THE STRANGE APEMAN

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 3, 5 January 1938, Page 17

THE STRANGE APEMAN

Short Story

A DAY of teeming rain in the great forest, the apemen hunched up against the tree trunks, so close to the trees that they seemed part of them, their arms like branches in shape and colour.

There they squatted, watching the heavy raindrops falling lifelessly to the ground. the water formed into pools under the trees, and the pools rose and met, until the marshy ground became a lake and each apeman stood on a small island little larger than his foot. At times a light puff of wind rustled the leaves and a rush of water fell from them; and there an apeman climbed the trunk of hie tree as his island vanished under him. Soon there remained but one upon the ground—the strange apeman whose behaviour troubled them all. As his island shrank, they watched him bend down to reach a large stone still above the water level, dragging it towards him and thrusting it against the tree trunk, standing upon it when his island disappeared. They parted the leaves and stared at him vacantly. Whenever they were in trouble his actions were inexplicablv strange to them. Sometimes they showed their gratitude by rubbing their cheeks against his, but more frequently he roused a feeling of perplexity and imminent danger, and then they sought his blood. His skill in devising a new way of escape or defence saved him. • • • •

One day, when the monster was pursuing them closely and they had neither refuge nor forest at hand, nor were they numerous enough to attack tooth and limb, it was he who scaled a crag, quickly to loosen a great boulder so that it fcli on the head of the beast and killed him.

They had not imagined that boulder and crag could help them, nor did they understand how it happened then. They knew that the stone this strange apeman had loosened fell upon the monster's head and saved them.

For a while they expected this to happen each time he scaled the crag, and as it did not take place, they grew more confused and avoided him whenever possible. Now that they saw him standing on the stone instead of climbing the trunk, they feared him, and they crept each to the other side of his own tree, so that the trees that sheltered them might protect them from him.

As the rain fell, they peered past the trunks and through the large, heavy leaves at this strange apeman on his stone. But the water rose and covered the stone, and he was compelled, against his will, to climb his tree.

They were relieved when they saw that he had to do as they had done, and they moved once more towards him

and made him one of themselves again There they sheltered, each in his tree

mute and still as images, listening to the rain, with no sign of life but an occasional blink as a stray raindrop fell between the leaves and on their head.

In spite of the downpour, the leaves stood firm and unbent, giving good shelter: rarely did any drops penetrate, but in the gaps between the trees the rain fell straight to the ground in a mighty deluge.

Gradually, the leaves took the shape of the wings of giant birds, wounded in their joints, hanging limply, rain pouring from their tips: the trees ceased to give shelter and the apemen closed into the places where the boughs branched most thickly.

Terrified at their helplessness, they forgot the strange apeman until one of them chanced to look in his direction and saw him seizing the leak-stalks and shaking them free of water, plaiting them clumsily into a fairish roof above his head, stout enough to shelter him.

The watcher's grunt of surprise drew the attention of the rest, and they stared at him in amazement, pressing against the tree trunks, closely following his movements as he plaited until at last he was content to rest and gaze at the downpour.

They began to scowl, their hands to twitch with desire to rend him could they venture near: a few gfiashed their teeth, and others were so bemused that they left their shelters and moved to the ends of the boughs nearest to him. until the sagging of the thinner boucrhs beneath their weiarht and the weight of the water on the leave* brought a deluge on their heads and roused them to retreat.

Thus they remained, closing in to the trees for shelter while the rain fell

down the leaves and into the lake below. Xo rustle, no cry, no sound but the sad drip of water on the trees, dripping ayain from tree to lake, until the very sound of it became silence in their ears. Suddenly, it was broken by the uneasy stir of a great bird sheltering nearby and shrinking from the rain that penetrated the leaves, flapping its. wings when a large leaf emptied its burden.

The apemen, even the strange apeman, looked disconsolate and cowardly as they stared at the foiling rain, the lake rising round the trees, the great birds and the vipers growing restless.

