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Chapter 3: The Great Cave-Bear · The Eternal Savage

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Section sixteen of The Eternal Savage by Edgar Rice Burroughs. This LibriVox recording is
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in the public domain. Chapter three The Great Cave Bear. When Nu,
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the son of Nu, regained consciousness, daylight was filtering through several tiny crevices
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in the debris that blocked the entrance to the cave in which the earthquake had
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found and imprisoned him. As he sat up, half bewildered, he cast
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his eyes about the dim interior in search of nat Ul. Not seeing her,
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he sprang to his feet and searched each corner of the cavern. Minutely,
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she was not there. Nu stood for a moment with one hand pressed
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to his forehead, deep in thought. He was trying to marshal from the
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recesses of his memory the occurrences of his immediate past. Finally, he recalled
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that he had set forth from the village of his people in search of Ou,
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as he had been wont to do often in the past, that he
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might bring the head of the Fierce Monster and lay it before the cave of
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Natul, daughter of Thaw. But what had led him to believe that nat
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Ul should be there now in the cave beside him? He passed his hand
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across his eyes. Yet the same memory vision persisted, a confused and chaotic
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muddle of strange beasts and stranger men, among which he and Natul fled through
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an unknown world. Nu shook his head and stamped his foot. It was
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all a ridiculous dream. The shaking of the earth the previous night, however,
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had been no dream. This and the fact that he was buried alive
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were all too self evident. He remembered that he had not found Oo at
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home, and when the quake had come, he had run into the cave
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of the Great Beast to hide from the wrath of the elements. Now he
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turned his attention to the broken rock piled before the mouth of the cave.
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To his immense relief, he discovered that it was composed largely of small fragments.
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These he loosened and removed one by one, and though others continued to
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roll down from above and take their places, for a while, until the
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cave behind him was half filled with the debris, he eventually succeeded in making
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an opening of sufficient size to pass his body through into the outer air.
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Looking about him, he discovered that the quake seemed to have done but little
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damage other than to the top of the cliff, which had overhung before and
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now had fallen from above, scattering its fragments upon the ledges and at the
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foot of the escarpment. For years Ou had laired here. It was here
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that Nu had sought him, since he had determined to win his mate with
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the greatest of all trophies. But now that his cave was choked with the
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debris of the cliff top, Ou would have to seek elsewhere for a den
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and that might carry him far from the haunts of Nu. That would never
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do at all, who must be kept within striking distance until his head had
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served the purpose for which the troglodite intended it. So for several hours New
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labored industriously to remove the rocks from the cave and from the ledge immediately before
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it, as well as from the rough trail that led up from the foot
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of the cliff. All the time he kept his spear close to his hand,
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and his stone axe and knife ready in his g string, for at
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any moment Ou might return. As the great cat had a way of appearing
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with most uncanny silence and unexpectedness, It behooved one to be ever on the
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alert. But at last the work was completed, and New set forth to
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search for a breakfast. He had determined to await the return of the saber
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too tiger, and have the encounter over for good and all had not the
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young men and women of the tribe begun to smile of late each time that
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he returned empty handed from the hunt for ou, none had doubted the sincerity
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of his desire to meet the formidable beast from which it was disgrace to fly.
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For none doubted the courage of Nu. But nevertheless it was humiliating to
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return, always with excuses. Instead of the head of his quarry. Nu
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had scarce settled himself comfortably upon the branch of a tree, where he could
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command the various approaches to the tiger's lair. When his keen ear caught the
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sound of movement in the jungle at his back. The noise was up wind
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from him, and presently the scent of men came down the breeze to the
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sensitive nostrils of the watcher. Now he was alert in this new direction,
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every faculty bent to discovering the identity of the newcomers before they sensed his presence.
