第4章

ButStoneBoywasbothstrongandunnaturallyheavyandhardtohold。Thegreatwarriorfromtheskysweatedfromhisexertions，andtherecameaheavyshower。Againandagainthelightningsflashedaboutthemasthetwostrug—

gledthere。AtlastStoneBoythrewhisoppo—

nent，wholaymotionless。Therewasamurmur—

ingsoundthroughouttheheavensandthecloudsrolledswiftlyaway。

"’Now，’thoughtthehero，’thismanmusthaveslainallmyuncles。Ishallgotohishomeandfindoutwhathasbecomeofthem。’Withthisheun—

fastenedfromthedeadman’sscalp—lockabeauti—

fulbitofscarletdown。Hebreathedgentlyuponit，andasitfloatedupwardhefollowedintotheblueheavens。

"AwaywentStoneBoytothecountryoftheThunderBirds。Itwasabeautifulland，withlakes，rivers，plainsandmountains。Theyoungadventurerfoundhimselflookingdownfromthetopofahighmountain，andthecountryappearedtobeverypopulous，forhesawlodgesallabouthimasfarastheeyecouldreach。Heparticu—

larlynoticedamajestictreewhichtoweredabovealltheothers，andinitsbushytopboreanenor—

mousnest。StoneBoydescendedfromthemoun—

tainandsoonarrivedatthefootofthetree;buttherewerenolimbsexceptthoseatthetopanditwassotallthathedidnotattempttoclimbit。

Hesimplytookouthisbitofdown，breatheduponitandfloatedgentlyupward。

"Whenhewasabletolookintothenesthesawthereinnumerableeggsofvarioussizes，andallofaremarkableredcolor。Hewasnothingbutaboyafterall，andhadallaboy’scuriosityandreck—

lessness。Ashewashandlingtheeggscarelessly，hisnoticewasattractedtoasuddenconfusioninthelittlevillagebelow。Allofthepeopleseemedtoberunningtowardthetree。Hemischievouslythrewaneggatthem，andintheinstantthatitbrokehesawoneofthemendropdead。Thenallbegantocryoutpitifully，’Givememyheart！’

"’Ah，’exclaimedStoneBoy，exulting，’sothesearetheheartsofthepeoplewhodestroyedmyuncles！Ishallbreakthemall！’

"Andhereallydidbreakalloftheeggsbutfoursmalloneswhichhetookinhishand。Thenhedescendedthetree，andwanderedamongthesilentanddesertedlodgesinsearchofsometraceofhislostuncles。Hefoundfourlittleboys，thesolesurvivorsoftheirrace，andthesehecom—

mandedtotellhimwheretheirboneswerelaid。

"Theyshowedhimthespotwhereaheapofboneswasbleachingontheground。Thenhebadeoneoftheboysbringwood，asecondwater，athirdstones，andthefourthhesenttocutwillowwandsforthesweatlodge。Theyobeyed，andStoneBoybuiltthelodge，madeafire，heatedthestonesandcollectedwithinthelodgeallthebonesofhistenuncles。

"Ashepouredthewateruponthehotstonesfaintsoundscouldbeheardfromwithinthemagicbath。Thesechangedtothemurmuringofvoices，andfinallytothesingingofmedicinesongs。

StoneBoyopenedthedoorandhistenunclescameforthintheflesh，thankinghimandblessinghimforrestoringthemtolife。Onlythelittlefingeroftheyoungestunclewasmissing。StoneBoynowheartlesslybrokethefourremainingeggs，andtookthelittlefingerofthelargestboytosupplythemissingbone。

"TheyallreturnedtoearthagainandStoneBoyconductedhisunclestohismother’slodge。

Shehadneversleptduringhisentireabsence，butwatchedincessantlythepillowuponwhichherboywaswonttoresthishead，andbywhichshewastoknowofhissafety。Goingalittleinadvanceoftheothers，hesuddenlyrushedforwardintoherteepee，exclaiming：’Mother，yourtenbrothersarecoming——prepareafeast！’

"Forsometimeafterthistheyalllivedhappilytogether。StoneBoyoccupiedhimselfwithsoli—

taryhunting。Hewasparticularlyfondofhunt—

ingthefiercerwildanimals。Hekilledthemwan—

tonlyandbroughthomeonlytheears，teethandclawsashisspoil，andwiththeseheplayedashelaughinglyrecountedhisexploits。Hismotherandunclesprotested，andbeggedhimatleasttosparethelivesofthoseanimalsheldsacredbytheDa—

kotas，butStoneBoyrelieduponhissupernaturalpowerstoprotecthimfromharm。

"Oneevening，however，hewasnoticeablysilentanduponbeingpressedtogivethereason，repliedasfollows：

