the use thereof. And if he sing of his cave, it may
be that he shall defend it more stoutly when Gurr teareth at the
boulders. But it is a vain thing to make songs of the stars, that seem
scornful even of me; or of the moon, which is never two nights the same;
or of the day, which goeth about its business and will not linger though
one pierce a she-babe with a flint. But as for me, I would have none of
these songs. For if I sing of such in the council, how shall I keep my
wits? And if I think thereof, when at the chase, it may be that I babble
it forth, and the meat hear and escape. And ere it be time to eat, I do
give my mind solely to the care of my hunting-gear. And if one sing when
eating, he may fall short of his just portion. And when, one hath eaten,
doth not he go straightway to sleep? So where shall men find a space for
singing? But do ye as ye will: as for me, I will have none of these
songs and stars.

Be it also known to all the women that if, remembering these wild words
of Oan, they do sing them to themselves, or teach them to the young
ones, they shall be beaten with brambles. Cause swiftly that the wife of
Ok cease from her wailing, and bring hither the horses that were slain
yesterday, that I may apportion them. Had Oan wisdom, he might have
eaten thereof; and had a mammoth fallen into our pit, he might have
feasted many days. But Oan was a fool!

_Un:_

Oan was a fool!

_All the Tribe:_

Oan was a fool!

FINIS

It was the last of Morganson's bacon. In all his life he had never
pampered his stomach. In fact, his stomach had been a sort of negligible
quantity that bothered him little, and about which he thought less. But
now, in the long absence of wonted delights, the keen yearning of his
stomach was tickled hugely by the sharp, salty bacon.

His face had a wistful, hungry expression. The cheeks were hollow, and
the skin seemed stretched a trifle tightly across the cheek-bones. His
pale blue eyes were troubled. There was that in them that showed the
haunting imminence of something terrible. Doubt was in them, and anxiety
and foreboding. The thin lips were thinner than they were made to be,
and they seemed to hunger towards the polished frying-pan.

He sat back and drew forth a pipe. He looked into it with sharp
scrutiny, and tapped it emptily on his open palm. He turned the
hair-seal tobacco pouch inside out and dusted the lining, treasuring
carefully each flake and mite of tobacco