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Soon they came in view two men, Nu and Tha, searching for
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the former son. At sight of them, Nu the son of Nu called
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out a greeting. Where go Nu and Tha? He asked, as the
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two came to a halt beneath his perch. They sought Nu, the son
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of Nu, replied the young man's father, And having found him, they
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returned to the dwellings of news people and Knu the son of Nu returns with
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them. The young man shrugged his broad shoulders. Nu the son of Nu
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would remain and slay Oo, he replied, Come down and accompany your father,
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returned the older man. For the people of Nu start to day in
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search of other dwelling where the earth does not shake or the cliffs crumble and
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fall. Nu slid nimbly to the ground. Tell me which way the tribe
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travels, said Nu, the son of Nu, that I may find them
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after I have slain Ou. If he returns to day. If he does
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not return to day, then I will set out tomorrow after the tribe.
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The young man's father thought in silence for a moment. He was very proud
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of the prowess of his son. He should be as elated as the young
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man himself when he returned with the head of the hunter of men and of
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mammoths. Then too he realized the humiliation which a son might feel on being
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forced to return again without the trophy. He laid his hand upon the young
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man's shoulder. Remain my son, he said. Until the next light.
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The tribe will travel north beside the restless sea, beyond the barren cliffs.
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Because of the old and the babes, we shall move slowly. It will
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be easy for you to overtake us. If you do not come, we
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shall know that ou was mightier than the son of Nu. Without other words,
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the two older men turned and retraced their steps toward the village, while
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Nu, the Sun of Nu, climbed again to his perch within the tree.
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All day he watched for the return of Oo. The great apes and
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the lesser apes passed below and above and around him, sometimes threw him upward.
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In passing below, the wooly rhinoceros brow and lay down to sleep.
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A pack of hyenas slunk down from the plateau above the cliffs. They circled
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the sleeping perisodactyl. The great beast opened its little eyes lumberingly. It came
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to his feet, wheeling about until it faced up wind, and then,
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like a mountain run amok, it charged straight for the line of now growling
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hyenas the cowardy brutes leaped aside, and the whole pack closed upon the rear
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of the rhinoceros. The big beast turned quick as a cat down when its
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arms snout, and one of his tormentors was hurled far aloft, torn by
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the mighty horn that had pierced him through. Again, the rhinoceros wheeled and
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ran, and again the pack closed in upon him. The jungle swallowed them.
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But for a long time Nu could hear the savage growls of the pursuing
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beasts, and the yells of pain, as from time to time the rhinoceros
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turned upon his tormentors. Then came a cave bear, lumbering down the face
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of the cliff. At the mouth of the cave of Ou. He halted,
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sniffing about warily and uttering deep throated growls of rage and hate. Nu
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listened for the answering challenge of the ancient enemy of Er, but no sound
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came. Nu shrugged his shoulders. It was evident that U was far away,
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otherwise he would never have let ERR's challenge go unanswered. Now the bear
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had continued his way to the foot of the cliff. He was advancing toward
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the tree in which Nu sat at the edge of the jungle. The beast
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halted and commenced a nose in the soft earth for roots. Nu watched him.
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If not the head of Ou, why not the head of Er,
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who would not return that day? Of that Nu was positive, for it
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was already late in the afternoon, and if the great tiger had been near,
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he would have heard and answered the challenge of the cave bear. Nu
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dropped lightly to the ground upon the opposite side of the tree from Err.
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In his right hand he grasped his long, heavy spear. In his left
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was his stone axe. He approached the huge beast from the rear, coming
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within a few paces of it before the animal was aware of his presence,
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for none of the jungle folk moved more noiselessly than primeval man. But at
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last Err looked up, and at the same instant news mighty muscles launched the
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stone tipped spear straight as a bullet. It sped toward the breast of the
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hairy monster, bearing itself deep in his body as he lunged forward to seize
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the rash creature that dared attack him. Nu held his ground, standing with
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feet apart and swinging his heavy stone axe to and fro in both hands.
