Allan and the Ice Gods (33 page)

there in the darkness filled with such musings and memories, and

presently was on the seashore and clear of the village.

Here he stayed a while until the sky turned gray and there was light

sufficient to enable him to thread his way through the forest.

This he did slowly at first, but afterward more quickly, following a

different road to that which he had taken after he had first seen the

aurochs, one which ran along the edge of the beach where in places

blown sand still lay among the fir trees. This he did because he

feared lest the bull should have scented him after he left its lair

two days before, and be watching and waiting on his track. At length

he struck up hill, for, although he had never walked that path, the

hunter’s sense within him told him where to turn, and striking the

foot of the little marsh, skirted round it, till he came near the

bottom of the low cliff, along the top of which ran the rocky path

that bordered the den of the aurochs. Here he rested a while, hiding

himself in the brambly undergrowth, because he did not know at what

hour the bull returned to its lair after its nightly feed, and feared

lest he might meet it on the rocky path.

He had sat still thus for perhaps the half of an hour or more, idly

watching certain birds that had gathered together on the branches of a

dead fir near by, preparing to fly south long before their accustomed

time. Presently, after much twittering, the birds rose in a cloud and

flew away to warmer climes, though, as Wi knew nothing of any other

country, he wondered why they went and whither. Next a rabbit ran past

him, screaming as it ran, and as though bewildered, took shelter

behind a stone, where it crouched. Presently he saw why it had

screamed, for after it, running on its scent, swift, thin, terrible,

silent, came a weasel. The weasel also vanished behind the stone where

the rabbit had crouched. There was a sound of scuffling and of more

thin screams, then the weasel and the rabbit rolled out together from

behind the stone, the weasel with its sharp teeth fixed in the

rabbit’s neck.

“Behold death hunting all things,” thought Wi to himself. “Behold the

gods hunting man, who flies and screams, filled with terror of he

knows not what, till they have him by the throat!”

Suddenly the dog Yow, who had taken no heed of the rabbit, being too

well trained, half rose from where he crouched hidden in the thick

bushes at his master’s side, lifted his fierce head, sniffed the wind

which blew toward them from the direction of the aurochs’ den, and,

looking upward, uttered a growl so low that it could scarce be heard.

Wi also looked upward and saw what it was at which Yow growled.

For there, but a few paces above him, with the morning light glancing

from its wide, polished horns, came the huge aurochs, returning, full-fed, to its lair. Wi shivered when he saw it, for viewed thus from

beneath, with its shadow, magnified by the low light, showing enormous

on the rocky wall beyond, the beast was terrifying as it marched past

him majestically, shaking its great head and lashing its flanks with

its bushy tail; so terrifying, indeed, that Wi bethought him that it

would be wise to fly while there was yet time.

Oh! could any man prevail against such a brute as this, Wi wondered,

and turned to go.

Then he remembered all the purpose that had brought him thither; also

how great would be his future glory if he could kill that bull, and

how noble his end if the bull killed him. So he sat down again and

waited awhile, another half-hour, perhaps, to give the aurochs some

time to settle itself in its lair and forget its vigilance, so that,

if it were disturbed, it might come out confused by sleep. Also Wi

waited till the sun, which as it chanced shone that morning, should

reach a certain height, when he hoped that its rays, striking full in

the beast’s eyes, would confuse it, as it issued forth.

At length the moment was at hand when he must either dare the deed, or

leave it undared and return home ashamed, making pretence that he had

gone forth to hunt deer which he had not found, and perhaps to be

laughed at for his lack of skill by Pag, whom of late he had forbidden

to follow him because he wished to be alone, or to be asked by Aaka

for the venison which she knew he had not brought.

Remembering these things, Wi rose up, stretched his arms, straightened

himself, and climbed the little cliff to give battle to the aurochs.

Stripping himself of his skin robe, he laid it on one side, hanging it

to the bough of a tree, so that now he was clothed only in an

undergarment of fawn’s hide which came down to above his knees. Then,

having thrust his left wrist through the loop of his ax, he took one

of the short, heavy spears in his right hand, holding the other two in

his left. Next he peered into the cleft, but could see nothing of his

game, which doubtless was lying down under the trees at the farther

end. The hound Yow smelt it there indeed, for he began to slaver at

the mouth and his hair stood up upon his back. Wi patted him upon the

head and made a motion with his arm. Yow understood and leapt into the

cleft like a stone from a sling. Before Wi could count ten, there

arose a sound of wrathful bellowing and of crashing boughs, telling

him that the bull was up and charging at Yow.

Nearer came the bellowing and the crashings, and now he saw the great

brute. Yow was leaping to and fro in front of it, silently, after his

fashion, keeping out of the reach of its horns, while the aurochs

charged again and again, tearing up the ground and stamping with its

feet, but never touching Yow who thus led it forward as he had been

trained to do. At length, when it was quite close to the mouth of the

cleft, Yow sprang and, seizing it by the nose, hung there.

Out they came, the pair of them, the aurochs tossing its head and

trying to shake off Yow who would not leave go, rearing up also as it

swung the dog from side to side and striking at it with its fore feet

—but without avail. Now it was alongside of Wi, who stood waiting

with raised spear, like to a man of stone. It dropped its head, hoping

to rub Yow on the ground and free itself. Wi saw his chance. Quickly

as a swooping hawk, he sprang at it and drove the flint spear through

the bull’s right eye, then thrust upon it with all his strength. The

spear had vanished in the bony socket of the eye; with a roar of rage

and pain, the aurochs tossed up its head so mightily that the spear

shaft broke close to the pierced eye, and Yow was hurled far away,

torn from his hold upon the nose, though never had the brave hound

unlocked his jaws. The bull smelt the man and charged at him along the

narrow path. Wi flattened himself against the rock, for it could not

see him with its blinded eye and rushed past him, though the great

horn touched his chest. It wheeled round, Wi saw and scrambled up the

face of the rock to twice the height of a man, where he stood upon a

little ledge, steadying himself with his left elbow against the root

of a fir.

