Uk:

Ok and Un, arise and slay!

(Ok and Un rush upon Oan, who stoops and picks up two casting-stones, with one of which he strikes Ok between the eyes, and with the other mashes the hand of Un, so that he drops his club.  Uk arises.)

Uk:

Behold!  Gurr cometh! he cometh swiftly from the wood!

(The Tribe, including Oan and Ala, rush for the cave-mouths.  As Oan passes Uk, the latter runs behind Oan and crushes his skull with a blow of his club.)

Uk:

O men!  O men with the heart of hyenas!  Behold, Gurr cometh not!  I did but strive to deceive you, that I might the more easily slay this singer, who is very swift of foot....  Gather ye before me, for I would speak wisdom....  It is not well that there be any song among us other than what our fathers sang in the past, or, if there be songs, let them be of such matters as are of common understanding.  If a man sing of a deer, so shall he be drawn, it may be, to go forth and slay a deer, or even a moose.  And if he sing of his casting-stones, it may be that he become more apt in 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.