I thought of these things day by day, and when I grew
to a stripling I came to ask why this should be so.
'And they answered, "We do not know, but that in such way your
fathers did." And I marveled that those which were to come should
fight the battles of those that were gone, and in it I could see
no right. But the people said it must be, and I was only a
stripling.
'And they said I must hurry, that my blood might be the older and
grow strong before hers. This was easy, for I was head man, and
the people looked up to me because of the deeds and the laws of
my fathers, and the wealth which was mine. Any maiden would come
to me, but I found none to my liking. And the old men and the
mothers of maidens told me to hurry, for even then were the
hunters bidding high to the mother of Unga; and should her
children grow strong before mine, mine would surely die.
'Nor did I find a maiden till one night coming back from the
fishing. The sunlight was lying, so, low and full in the eyes,
the wind free, and the kayacks racing with the white seas. Of a
sudden the kayak of Unga came driving past me, and she looked
upon me, so, with her black hair flying like a cloud of night and
the spray wet on her cheek.
Pages:
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200