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The cave Bear rose upon his hind feet as he neared the man. Towering
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high above his enemy's head with gaping jaws an outstretched paws, the terrible beast
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advanced now and then, tearing at the stout halt of the spear, protruding
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from its breast and giving tongue to roars of rage and pain that shook the
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earth. As the mighty forearms reached for him, New dodge beneath them,
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swinging his axe to the side of the bear's head as he passed with a
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howl. The beast wheeled and charged in the new direction, But again New
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followed his previous tactics, and again a crushing blow fell upon the side of
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the Cave Bear's jaw. Blood spurted from the creature's mouth and nostrils, for
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not only had the stone axe brought blood, but the stone's spear had penetrated
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the savage lungs. And now er did what New had been waiting for him
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to do He dropped upon all fours and raced madly toward his tormentor. The
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changed position brought the top of his skull within reach of the man's weapon,
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and this time, as he side stepped the charge, he brought the axe
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down full upon the bear's forehead between his eyes. Stunned, the beast staggered
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and stumbled, his nose buried in the trampled mud and grass of the battlefield.
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Only for an instant would he be thus, and in that instant must
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now leap in and finish him. Nor did he hesitate dropping his axe.
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He sprang upon Err with his stone knife, and again and again sent the
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blade into the wild heart. Before the cave bear regained full consciousness, he
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rolled over upon his side dead. For half an hour, New was busy
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removing the head, and then he set himself to the task of skinning the
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beast. His methods were crude, but he worked much faster with his primitive
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implements than modern man with keen knives. Before another hour had passed, he
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had the skin off and rolled into a bundle, and had cut a great
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steak from ERR's loin. Now he gathered some dry leaves and tinder, and
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with a sharpened bit of hardwood, produced fire by twirling the point vigorously in
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a tiny hollow scooped from another piece of hardwood. When the blaze had been
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nursed to a fire of respectable dimensions, new and paled the stake upon a
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small branch, and squatting before the blaze grilled his supper. It was half
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burned and half raw, and partially smoked, but that he enjoyed it was
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evidenced by the fact that he devoured it all. Afterward, he placed a
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pelt upon his shoulder and set forth. Upon his return to his people,
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he returned directly to the cliffs by the restless Sea, for he did not
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know whether the tribe had yet left in search of the new camping ground or
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not. It was night by the time he emerged from the jungle at the
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foot of the cliff. A cursory expiation showed him that the tribe had gone,
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and so he crawled into his own cave for the night. In the
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morning, he easily could overtake them. When Hud crossed the cave toward Natul,
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he had expected to encounter physical resistance, and so he came half crouched
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and with hands outstretched to seize and subdue her. Hud said the girl,
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if I come to you willingly, will you treat me kindly always? The
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men came to a stop a few feet from his victim. Evidently it was
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going to be more easy than he had anticipated. He did not relish the
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idea of taking a she tiger for mate, and so he was glad to
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make whatever promises the girl required. Afterward he could keep such as were easiest
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to keep. Hud will be a kind mate, he answered. The girl
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stepped toward him, and Hud met her with encircling arms, but as hers
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went around him, he failed to see the sharp stone knife in Nottoole's right
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hand. The first he knew of it was when it was plumed remorselessly into
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his back beneath his left shoulder blade. Then Hud tried to disengage himself from
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the girl's embrace, but struggle as he would, she clung to him tenaciously,
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plunging the weapon time and time again into his back. He tried to
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reach her throat with his fingers, but her sharp teeth fastened upon his hand,
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and then with his free hand he beat upon her face, but only
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for an instant as the knife found his heart, and with a groan,
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he sank to the rocky floor of the cave. Without waiting to know that
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he was dead, Natul rushed from the dark interior. Swiftly she scaled the
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barren cliffs and dropped once more into her own valley. Upon the other side,
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along the beach, she raced back toward the dwellings of her people,
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not knowing that at that very moment they were setting out in search of a
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new home. At midafternoon, she passed them scarce half a mile away,
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for they had taken the that led upon the far side of the jungle,
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that they might meet the returning mammoth hunters. And so Natul came to the
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deserted caves of her tribe at nightfall, only to find that her people had
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departed. Supperless, she crawled into one of the smaller and higher caves,
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for it would be futile to attempt to discover the trail of the departed tribe
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while night, with its darkness and its innumerable horrors, enveloped the earth.
