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The Fight in the Lion's Thicket:
H.G. Wells:
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Stories of the Stone Age
5. The Fight in the Lion's Thicket
by
H.G. Wells
PGA e-Book Cover
Based on an image created with Microsoft Bing software
Illustrated by Cosmo Rowe (1877-1952)
First published in The Idler, September 1897,
in the series "Stories of the Stone Age"
This e-book edition: Project Gutenberg Australia, 2024
UGH-LOMI lay still, his back against an
alder, and his thigh was a red mass terrible to see. No
civilised man could have lived who had been so sorely
wounded, but Eudena got him thorns to close his wounds,
and squatted beside him day and night, smiting the flies
from him with a fan of reeds by day, and in the night
threatening the hyaenas who came too near with the first
axe in her hand; and in a little while he began to heal. It
was high summer, and there was no rain. Little food they
had during the first two days his wounds were open. In the
low place where they hid were no roots nor little beasts,
and the stream, with its water-snails and fish, was, in the
open a hundred yards away. She could not go abroad by day
for fear of the tribe, her brothers and sisters, nor by
night for fear of the beasts, both on his account and hers.
So they shared the lion with the vultures. But there was a
trickle of water near by, and Eudena brought him plenty in
her hands.
Eudena brought him plenty in her hands.
Where Ugh-lomi lay was well hidden from the tribe by
a thicket of alders, and all fenced about with bulrushes
and tall reeds. The dead lion he had killed lay near his
old lair on a place of trampled reeds fifty yards away,
in sight through the reed-stems, and the vultures fought
each other for the choicest pieces and kept the jackals
off him. Very soon a cloud of flies that looked like bees
hung over him, and Ugh-lomi could hear their humming. And
when Ugh-lomi's flesh was already healing—and it was not
many days before that began—only a few bones of the lion
remained scattered and shining white.
For the most part Ugh-lomi sat still during the day,
looking before him at nothing, sometimes he would mutter
of the horses and bears and lions, and sometimes he would
beat the ground with the first axe and say the names of
the tribe—he seemed to have no fear of bringing the
tribe—for hours together. But chiefly he slept, dreaming
little because of his loss of blood and the slightness of
his food. During the short summer night both kept awake.
All the while the darkness lasted things moved about them,
things they never saw by day. For some nights the hyaenas
did not come, and then one moonless night near a dozen came
and fought for what was left of the lion. The night was a
tumult of growling, and Ugh-lomi and Eudena could hear the
bones snap in their teeth. But they knew the hyaena dare
not attack any creature alive and awake, and so they were
not greatly afraid.
Of a daytime Eudena would go along the narrow path the
old lion had made in the reeds until she was beyond the
bend, and then she would creep into the thicket and watch
the tribe. She would lie close by the alders where they had
bound her to offer her up to the lion, and thence she could
see them on the knoll by the fire, little and clear, as
she had seen them that night. But she told Ugh-lomi little
of what she saw, because she feared to bring them by their
names. For so they believed in those days, that naming
called.
She saw the men prepare stabbing-spears and
throwing-stones on the morning after Ugh-lomi had slain
the lion, and go out to hunt him, leaving the women and
children on the knoll. Little they knew how near he was as
they tracked off in single file towards the hills, with
Siss the Tracker leading them. And she watched the women
and children, after the men had gone, gathering fern-fronds
and twigs for the night fire, and the boys and girls
running and playing together. But the very old woman made
her feel afraid. After a long space towards noon, when most
of the others were down at the stream by the bend, she
came and stood on the hither side of the knoll, a gnarled
brown figure, and gesticulated so that Eudena could scarce
believe she was not seen. Eudena lay like a hare in its
form, with shining eyes fixed on the bent witch away there,
and presently she dimly understood it was the lion the old
woman was worshipping—the lion Ugh-lomi had slain.
And the next day the hunters came back weary, carrying a
fawn, and Eudena watched the feast enviously. And then came
a strange thing. She saw—distinctly she heard—the old
woman shrieking and gesticulating and pointing towards her.
