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mastered her； and for two days beat her and forced her to travel
with me down out of the canyons of the Hill…Men to the grass lands
where the river flowed through the rice…swamps and the ducks and the
blackbirds fed fat。
I saw my vision when the rice was ripe。 I put Arunga in the bow of
the fire…hollowed log that was most rudely a canoe。 I bade her
paddle。 In the stern I spread a deerskin she had tanned。 With two
stout sticks I bent the stalks over the deerskin and threshed out
the grain that else the blackbirds would have eaten。 And when I had
worked out the way of it； I gave the two stout sticks to Arunga； and
sat in the bow paddling and directing。
In the past we had eaten the raw rice in passing and not been
pleased with it。 But now we parched it over our fire so that the
grains puffed and exploded in whiteness and all the tribe came
running to taste。
After that we became known among men as the Rice…Eaters and as the
Sons of the Rice。 And long； long after； when we were driven by the
Sons of the River from the swamps into the uplands； we took the seed
of the rice with us and planted it。 We learned to select the
largest grains for the seed； so that all the rice we thereafter ate
was larger…grained and puffier in the parching and the boiling。
But Arunga。 I have said she squalled and scratched like a cat when
I stole her。 Yet I remember the time when her own kin of the Hill…
Men caught me and carried me away into the hills。 They were her
father； his brother； and her two own blood…brothers。 But she was
mine； who had lived with me。 And at night； where I lay bound like a
wild pig for the slaying； and they slept weary by the fire； she
crept upon them and brained them with the war…club that with my
hands I had fashioned。 And she wept over me； and loosed me； and
fled with me； back to the wide sluggish river where the blackbirds
and wild ducks fed in the rice swampsfor this was before the time
of the coming of the Sons of the River。
For she was Arunga； the one woman； the eternal woman。 She has lived
in all times and places。 She will always live。 She is immortal。
Once； in a far land； her name was Ruth。 Also has her name been
Iseult； and Helen； Pocahontas； and Unga。 And no stranger man； from
stranger tribes； but has found her and will find her in the tribes
of all the earth。
I remember so many women who have gone into the becoming of the one
woman。 There was the time that Har； my brother； and I； sleeping and
pursuing in turn； ever hounding the wild stallion through the
daytime and night； and in a wide circle that met where the sleeping
one lay； drove the stallion unresting through hunger and thirst to
the meekness of weakness； so that in the end he could but stand and
tremble while we bound him with ropes twisted of deer…hide。 On our
legs alone； without hardship； aided merely by witthe plan was
minemy brother and I walked that fleet…footed creature into
possession。
And when all was ready for me to get on his backfor that had been
my vision from the firstSelpa； my woman； put her arms about me；
and raised her voice and persisted that Har； and not I； should ride；
for Har had neither wife nor young ones and could die without hurt。
Also； in the end she wept； so that I was raped of my vision； and it
was Har； naked and clinging； that bestrode the stallion when he
vaulted away。
It was sunset； and a time of great wailing； when they carried Har in
from the far rocks where they found him。 His head was quite broken；
and like honey from a fallen bee…tree his brains dripped on the
ground。 His mother strewed wood…ashes on her head and blackened her
face。 His father cut off half the fingers of one hand in token of
sorrow。 And all the women； especially the young and unwedded；
screamed evil names at me； and the elders shook their wise heads and
muttered and mumbled that not their fathers nor their fathers'
fathers had betrayed such a madness。 Horse meat was good to eat；
young colts were tender to old teeth； and only a fool would come to
close grapples with any wild horse save when an arrow had pierced
it； or when it struggled on the stake in the midst of the pit。
And Selpa scolded me to sleep； and in the morning woke me with her
chatter； ever declaiming against my madness； ever pronouncing her
claim upon me and the claims of our children； till in the end I grew
weary； and forsook my far vision； and said never again would I dream
of bestriding the wild horse to fly swift as its feet and the wind
across the sands and the grass lands。
And through the years the tale of my madness never ceased from being
told over the camp…fire。 Yet was the very telling the source of my
vengeance； for the dream did not die； and the young ones； listening
to the laugh and the sneer； redreamed it； so that in the end it was
Othar； my eldest…born； himself a sheer stripling； that walked down a
wild stallion； leapt on its back； and flew before all of us with the
speed of the wind。 Thereafter； that they might keep up with him；
all men were trapping and breaking wild horses。 Many horses were
broken； and some men； but I lived at the last to the day when； at
the changing of camp…sites in the pursuit of the meat in its
seasons； our very babes； in baskets of willow…withes； were slung
side and side on the backs of our horses that carried our camp…
trappage and dunnage。
I； a young man； had seen my vision； dreamed my dream； Selpa； the
woman； had held me from that far desire； but Othar； the seed of us
to live after； glimpsed my vision and won to it； so that our tribe
became wealthy in the gains of the chase。
There was a womanon the great drift down out of Europe； a weary
drift of many generations； when we brought into India the shorthorn
cattle and the planting of barley。 But this woman was long before
we reached India。 We were still in the mid…most of that centuries…
long drift； and no shrewdness of geography can now place for me that
ancient valley。
The woman was Nuhila。 The valley was narrow； not long； and the
swift slope of its floor and the steep walls of its rim were
terraced for the growing of rice and of milletthe first rice and
millet we Sons of the Mountain had known。 They were a meek people
in that valley。 They had become soft with the farming of fat land
made fatter by water。 Theirs was the first irrigation we had seen；
although we had little time to mark their ditches and channels by
which all the hill waters flowed to the fields they had builded。 We
had little time to mark； for we Sons of the Mountain； who were few；
were in flight before the Sons of the Snub…Nose； who were many。 We
called them the Noseless； and they called themselves the Sons of the
Eagle。 But they were many； and we fled before them with our
shorthorn cattle； our goats； and our barleyseed； our women and
children。
While the Snub…Noses slew our youths at the rear； we slew at our
fore the folk of t