attract other animals, and I don't want to have to explain to a big cat why he can't have our turkeys. Even though the brave hunter Loki is protecting us, we must still be on the lookout for danger. Moki, you watch behind us and if a big cat comes, you tell Loki, and he can sit on it so we can get away." The only one that didn't think that it was funny was Loki, who was holding his sore nose and limping along.

  On the way back to the camp Moki noticed Bana studying the ground at a small stream they were crossing. When he got to the spot, he found what had interested Bana. There was a track in the soft mud, the fresh track of a saber-toothed cat. A big one. They moved off quickly, not wanting to meet it in the gathering darkness as the day was coming to an end. They should be able to make it to camp before it was too late.

  Ceola

  Back at the camp Ceola was excited. Koonai had said that toni
ght would be the ritual of passage to womanhood for Sorou and her. Sorou was Bana's sister and the daughter of the chief. Ceola knew the time for her to start her search for a mate had finally come. Soon she would have her own fire and a man to care for. It was time for some serious hunting. She had two realistic choices, Bana and Cano. Bana was the chief’s son and would probably be the next chief in time. It would be nice to the chief’s mate. However, there was something about looking into Cano’s eyes the made her breath quicken. It would soon be time for her to make a choice. Ceola walked toward the center of the camp carrying the cleaned and partially tanned snakeskin. She was sure that Cano would be happy to see her and that he would compliment her on the work she had done on the skin. She liked him and in other circumstances, she wouldn’t have any reservations about how to act toward him. He was young and strong, and a girl could also fall into his deep brown eyes. He had a quick smile and seemed to care for her. She wished again that her mother were still alive; she felt so cheated that she was gone. Why the Great Spirit had taken her was a mystery.