TLE OF THE BRANDS

I

Now for two years had the remnants of the tribe been settled in the
Valley of Fire. They had prospered exceedingly. The caves were
swarming with strong children; for at the Chief's orders every warrior
had taken to himself either two or three wives, so that none of the
widows had been left unmated. Grom alone remained with but one wife,
although his position in the tribe, second only to that of Bawr
himself, would have entitled him to as many as he might choose.

Singularly happy with the girl A-ya, Grom had been unwilling to
receive other women into their little grotto, which branched off from
the high arched entrance of the main cave. He might, however, have
yielded, from policy and for the sake of the tribe, to pressure from
the Chief, but for a look of startled anguish which he had seen leap
into A-ya's eyes when he mentioned the matter to her. This had
surprised him at the moment, but it had also thrilled him curiously.
And as the girl made no objection to a step so absolutely in
accordance with the tribal customs, Grom thought about it a good deal.
A few days later he excused himself to the Chief, saying that other
women in his cave would be a nuisance, and would interfere with those
studies of the Shining One which had proved so beneficial to the
tribe. Bawr had accepted the excuse, though somewhat perplexed by it,
and had accommodatingly taken the extra wives himself--a solution
which had seemed to meet with the unqualified approval of A-ya.

The first winter in the Valley of Fire had been a wonderful one to the
tribe, thanks to the fierce but beneficent element ever shining,
dancing and whispering in its mysterious tongue before the cave doors.
Bleak winds and driving, icy rains out of the north had no longer any
power to distress them.

But when the storm was violent, with drenching and persistent rain,
then it was found necessary to feed the fires before the cave-mouths
lavishly with dry fuel from the stores which Grom's forethought had
caused to be accumulated under shelter. These contests between fire
and rain were sagaciously represented by Bawr (who had by now to his
authority as Chief added the subtle sanctions of High Priest) as the
fight of the Shining One in protection of the tribe, his children.

On more than one occasion of torrential downpour the struggle had
almost seemed to hang for a while in doubt. But the Shining One lost
no prestige, thereby, for always, down th