She was afraid, and crept like a snake out of sight again.
But presently curiosity overcame her and she was back at
her spying-place, and as she peered her heart stopped, for
there were all the men, with their weapons in their hands,
walking together towards her from the knoll.
She dared not move lest her movement should be seen, but
she pressed herself close to the ground. The sun was low
and the golden light was in the faces of the men. She saw
they carried a piece of rich red meat thrust through by
an ashen stake. Presently they stopped. "Go on!" screamed
the old woman. Cat's-skin grumbled, and they came on,
searching the thicket with sun-dazzled eyes. "Here!" said
Siss. And they took the ashen stake with the meat upon it
and thrust it into the ground. "Uya!" cried Siss,﹃behold
thy portion. And Ugh-lomi we have slain. Of a truth we have
slain Ugh-lomi. This day we slew Ugh-lomi, and to-morrow we
will bring his body to you.﹄And the others repeated the
words.
They looked at each other and behind them, and partly
turned and began going back. At first they walked half
turned to the thicket, then facing the mound they walked
faster, looking over their shoulders, then faster; soon
they ran, it was a race at last, until they were near the
knoll. Then Siss who was hindmost was first to slacken his
pace.
The sunset passed and the twilight came, the fires
glowed red against the hazy blue of the distant chestnut
trees, and the voices over the mound were merry. Eudena lay
scarcely stirring, looking from the mound to the meat and
then to the mound. She was hungry, but she was afraid. At
last she crept back to Ugh-lomi.
He looked round at the little rustle of her approach.
His face was in shadow. "Have you got me some food?" he
said.
She said she could find nothing, but that she would seek
further, and went back along the lion's path until she
could see the mound again, but she could not bring herself
to take the meat; she had the brute's instinct of a snare.
She felt very miserable.
She crept back at last towards Ugh-lomi and heard him
stirring and moaning. She turned back to the mound again;
then she saw something in the darkness near the stake, and
peering distinguished a jackal. In a flash she was brave
and angry; she sprang up, cried out, and ran towards the
offering. She stumbled and fell, and heard the growling of
the jackal going off.
When she arose only the ashen stake lay on the ground,
the meat was gone. So she went back, to fast through the
night with Ugh-lomi; and Ugh-lomi was angry with her,
because she had no food for him; but she told him nothing
of the things she had seen.
Two days passed and they were near starving, when the
tribe slew a horse. Then came the same ceremony, and a
haunch was left on the ashen stake; but this time Eudena
did not hesitate.
By acting and words she made Ugh-lomi understand, but he
ate most of the food before he understood; and then he grew
merry with his food. "I am Uya," he said; "I am the Lion.
I am the Great Cave Bear, I who was only Ugh-lomi. I am
Wau the Cunning. It is well that they should feed me, for
presently I will kill them all."
Then Eudena's heart was light, and she laughed with him;
and afterwards she ate what he had left of the horseflesh
with gladness.
After that it was he had a dream, and the next day he
made Eudena bring him the lion's teeth and claws—so much
of them as she could find—and hack him a club of alder,
and he put the teeth and claws very cunningly into the wood
so that the points were outward. Very long it took him, and
he blunted two of the teeth hammering them in, and was very
angry and threw the thing away; but afterwards he dragged
himself to where he had thrown it and finished it—a club
of a new sort set with teeth. That day there was more meat
for them both, an offering to the lion from the tribe.
It was one day—more than a hand's fingers of days, more
than anyone has skill to count—after Ugh-lomi had made
the club, that Eudena while he was asleep was lying in the
thicket watching the squatting-place. There had been no
meat for three days. And the old woman came and worshipped
after her manner. Now while she worshipped, Eudena's little
sister Si and another, the child of the first girl Siss had
loved, came over the knoll and stood regarding her skinny
figure, and presently they began to mock her. Eudena found
this entertaining, but suddenly the old woman turned on
them quickly and saw them. For a moment she stood and they
stood motionless, and then with a shriek of rage she rushed
towards them, and all three disappeared over the crest of
the knoll.
