hat with a single crunch of his
jaws he could have pierced, at the same moment, the great vein of the
throat in front and the spinal marrow at the back.

He could spring twenty feet horizontally from a sitting position. He was
abominably hairy. It was a matter of pride with us to be not very hairy.
But he was covered with hair all over, on the inside of the arms as well
as the outside, and even the ears themselves. The only places on him
where the hair did not grow were the soles of his hands and feet and
beneath his eyes. He was frightfully ugly, his ferocious grinning mouth
and huge down-hanging under-lip being but in harmony with his terrible
eyes.

This was Red-Eye. And right gingerly he crept out or his cave and
descended to the ground. Ignoring me, he proceeded to reconnoitre. He
bent forward from the hips as he walked; and so far forward did he bend,
and so long were his arms, that with every step he touched the knuckles
of his hands to the ground on either side of him. He was awkward in the
semi-erect position of walking that he assumed, and he really touched
his knuckles to the ground in order to balance himself. But oh, I tell
you he could run on all-fours! Now this was something at which we were
particularly awkward. Furthermore, it was a rare individual among us who
balanced himself with his knuckles when walking. Such an individual was
an atavism, and Red-Eye was an even greater atavism.

That is what he was--an atavism. We were in the process of changing our
tree-life to life on the ground. For many generations we had been going
through this change, and our bodies and carriage had likewise changed.
But Red-Eye had reverted to the more primitive tree-dwelling type.
Perforce, because he was born in our horde he stayed with us; but in
actuality he was an atavism and his place was elsewhere.

Very circumspect and very alert, he moved here and there about the open
space, peering through the vistas among the trees and trying to catch
a glimpse of the hunting animal that all suspected had pursued me.
And while he did this, taking no notice of me, the Folk crowded at the
cave-mouths and watched.

At last he evidently decided that there was no danger lurking about. He
was returning from the head of the run-way, from where he had taken a
peep down at the drinking-place. His course brought him near, but still
he did not notice me. He proceeded casually on his way until abreast of
me, and then, without warning an