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possession。
And when all was ready for me to get on his backfor that had been
my vision from the firstSelpa； my woman； put her arms about me；
and raised her voice and persisted that Har； and not I； should ride；
for Har had neither wife nor young ones and could die without hurt。
Also； in the end she wept； so that I was raped of my vision； and it
was Har； naked and clinging； that bestrode the stallion when he
vaulted away。
It was sunset； and a time of great wailing； when they carried Har in
from the far rocks where they found him。 His head was quite broken；
and like honey from a fallen bee…tree his brains dripped on the
ground。 His mother strewed wood…ashes on her head and blackened her
face。 His father cut off half the fingers of one hand in token of
sorrow。 And all the women； especially the young and unwedded；
screamed evil names at me； and the elders shook their wise heads and
muttered and mumbled that not their fathers nor their fathers'
fathers had betrayed such a madness。 Horse meat was good to eat；
young colts were tender to old teeth； and only a fool would come to
close grapples with any wild horse save when an arrow had pierced
it； or when it struggled on the stake in the midst of the pit。
And Selpa scolded me to sleep； and in the morning woke me with her
chatter； ever declaiming against my madness； ever pronouncing her
claim upon me and the claims of our children； till in the end I grew
weary； and forsook my far vision； and said never again would I dream
of bestriding the wild horse to fly swift as its feet and the wind
across the sands and the grass lands。
And through the years the tale of my madness never ceased from being
told over the camp…fire。 Yet was the very telling the source of my
vengeance； for the dream did not die； and the young ones； listening
to the laugh and the sneer； redreamed it； so that in the end it was
Othar； my eldest…born； himself a sheer stripling； that walked down a
wild stallion； leapt on its back； and flew before all of us with the
speed of the wind。 Thereafter； that they might keep up with him；
all men were trapping and breaking wild horses。 Many horses were
broken； and some men； but I lived at the last to the day when； at
the changing of camp…sites in the pursuit of the meat in its
seasons； our very babes； in baskets of willow…withes； were slung
side and side on the backs of our horses that carried our camp…
trappage and dunnage。
I； a young man； had seen my vision； dreamed my dream； Selpa； the
woman； had held me from that far desire； but Othar； the seed of us
to live after； glimpsed my vision and won to it； so that our tribe
became wealthy in the gains of the chase。
There was a womanon the great drift down out of Europe； a weary
drift of many generations； when we brought into India the shorthorn
cattle and the planting of barley。 But this woman was long before
we reached India。 We were still in the mid…most of that centuries…
long drift； and no shrewdness of geography can now place for me that
ancient valley。
The woman was Nuhila。 The valley was narrow； not long； and the
swift slope of its floor and the steep walls of its rim were
terraced for the growing of rice and of milletthe first rice and
millet we Sons of the Mountain had known。 They were a meek people
in that valley。 They had become soft with the farming of fat land
made fatter by water。 Theirs was the first irrigation we had seen；
although we had little time to mark their ditches and channels by
which all the hill waters flowed to the fields they had builded。 We
had little time to mark； for we Sons of the Mountain； who were few；
were in flight before the Sons of the Snub…Nose； who were many。 We
called them the Noseless； and they called themselves the Sons of the
Eagle。 But they were many； and we fled before them with our
shorthorn cattle； our goats； and our barleyseed； our women and
children。
While the Snub…Noses slew our youths at the rear； we slew at our
fore the folk of the valley who opposed us and were weak。 The
village was mud…built and grass…thatched； the encircling wall was of
mud； but quite tall。 And when we had slain the people who had built
the wall； and sheltered within it our herds and our women and
children； we stood on the wall and shouted insult to the Snub…Noses。
For we had found the mud granaries filled with rice and millet。 Our
cattle could eat the thatches。 And the time of the rains was at
hand； so that we should not want for water。
It was a long siege。 Near to the beginning； we gathered together
the women； and elders； and children we had not slain； and forced
them out through the wall they had builded。 But the Snub…Noses slew
them to the last one； so that there was more food in the village for
us； more food in the valley for the Snub…Noses。
It was a weary long siege。 Sickness smote us； and we died of the
plague that arose from our buried ones。 We emptied the mud…
granaries of their rice and millet。 Our goats and shorthorns ate
the thatch of the houses； and we； ere the end； ate the goats and the
shorthorns。
Where there had been five men of us on the wall； there came a time
when there was one； where there had been half a thousand babes and
younglings of ours； there were none。 It was Nuhila； my woman； who
cut off her hair and twisted it that I might have a strong string
for my bow。 The other women did likewise； and when the wall was
attacked； stood shoulder to shoulder with us； in the midst of our
spears and arrows raining down potsherds and cobblestones on the
heads of the Snub…Noses。
Even the patient Snub…Noses we well…nigh out…patienced。 Came a time
when of ten men of us； but one was alive on the wall； and of our
women remained very few； and the Snub…Noses held parley。 They told
us we were a strong breed； and that our women were men…mothers； and
that if we would let them have our women they would leave us alone
in the valley to possess for ourselves and that we could get women
from the valleys to the south。
And Nuhila said no。 And the other women said no。 And we sneered at
the Snub…Noses and asked if they were weary of fighting。 And we
were as dead men then； as we sneered at our enemies； and there was
little fight left in us we were so weak。 One more attack on the
wall would end us。 We knew it。 Our women knew it。 And Nuhila said
that we could end it first and outwit the Snub…Noses。 And all our
women agreed。 And while the Snub…Noses prepared for the attack that
would be final； there； on the wall； we slew our women。 Nuhila loved
me； and leaned to meet the thrust of my sword； there on the wall。
And we men； in the love of tribehood and tribesmen； slew one another
till remained only Horda and I alive in the red of the slaughter。
And Horda was my elder； and I leaned to his thrust。 But not at once
did I die。 I was the last of the Sons of the Mountain； for I saw
Horda； himself fall on his blade and pass quickly。 And dying with
the shouts of the oncoming Snub…Noses growing dim in my ears； I was
glad that the Snub…Noses would have no sons of us to bring up by our
women。
I do not know when this time was when I was a Son of the Mountain
and when we died in the narrow valley where we had slain the Sons of
the Rice and the Millet。 I do not know； save that it was centuries
before the wide…spreading drift of all us Sons of the Mountain
fetched into India； and that it was long before ever I was an Aryan
master in Old Egypt building my two burial places and defacing the
tombs of kings before me。
I should like to tell more of those far days； but time in the
present is short。 Soon I shall pass。 Yet am I sorry that I cannot
tell more of those early drifts； when there was crushage of peoples；
or descending ice…sheets； or migrations of meat。
Also； I should like to tell of Mystery。 For always were we curious
to solve the secrets of life； death； and decay。 Unlike the other
animals； man was for ever gazing at the stars。 Many gods he created
in his own image and in the images of his fancy。 In those old times
I have worshipped the sun and the dark。 I have worshipped the
husked grain as the parent of life。 I have worshipped Sar； the Corn
Goddess。 And I have worshipped sea gods； and river gods； and fish
gods。
Yes； and I remember Ishtar ere she was stolen from us by the
Babylonians； and Ea； too； was ours； supreme in the Under World； who
enabled Ishtar to conquer death。 Mitra； likewise； was a good old
Aryan god； ere he was filched from us or we discarded him。 And I
remember； on a time； long after the drift when we brought the barley
into India； that I came down into India； a horse…trader； with many
servants and a long caravan at my back； and that at that time they
were worshipping Bodhisatwa。
Truly； the worships of the Mystery wandered as did men； and between
filchings and borrowings the gods had as vagabond