He did not know what a fall was. So he
stepped boldly out upon the air. His hind-legs still rested on the cave-
lip, so he fell forward head downward. The earth struck him a harsh blow
on the nose that made him yelp. Then he began rolling down the slope,
over and over. He was in a panic of terror. The unknown had caught him
at last. It had gripped savagely hold of him and was about to wreak upon
him some terrific hurt. Growth was now routed by fear, and he ki-yi'd
like any frightened puppy.
The unknown bore him on he knew not to what frightful hurt, and he yelped
and ki-yi'd unceasingly. This was a different proposition from crouching
in frozen fear while the unknown lurked just alongside. Now the unknown
had caught tight hold of him. Silence would do no good. Besides, it was
not fear, but terror, that convulsed him.
But the slope grew more gradual, and its base was grass-covered. Here
the cub lost momentum. When at last he came to a stop, he gave one last
agonised yell and then a long, whimpering wail. Also, and quite as a
matter of course, as though in his life he had already made a thousand
toilets, he proceeded to lick away the dry clay that soiled him.
After that he sat up and gazed about him, as might the first man of the
earth who landed upon Mars. The cub had broken through the wall of the
world, the unknown had let go its hold of him, and here he was without
hurt.
Pages:
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92