THE STRENGTH OF THE
STRONG
"Parables don\'t lie, but liars will parable." - Lip-King.
Old Long-Beard paused in his narrative, licked his greasy fingers,
and wiped them on his naked sides where his one piece of ragged bearskin
failed to cover him. Crouched around him, on their hams, were three
young men, his grandsons, Deer-Runner, Yellow-Head, and Afraid-of-the-
Dark. In appearance they were much the same. Skins of wild animals
partly covered them. They were lean and meagre of build, narrowhipped
and crooked-legged, and at the same time deep- chested, with
heavy arms and enormous hands. There was much hair on their chests
and shoulders, and on the outsides of their arms and legs. Their heads
were matted with uncut hair, long locks of which often strayed before their
eyes, beady and black and glittering like the eyes of birds. They were
narrow between the eyes and broad between the cheeks, while their lower
jaws were projecting and massive.
It was a night of clear starlight, and below them, stretching away
remotely, lay range on range of forest-covered hills. In the distance the
heavens were red from the glow of a volcano. At their backs yawned the
black mouth of a cave, out of which, from time to time, blew draughty
gusts of wind. Immediately in front of them blazed a fire. At one side,
partly devoured, lay the carcass of a bear, with about it, at a respectable
distance, several large dogs, shaggy and wolf-like. Beside each man lay
his bow and arrows and a huge club. In the cave-mouth a number of rude
spears leaned against the rock.