g
day they returned to the fires of the tribe, carrying between them,
shoulder high, slung upon their two spears, this first trophy of the
bow, the monstrous head and hide of the saber-tooth.

CHAPTER IX

THE DESTROYING SPLENDOR

I

To Grom, hunting farther to the south of the Tribal Fires than he had
ever ranged before, came suddenly a woman running, mad with fright, a
baby clutched to her bosom. She fell at Grom's feet, gibbering
breathlessly, and plainly imploring his protection. Both she and the
child were streaming with blood, and covered with strange cup-like
wounds, as if the flesh had been gouged out of them with some
irresistible circular instrument.

Grom swiftly fitted an arrow to his bow, and peered through the trees
to see what manner of adversary the fugitive was like to bring upon
him. At the same time, he gave a piercing cry, which was answered at
once from some distance behind him.

Having satisfied himself (the country being fairly open) that the
woman's pursuer, whatever it might be, was not close upon her heels,
and that no immediate danger was in view, he turned his attention upon
the woman herself. She was not of his race, and he looked down upon
her with cold aversion. At first glance he thought she was one of the
Bow-legs. But the color of her skin, where it could be seen for the
blood, was different, being rather of a copper-red; and she was
neither so hairy on the body nor of so ape-like proportions. She was
sufficiently hideous, however, and of some race plainly inferior to
the People of the Caves. The natural instinct of a Cave Man would have
been to knock her and her offspring on the head without ceremony--an
effective method of guarding his more highly developed breed from the
mixture of an inferior blood. But Grom, the Chief and the wise man,
had many vague impulses moving him at times which were novel to the
human play-fellows of Earth's childhood. He disliked hurting a woman
or a child. He might, quite conceivably, have refused to concern
himself with the suppliant before him, and merely left her and her
baby to the chances of the jungle. But the peculiar character of her
wounds interested him. She aroused his curiosity. Here was a new
mystery for him to investigate. The woman was saved.

Knowing a few words of the Bow-legs' tongue, which he had learned from
his lame slave Ook-ootsk, he addressed the crouching woman, telling
her not to fear. The tongue was unintelligibl