e tolerated. There
could be no threat here! True, the way of the making was no longer
secret. True, such clan-people had long been despised and neglected and
left to their own grubbing hunger--but was it not recognized, especially
now, that the tribes of Otah and Kurho would determine the fate of all?

_They erred--both Otah and Kurho. Neither would determine, nor would
preponderance of weapons determine. It was not yet perceived that such
clan-people were not Tribe-People, and thus could not know the meaning
of Council, nor weigh consequence, nor realize in their new-found
cleverness that a single arrogant act would trigger the first and final
avalanche...._

It came. It came on a day when a lone and hungry clansman found himself
a full day's journey beyond the river; he was not of Otah's Tribe nor
any tribe, nor did he know that the two he faced were of Kurho's Tribe.
In the dispute over the bring, so emboldened was he by his weapon
newly-fashioned that he used it quick and surely.

He did not again look at the two bodies! Taking up his bring, the lone
one departed quite leisurely, without even the good sense to flee in
horror of the consequence.

Consequence came. It came soon, before the sun was scarcely down. It
came swiftly without question or council, as word reached Far End that
two had been slain. Throughout the night it came in divergent attack, as
Kurho deployed a token force near the river and sent his real strength
high to the north, across the valley-rim and down upon Otah's people. It
was at once attack and reprisal and reason!

And for Otah it was reason! For many weeks past, in test and maneuver of
the long-shafts he had looked to the north. Now couriers brought the
alarm swiftly, and within minutes his forces were launched--fearless
ones who knew each foot of terrain by day or night. Otah led one
contingent and Mai-ak the other, strategy being to stem Kurho's strength
high upon the valley-rim, deplete the enemy and then join force to hunt
down any who sifted through.

It was good strategy, the only strategy--and for a time it went well.
Within the hour Kurho's forces were scattered, as attack and
counter-attack surged and slashed in wild eruption of the long-shafts.
Just as eruptive were the neuro-emotives, as each in his primal way must
have known that _this_ was the long awaitment, _this_ was the grim
finality in Kurho's boast and Otah's boast of weapons.

A few sifted through, but were quick