Now the aurochs caught sight of him and, rearing itself up on its hind

legs, strove to reach him with its horns. Wi took a second spear in

his right hand, letting fall the third, and with his left, that was

now free, gripped the root of the fir. The great mouth of the aurochs

appeared over the edge of the ledge, but because of this ledge it

could not touch him with its horns. It opened its mouth, roaring in

its mad rage. Wi, bending forward, thrust the second spear down that

cavern of a mouth and deep into the throat beyond. It was wrenched

from his grip. Blood running from its muzzle, the aurochs drove

furiously at the ledge on which Wi stood. Its horn caught underneath

the ledge, and so great was its strength that it broke a length of the

soft rock away from the cliff face, that length on which Wi stood,

leaving him hanging to the root.

Now he became aware that Yow had reappeared, for he heard his low

growls. Then the growlings ceased and he knew that he must have fixed

his fangs into the hind parts of the bull. Down went the aurochs,

seeking to kill the hound, leaping along the path and kicking, and

down went Wi also, for his root broke. He landed on his feet, turned,

and saw the bull a few paces to the left, almost doubled into a ball

in its efforts to be rid of Yow, who clung to his flank or belly. Wi

picked up his last spear, which lay upon the path. The bull came

round, and as it came, saw him with its unharmed eye. It charged,

dragging Yow with it; Wi hurled his last spear, which struck it in the

neck and there remained fixed. Again Wi leapt aside, but this time to

the right, because he must, for the bull rushed along close to the

bank from which he had fallen. The brute saw, and wheeling, came at

him. Wi caught it by the horns with both hands and hung there, being

swung to and fro in the air over the swamp beneath. The rotten ground

gave, and down went Wi, the aurochs, and Yow into the mud below!

A little while after Wi had left the cave, Pag was wakened by someone

who shook him by the shoulder. He looked up and, in the low light of

the fire, saw that it was Laleela, her blue eyes wide open, her face

distraught as though with fear.

“Awake, Pag,” she said. “I have dreamed a very evil dream. I dreamed

that I saw Wi fighting for his life, though with what he fought I do

not know. Listen! Before it was day, I woke up suddenly, and by the

light of the fire, I saw Wi leave the cave carrying spears, and

presently heard Yow whimper as he loosed him from his kennel. Then I

went to sleep again and dreamed the evil dream.”

Pag sprang up, seizing his spear and his ax.

“Come with me,” he said, and shambled from the cave to the place where

Yow was tied up at night.

“The dog is gone,” he said. “Doubtless Wi has taken it with him to

hunt in the woods. Let us search for him, for perhaps you who are wise

dream truly.”

They sped away, heading for the woods. As they passed Moananga’s hut,

he came out of it, just awakened, to look at the promise of the dawn.

“Bring ax and spear and follow,” called Pag. “Swift, swift! Stay not

to talk.”

Moananga rushed into his hut, seized his weapons, and raced after

them. As the three of them went, Pag told the story.

“A fool’s dream,” said Moananga. “With what would Wi be fighting? The

tiger and the wolves are dead, and wild cattle have left the woods.”

“Have you never heard of the great bull of the forest before which no

man dare stand? It is about, as I know, for I have seen its signs and

where it lies, and although I hid it from him, perhaps Wi knew it

also,” answered Pag in a low voice, to save his breath. Then in the

gathering light he pointed to the ground, saying:

“Wi’s footmark and the track of Yow walking at his side, not an hour

old,” and putting down his big head, he fixed his one eye upon the

ground and followed the trail, while after him came the others.

Swiftly they ran, for the light was good and the trail across the sand

clear to Pag the Wolf-man, who, it was said, could run by scent alone.

Following the footprints, at length they came to the foot of the marsh

that lay beneath the little cliff. Still running on the track they

turned to skirt it, as Wi had done. Suddenly, Laleela uttered a cry

and pointed with her hand.

Lo! there in the mud of the swamp, wallowing feebly, was the terrible

bull; there athwart its neck sat Wi, holding to its horn with one

hand, and with the other still smiting weakly at its head with his ax,

while crushed beneath appeared the hindquarters of the dead dog.

As they looked, the aurochs made a last effort. It reared itself up,

tearing its shoulder from the sticky mud; it turned over, bearing Wi

with it. Wi vanished beneath the mud; the bull moaned and lay still;

its flesh quivered, its eyes shut.

Pag and Moananga rushed round the marsh till they came to the foot of

the cliff near to which Wi and the bull were bogged. They leapt on to

the body of the aurochs. Pag, whose strength was great, dragged the

huge head aside. Beneath it lay Wi. Laleela came. She and Moananga,

standing up to their middles in the mud where they found a footing,

tugged at him; mightily they strove, till at last he was free. They

dragged him to the edge of the swamp, they laid him on his face and

waited, staring at each other. Lo! he moved. Lo! he coughed, red mud

was pouring from his mouth. They were in time—Wi lived!

The tribe was in a tumult. These three, Laleela, Pag, and Moananga,

had brought Wi back to the village, half supporting, half carrying

him. Then the tribe, learning what had happened, had rushed out to the

swamp beneath the little cliff, and thence by main force had dragged

the aurochs and the dog Yow, which in death still clung to it with

locked jaws. They washed the mud off the beast with water and saw the

spears of Wi, one fixed deep in its eye socket and one in its throat