Presently the children reappeared among the ferns over
the shoulder of the hill. Little Si ran first, for she was
an active girl, and the other child ran squealing with the
old woman close upon her. And over the knoll came Siss with
a bone in his hand, and Ba and Cat's-skin obsequiously
behind him, each holding a piece of food, and they laughed
aloud and shouted to see the old woman so angry. And with a
shriek the child was caught and the old woman set to work
slapping and the child screaming, and it was very good
after-dinner fun for them. Little Si ran on a little way
and stopped at last between fear and curiosity.
And suddenly came the mother of the child, with hair
streaming, panting, and with a stone in her hand, and the
old woman turned about like a wild cat. She was the equal
of any woman, was the old chief of the fire-minders, in
spite of her years; but before she could do anything Siss
shouted to her and the clamour rose loud. Other shock heads
came into sight. It seemed the whole tribe was at home
and feasting. But the old woman dared not go on wreaking
herself on the child Siss befriended. Nevertheless it was a
fine row.
Everyone made noises and called names, even little Si.
Abruptly the old woman let go of the child she had caught
and made a swift run at Si who had no friends; and Si,
realising her danger when it was almost upon her, with a
faint cry of terror made off headlong, not heeding whither
she ran, straight to the lair of the lion. She swerved
aside into the reeds presently, not realising whither she
went.
But the old woman was a wonderful old woman, as active
as she was spiteful, and she caught Si by the streaming
hair within thirty yards of Eudena. All the tribe now was
running down the knoll and shouting, ready to see the
fun.
Then something stirred in Eudena and, thinking all of
little Si and nothing of her fear, she sprang up from her
ambush and ran swiftly forward. The old woman did not see
her, for she was busy beating little Si's face with her
hand, beating with all her heart, and suddenly something
hard and heavy struck her cheek. She went reeling, and saw
Eudena with flaming eyes and cheeks between her and little
Si. She shrieked with astonishment and terror, and little
Si, not understanding, set off towards the gaping tribe.
They were quite close now, for the sight of Eudena had
driven their fading fear of the lion out of their heads.
In a moment Eudena had turned from the cowering old
woman and overtaken Si. "Si!" she cried, "Si!" She caught
the child up in her arms as it stopped, pressed the
nail-lined face to hers, and turned about to run towards
her lair, the lair of the old lion. The old woman stood
waist high in the reeds, and screamed foul things and
inarticulate rage, but did not dare to intercept her; and
at the bend of the path Eudena looked back and saw all the
men of the tribe crying to one another and Siss coming at a
trot along the lion's trail.
She ran straight along the narrow way through the reeds
to the shady place where Ugh-lomi sat with his healing
thigh, just awakened by the shouting and rubbing his eyes.
She came to him, a woman, with little Si in her arms.
Her heart throbbed in her throat. "Ugh-lomi!" she cried,
"Ugh-lomi, the tribe comes!"
Ugh-lomi sat staring in stupid astonishment at her and
Si.
She pointed with Si in one arm. She sought among her
feeble store of words to explain. She could hear the men
calling. Apparently they had stopped outside. She put down
Si and caught up the new club with the lion's teeth, and
put it into Ugh-lomi's hand, and ran three yards and picked
up the first axe.
"Ah!" said Ugh-lomi, waving the new club, and suddenly
he perceived the occasion and, rolling over, began to
struggle to his feet.
He stood, but clumsily. He supported himself by one hand
against the tree, and just touched the ground gingerly with
the toe of his wounded leg. In the other hand he gripped
the new club. He looked at his healing thigh; and suddenly
the reeds began whispering, and ceased and whispered again,
and coming cautiously along the track among the reeds,
bending down and holding his fire-hardened stabbing-stick
of ash in his hand, appeared Siss. He stopped dead, and his
eyes met Ugh-lomi's.
