FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98  
99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   >>   >|  
hat is it like?" "It is as much an experience as a spectacle. I'm not attempting to describe the thing itself; it should be seen. But across the southwestern part of India, it includes the procession of the animals. All animals from all covers, running together." "There is something like that in the far north of America," Skag said. "It is called the passage of the Barren Ground Caribou. They move south before the first winter storms in thousands. I've heard that sometimes their lines extend out of sight. They have no food, but they do not stop to forage. Our northern hunters say that nothing will stop them." "That's interesting; immensely. I've not heard of it." "But I didn't mean to interrupt you." "Our creatures move in a trance of panic, straight away from the coming rains. I say a trance, because they appear to be oblivious of each other; hunter and hunted go side by side, without noticing." The drive of Skag's life-quest was working in him, as if nothing had ever given it pause. "Do they go fast?" "The timid and lumbering come out first, hurrying; they increase in numbers, all sorts, and run faster till those near the end go at top speed--it's a thing to see. Bhanah will tell you when and where to watch it; but be careful and get under good roofing in time. And then, after the tracks are set right, if you must reach Hurda in order to come back with Carlin . . . Man, God help you if you do not give my sister the best of your gifts!" "Why, I belong to her--" Their hands met; and Skag's soul rose up without words, to answer a white flame in the inscrutable eyes. Early the following morning, Sanford Hantee Sahib said to his servant: "Bhanah, what do you know about cheetahs?" "Such little things as a man may know, Sahib." "Are you willing to give some of it to me?" "All that I am and all that I can, belongs to my master." "Is that--the regular--" "Nay, _nay_! It is right for my master to consider, that I serve him not for a price. This is true service--as men in my land bring to things holy. Those who serve for the weight of silver, render the weight of their hands." "I don't want you to begin thinking that I'm holy though--you understand that." "There are meanings which will appear to the Sahib in time; it is not suitable that they come from me. But this much may be spoken: if my master serves in a great service--then I, who am a poor man and ignorant, may
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98  
99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
master
 

Bhanah

 

things

 

trance

 

service

 
animals
 
weight
 

spoken

 
belong
 

answer


suitable

 

serves

 
Carlin
 

tracks

 
ignorant
 

sister

 
render
 
silver
 

regular

 

belongs


cheetahs

 

morning

 

inscrutable

 

meanings

 

understand

 

Sanford

 

thinking

 

servant

 

Hantee

 

thousands


extend

 
storms
 

winter

 

Ground

 

Caribou

 
interesting
 

immensely

 
forage
 

northern

 
hunters

Barren
 

passage

 
southwestern
 
describe
 

attempting

 

experience

 
spectacle
 

America

 
called
 

includes