"’ForsomedayspastIhaveheardtheanimalstalkingofaconspiracyagainstus。IwasgoingwesttheothermorningwhenIheardacrieran—

nouncingageneralwaruponStoneBoyandhispeople。ThecrierwasaBuffalo，goingatfullspeedfromwesttoeast。Again，IheardtheBeaverconversingwiththeMusk—rat，andbothsaidthattheirserviceswerealreadypromisedtooverflowthelakesandriversandcauseadestructiveflood。

Iheard，also，thelittleSwallowholdingasecretcouncilwithallthebirdsoftheair。HesaidthathehadbeenappointedamessengertotheThunderBirds，andthatatacertainsignalthedoorsoftheskywouldbeopenedandrainsdescendtodrownStoneBoy。OldBadgerandtheGrizzlyBearareappointedtoburrowunderneathourfortifica—

tions。

"’However，Iamnotatallafraidformyself，butIamanxiousforyou，Mother，andformyuncles。’

"’Ugh！’gruntedalltheuncles，’wetoldyouthatyouwouldgetintotroublebykillingsomanyofoursacredanimalsforyourownamuse—

ment。

"’But，’continuedStoneBoy，’Ishallmakeagoodresistance，andIexpectyoualltohelpme。’

"Accordinglytheyallworkedunderhisdirec—

tioninpreparingforthedefence。Firstofall，hethrewapebbleintotheair，andbeholdagreatrockywallaroundtheirteepee。Asecond，third，fourthandfifthpebblebecameotherwallswith—

outthefirst。Fromthesixthandseventhwereformedtwostonelodges，oneupontheother。

Theuncles。meantime，madenumbersofbowsandquiversfullofarrows，whichwererangedatcon—

venientdistancesalongthetopsofthewalls。Hismotherpreparedgreatquantitiesoffoodandmademanymoccasinsforherboy，whodeclaredthathewoulddefendthefortressalone。

"Atlasttheysawthearmyofbeastsadvancing，eachtribebyitselfandcommandedbyaleaderofextraordinarysize。Theonsetwasterrific。Theyflungthemselvesagainstthehighwallswithsav—

agecries，whilethebadgersandotherburrowinganimalsceaselesslyworkedtounderminethem。

StoneBoyaimedhissharparrowswithsuchdeadlyeffectthathisenemiesfellbythousands。

Sogreatwastheirlossthatthedeadbodiesoftheanimalsformedabarrierhigherthanthefirst，andthearmiesretiredinconfusion。

"Butreinforcementswereathand。Therainfellintorrents;thebeavershaddammedalltheriversandtherewasagreatflood。Thebesiegedallretreatedintotheinnermostlodge，butthewaterpouredinthroughtheburrowsmadebythebadgersandgophers，androseuntilStoneBoy’smotherandhistenuncleswerealldrowned。

StoneBoyhimselfcouldnotbeentirelydestroyed，buthewasovercomebyhisenemiesandlefthalfburiedintheearth，condemnednevertowalkagain，andtherewefindhimtothisday。

"Thiswasbecauseheabusedhisstrength，anddestroyedformereamusementthelivesofthecreaturesgivenhimforuseonly。"

VI

EveningintheLodgeI：EveningintheLodgeIHADbeenskatingonthatpartofthelakewheretherewasanoverflow，andcamehomesome—

whatcold。Icannotsayjusthowcolditwas，butitmusthavebeenintenselyso，forthetreeswerecrackingallaboutmelikepistolshots。I

didnotmind，becauseIwaswrappedupinmybuffalorobewiththehairinside，andawideleatherbelthelditaboutmyloins。Myskateswerenothingmorethanstripsofbasswoodbarkbounduponmyfeet。

Ihadtakenoffmyfrozenmoccasinsandputondryonesintheirplaces。

"Wherehaveyoubeenandwhathaveyoubeendoing？"Uncheedahaskedassheplacedbeforemesomeroastvenisoninawoodenbowl。

"Didyouseeanytracksofmooseorbear？"

"No，grandmother，Ihaveonlybeenplayingatthelowerendofthelake。Ihavesomethingtoaskyou，"Isaid，eatingmydinnerandsupperto—

getherwithalltherelishofahungryboywhohasbeenskatinginthecoldforhalfaday。