The strange apeman began to sniff and to look this way and that, the others following him, their chests rising and falling quickly, sniffing frantically until the noise rivalled the sound of the rain.

The monster roamed in search of prey, and the stench arose from the deep mini of the marsh as his feet squelched through the crust, wave after wave of stench as he lifted his feet.

The apemen sniffed violently, for the strange apeman had located the source of the odour, and a new fear came upon them with the new sound, the vile sound of feet in the mud.

They forgot the rain and began to descend, but the lake lay below so they turned back into their shelters on the trees. If the monster reached the trees it would be hard to hold to the branches when he began to shake a tree, as he had so often done in the past, until he uprooted it, and then woe betide whoever trusted to the tree.

In days gone by escape would have been easier, but now the ground below had become a lake, and the unsubmerged land was a bog more dangerous than the lake.

Drenched and despondent the apemen looked at each other in their fear, barely able to grip the slippery branches. The strange apeman. they observed, rose and shook himself, looked at them and then leapt on to another tree 11. spite of the danger of slipping.

They were afraid to do likewise, until they haw him leap again a moment later, and after he had leapt several times in safety, they ventured to follow his example. For this was their only means of escape.

He leapt from tree to tree, and they followed him. A screech re-echoed through the forest, and in their c-udden panic they clung to the nearest branch.

But one of them fell and sank until they saw nothing lint his head and arms vainly striving to reach the trunk of hi< tree: the strange apeman leapt upon one of its branches and forced itdown within reach of the creature tint:! he seized it and climbed tip again, the others staring confusedly at him and at each other.

A glimmer in their eyes showed that they relied upon him for salvation.

As the water fell from the trees after each leap, the hideous cry of the monster tore through the air until the forest

By E. TELGA DAVIES

seemed to quake in terror, for the falling water revealed their position and lie drew nearer to them. • * • •

From tree to tree eteadily and safely the strange apeman leapt forward ever in tlie same direction, and they followed him, heedless of the wet and of the danger of slipping, so great was their desire to escape.

Soon they reached open country, with rising ground a .short distance ahead, find from the last tree the strange apeman leapt on to a knoll. They followed him up a rocky spur on to a high crag, climbing from ledge to ledge, crossing the many torrents, quickly disappearing into a cave half-way up its f«ce.

There they tried to shake themselves free of the water, looking now at the strange apeman who led them, now at ono another.

They stood at the mouth of the cove watching the heavy and monotonous rain falling lifelessly, with nothing to break the monotony but the occasional fall of a stone loosened from the crag and hurtling down from ledge to ledge until it reached the water below, for nil the land from the crag to the forest and bevond was one vast sea.

"When at length the rain stopped, the silence was profound, for there was no wind blowing.

The sky cleared, and the sun was petting. Towards the horizon the tints merged their beauty and wisps of cloud crossed the sky. The apemen saw it all. unmoved and uncomprehending, as they had watched the falling rain.

But the strange apeman looked upon this beauty open-eyed, stirring uneasily, as if lost in contemplation, while the others glared at him angrily each time he moved, although he made no noise in moving. I "rider the spell of this new marvel of colour-changing before his eyes, he forgot his scowling companions, the monster sniffing to and fro below the crag, the terror awakened by the squelching feet, and he stepped forward.

Suddenly, forgetting his peril, oblivion-; of hi-; surroundings, the strangest

"Oh!" that apeman ever uttered burst from the lips, and the monster bellowed in reply to this betraying cry. His companions turned upon him and tore him limb from limb and cast him down.

They fled from the cave, rushed up the crag into safety, leaving his limbs to the monster to devour. Each in his own crevice in the rock-face, they stared contentedly at the vain efforts of the monster to climb towards them, rid of their peril and of the strange a peman.

On their faces, as they sucked their finders and licked their chops. wa« a look of case: the world turned bright.

So died the first man, and a myriad years passed before a second man appeared.