Ugh-lomi forgot he had a wounded leg. He stood firmly
on both feet. Something trickled. He glanced down and saw
a little gout of blood had oozed out along the edge of the
healing wound. He rubbed his hand there to give him the
grip of his club, and fixed his eyes again on Siss. The
fighting spirit now swiftly and suddenly overflowed.
"Wau!" he cried, and sprang forward, and Siss, still
stooping and watchful, drove his stabbing-stick up very
quickly in an ugly thrust. It ripped Ugh-lomi's guarding
arm and the club came down in a counter that Siss was never
to understand. He fell, as an ox falls to the pole-axe, at
Ugh-lomi's feet.
To Bo it seemed the strangest thing. He had a comforting
sense of tall reeds on either side, and an impregnable
rampart, Siss, between him and any danger. Snail-eater was
close behind and there was no danger there. He was prepared
to shove behind and send Siss to death or victory. That was
his place as second man. He saw the butt of the spear Siss
carried leap away from him, and suddenly a dull whack and
the broad back fell away forward, and he looked Ugh-lomi in
the face over his prostrate leader. It felt to Bo as if his
heart had fallen down a well. He had a throwing-stone in
one hand and an ashen stabbing-stick in the other. He did
not live to the end of his momentary hesitation which to
use.
Snail-eater was a readier man, and besides Bo did not
fall forward as Siss had done, but gave at his knees and
hips, crumpling up with the toothed club upon his head,
smiting him down. The Snail-eater drove his spear forward
swift and straight, and took Ugh-lomi in the muscle of the
shoulder, and then he drove him hard with the smiting-stone
in his other and, shouting out as he did so. The new
club swished ineffectually through the reeds. Eudena saw
Ugh-lomi come staggering back from the narrow path into
the open space, tripping over Siss and with a foot of
ashen stake sticking out of him over his arm, and then the
Snail-eater, whose name she had given, had his final injury
from her, as his exultant face came out of the reeds after
his spear. For she swung the first axe swift and high, and
hit him fair and square on the temple; and down he went on
Siss at prostrate Ugh-lomi's feet.
Snail-eater was a readier man.
But before Ugh-lomi could get to his feet, the two
red-haired men were tumbling out of the reeds, spears and
smiting-stones ready, and Snake hard behind them. One she
struck on the neck, but not to fell him, and he blundered
aside and spoilt his brother's blow at Ugh-lomi's head. In
a moment Ugh-lomi dropped his club and had his assailant
by the waist, and had pitched him sideways sprawling. He
snatched at his club again and recovered it. The man Eudena
had hit stabbed at her with his spear as he stumbled from
her blow, and involuntarily she gave ground to avoid him.
He hesitated between her and Ugh-lomi, half turned, gave
a vague cry at finding Ugh-lomi so near, and in a moment
Ugh-lomi had him by the throat, and the club had its third
victim. As he went down Ugh-lomi shouted—no words, but an
exultant cry.
The other red-haired man was six feet from her with his
back to her, and a darker red streaking his head. He was
struggling to his feet. She had an irrational impulse to
stop his rising. She flung the axe at him, missed, saw his
face in profile, and he had swerved beyond little Si, and
was running through the reeds. She had a transitory vision
of Snake standing in the throat of the path, half turned
away from her, and then she saw his back. She saw the club
whirling through the air, and the shock head of Ugh-lomi,
with blood in the hair and blood upon the shoulder,
vanishing below the reeds in pursuit. Then she heard Snake
scream like a woman.
She ran past Si to where the handle of the axe stuck out
of a clump of fern, and turning, found herself panting and
alone with three motionless bodies. The air was full of
shouts and screams. For a space she was sick and giddy, and
then it came into her head that Ugh-lomi was being killed
along the reed-path, and with an inarticulate cry she leapt
over the body of Bo and hurried after him. Snake's feet
lay across the path, and his head was among the reeds. She
followed the path until it bent round and opened out by
the alders, and thence she saw all that was left of the
tribe in the open, scattering like dead leaves before a
gale, and going back over the knoll. Ugh-lomi was hard upon
Cat's-skin.