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She had dozed once when she was awakened by the sound of movement upon the
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face of the cliff. Scarce breathing, she lay listening. Was it man
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or beasts that roamed through the deserted haunts of her tribe? Higher and higher
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up the face of the cliff came the sound of the midnight prowler. That
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the creature, whatever it was, was making a systematic search of the caves
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seemed all too apparent it would be but a question of minutes before it would
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reach her hiding place. Now to grasp her knife more firmly, the sounds
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ceased upon the ledge directly beneath her. Then, after a few moments,
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they were resumed, But to the girl's relief, they now retreated down the
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steep bluff. Presently they ceased entirely, and though it was hours before she
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could quiet her fears, she at last fell into a deep slumber. At
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dawn, knew the son of Nu awoke. He rose and stretched himself,
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standing in the glare of the new sun, upon the ledge before his cave.
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Fifty feet above him slept the girl he loved new gathered up his weapons
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and his bear skin, and moved silently down to the spring, where he
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quenched his thirst. Then he passed through the jungle to the sea. Here
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he removed his loincloth and the skin that covered his shoulders, and waded into
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the surf. In his right hand he held his knife, for great reptiles
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inhabited the restless sea. Carefully he bathed, keeping a wary watch for enemies
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in the water or upon the land behind. In him was no fear,
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for he knew no other existence than that which might present at any moment the
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necessity of battling for his life with some slimy creature of the deep, or
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equally ferocious denizen of the jungle or the hills. To new it was but
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a part of the day's work. You or I might survive a single day
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where we suddenly cast back into the primeval savagery of news long dead age.
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And knew if as suddenly transplanted to the corner of Fifth Avenue and twenty third
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Street, might escape destruction for a few hours, but sooner or later a
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trolley car or a taxi would pounce upon him. His ablutions completed, the
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troglodite replaced his loincloth in his shaggy fur, took up his weapons and his
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burden, and set forth upon the trail of his father's people above him.
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As he passed again along the foot of the cliff, the woman that he
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loved slept in ignorance of his presence. When at last Matula awoke, the
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sun was high in the heavens. The girl came cautiously down the cliff face,
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looking first in one direction and then another, often pausing for several minutes
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at a time to listen. All about her were the noises of the jungle
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and the sea and the air. For great birds and horrid winged reptiles threatened
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primeval men as sorely from above, as did the carnivor of the land from
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his own plane. She came to the spring in safety, and passed on
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into the jungle in search of food, for she was half famished. Fruits
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and vegetables with grasshoppers, caterpillars, and small rodents, and the eggs of
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birds and reptiles were what she sought. Nor was she long in satisfying the
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cravings of her appetite. Nature was infinitely more bountiful in those days than at
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the present, for she had infinitely more numerous and often far greater stomachs to
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satisfy then than now. Not to have passed through the jungle to the beach
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she had wanted to bathe, but alone she dared not. Now she stood
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wondering in which direction the tribe had gone. She knew that ordinarily, if
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they had been traveling either north or south, they would follow the hard packed
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sand of the beach, for there the traveling was easiest, but the tide
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would have washed away their spoor. Long before this, she had seen signs
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of their passage north beside the jungle, but the trail was an old,
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well worn one traversed daily by many feet, so she had not been able
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to guess from it that it contained the guide to the direction her people had
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taken. As she stood upon the beach, trying to reason out her future
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plans, it became apparent that if the tribe had gone north, she would
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have met them on her return from the barren cliffs yesterday, and so as
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she had not met them, they must have gone south. And so she
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turned her own footsteps south, away from her people and from new end of Section sixteen