But Cat's-skin was fleet of foot and got away, and
so did young Wau-Hau when Ugh-lomi turned upon him, and
Ugh-lomi pursued Wau-Hau far beyond the knoll before he
desisted. He had the rage of battle on him now, and the
wood thrust through his shoulder stung him like a spear.
When she saw he was in no danger she stopped running and
stood panting, watching the distant active figures run up
and vanish one by one over the knoll. In a little time she
was alone again. Everything had happened very swiftly. The
smoke of Brother Fire rose straight and steady from the
squatting-place, just as it had done ten minutes ago, when
the old woman had stood yonder worshipping the lion.
And after a long time, as it seemed, Ugh-lomi
re-appeared over the knoll, and came back to Eudena,
triumphant and breathing heavily. She stood, her hair about
her eyes and hot-faced, with the blood-stained axe in her
hand, at the place where the tribe had offered her as a
sacrifice to the lion. "Wau!" cried Ugh-lomi at the sight
of her, his face alight with the fellowship of battle, and
he waved his new club, red now and hairy; and at the sight
of his glowing face her tense pose relaxed somewhat, and
she stood weeping and rejoicing.
Ugh-lomi had a queer unaccountable pang at the sight of
her tears; but he only shouted "Wau!" the louder and shook
the axe east and west. He called to her to follow him and
turned back, striding, with the club swinging in his hand,
towards the squatting-place, as if he had never left the
tribe; and she stopped weeping and followed as a woman
should.
So Ugh-lomi and Eudena came back to the squatting-place
from which they had fled many days before from the face
of Uya; and by the squatting-place lay a deer half eaten,
just as there had been before Ugh-lomi was man or Eudena
woman. So Ugh-lomi sat down to eat, and Eudena beside him
like a man, and the rest of the tribe watched them from
safe hiding-places. And after a time one of the elder girls
came back timorously and carrying little Si in her arms,
and Eudena called to them by name, and offered them food.
But the elder girl was afraid and would not come, though
Si struggled to come to Eudena. Afterwards, when Ugh-lomi
had eaten, he sat dozing, and at last he slept, and slowly
the others came out of the hiding-places and drew near. And
when Ugh-lomi woke, save that there were no men to be seen,
it seemed as though he had never left the tribe.
Cat's-skin and the second red-haired man and Wau-Hau,
who chipped flints cunningly, as his father had done before
him, fled from the face of Ugh-lomi, and none knew where
they hid. But two days after they came and squatted among
the bracken under the chestnuts a good way off from the
knoll and watched. Ugh-lomi's rage had gone, he moved to go
against them and did not, and at sundown they went away.
That day, too, they found the old woman among the ferns,
where Ugh-lomi had blundered upon her when he had pursued
Wau-Hau. She was dead and more ugly than ever, but whole.
The jackals and vultures had tried her and left her; she
was ever a wonderful old woman.
The next day the three men came again and squatted
nearer, and Wau-Hau had two rabbits to hold up, and the
red-haired man a wood-pigeon, and Ugh-Lomi stood before
their women and mocked them.
The next day they sat again nearer—without stones or
sticks, and with the same offerings, and Cat's-skin had a
trout.
It was rare men caught fish in those days but Cat's-skin
would stand silently in the water for hours and catch them
with his hand. And the fourth day Ugh-lomi suffered these
three to come to the squatting-place in peace, with the
food they had with them.
Now, there is a thing strange but true: that all through
this fight Ugh-lomi forgot that he was lame, and was not
lame, and after he had rested behold! he was a lame man;
and he remained a lame man to the end of his days.
So it was Ugh-lomi became Uya and the Lion, and had his
will in all things among the children of Uya.
And of his rule among them and of the changing of the
squatting-place there is a story still to come.
THE END
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