[Illustration: THE BATTLE IN THE SWAMP.]
FROM MONKEY TO MAN
OR
Society in the Tertiary Age
A Story of the Missing Link
SHOWING THE FIRST STEPS IN INDUSTRY, COMMERCE, GOVERNMENT,
RELIGION AND THE ARTS
WITH AN ACCOUNT OF THE GREAT EXPEDITION FROM COCOANUT
HILL AND THE WARS IN ALLIGATOR SWAMP
BY
AUSTIN BIERBOWER
Author of “The Virtues and Their Reasons,” “The Socialism of
Christ,” “The Morals of Christ,” Etc.
Illustrated by H. R. HEATON
CHICAGO
INGERSOLL BEACON CO
1906
COPYRIGHT 1906
BY
WM. H. MAPLE
CHICAGO
M. A. DONOHUE & COMPANY
PRINTERS AND BINDERS
407-429 DEARBORN STREET
CHICAGO
PUBLISHER’S PREFACE.
The extraordinary interest which this book has excited has induced
the publisher to issue a new and revised edition at a reduced price,
believing that, as it is the first attempt at a prehistoric novel, it
will have a wide reading. The subject, the characters and the period are
here for the first time introduced into fiction.
The scenes are laid in the Tertiary Age when, according to the Darwinian
Theory, men were emerging from the Ape, and they portray the supposed
exploits of our ancestors at that stage of development. The author has
aimed to exhibit the features of the time—climate, foliage, animals,
etc.—as understood by Geologists and Biologists, and to be scientifically
accurate, with no more variations in proportion than are usual in
historic fiction.
If Evolution is the true theory of man’s origin there is a long period
of forgotten history, covering thousands of centuries, during which men
lived and fought and learned, and this book seeks to revivify it and
make it realizable. In this period nearly all the arts and industries
were started, and the author suggests their crude origin in a variety
of episodes. The origin of arms, building, religion and government, the
first use of fire and clothing and the primitive form of many social and
business problems are indicated in the course of a simple story.
In addition to its valuable scientific hints, the work is rich in
practical wisdom. It is also spiced throughout with a vein of quiet
humor which provokes mirth and makes it highly entertaining as well as
instructive.
The illustrations by H. R. Heaton, an artist of national reputation, are
believed to be the best work of his genius.
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
PAGE
FRONTISPIECE
SOSEE’S MOTHER ENCOUNTERS THE SNAKE 10
SHAMBOO’S RIDE 20
THE ROBBERS OF THE AMMI 31
“SEE BELOVED HOW THE MIGHTY FALL AT THE WORD OF SIMLEE
AND THE STROKE OF SHOOZOO” 36
“I HAVE BROUGHT ONE OF THE AMMI INSTEAD” 51
KOREE AND SOSEE ENCOUNTER A MONSTER 58
THE RESCUE OF ORLEE 69
THE BATTLE IN THE SWAMP 80
THE CATASTROPHE 97
THE FIGHT WITH THE FIRE-MONSTER 102
THE GREEDY OKO 120
POUNDER’S MISHAP 129
THE BATTLE BEGINS 139
KOREE’S CHALLENGE 149
THE RETREAT OF THE LALI 161
SOSEE WARNS THE AMMI 172
THE WOOD-EATING ANIMAL IN THE CAMP OF THE AMMI 191
THE AMMI BREAKING THROUGH THE ICE 198
SOSEE’S STRATEGY 212
RETURN OF THE AMMI TO COCOANUT HILL 225
CHAPTER I.
[Illustration]
About ninety years after the fight between the Monkeys and Snakes on
Cocoanut Hill, which was five hundred thousand years before our era, and
near the end of the Tertiary Age, Sosee was sitting on a limb sucking a
mango, when Koree came up in great consternation.
“The fat baboon, from across the swamp,” he said, “has carried off Orlee
while her mother was hunting berries in the bushes.”
“If you love me, Koree,” replied Sosee, uttering a wild scream, “you will
fetch her back, and bring me the tail of the baboon before night.”
Sosee, who spoke these words, was a comely girl of twelve years, one of
the new race which had recently separated from the Apes, and would no
longer recognize them as equals. There was a hostility between the Apes
and these upstarts, and frequent incursions were made from the territory
of one on that of the other.
The Apes had mostly retreated to the swamps and forests beyond, while
the new race were occupying the region about Cocoanut Hill, which their
ancestors of two generations before had taken, after many conflicts, from
the Apes, and from which they had driven the savage beasts. Here the
parents of Sosee were living, and here Sosee had grown to womanhood.
The Cocoanut Hill region was a large tract, in what is now Southern
France, stretching from Alligator Swamp toward the mountains in the
distance. This section was plentifully covered with fruit trees—mangos,
palms, figs and limes; the under brush furnished berries and succulent
herbs; the waters of the swamp, which bordered this land, abounded in
fish, frogs, turtles, snakes and alligators; while great flocks of
ducks, geese and other water fowl frequented it at seasons. The forests
abounded in Uri, Woolly Oxen, Musk-Deer and other game. This abundance of
vegetable and animal life supplied food for the Ammi, as the new race was
called, and they would have lived in comfort but for the attacks of the
Apes beyond the water, who, keeping an envious eye on these fruits, often
came over the Swamp for food.
Shortly before the event of which we speak, some apes in one of these
predatory incursions, were met by a larger number of the Ammi, when
several of the former were killed, and one, a small boy, taken prisoner.
The Ammi, expecting the Apes to attempt reprisals for this, kept a watch
at night, while during the day they guarded their children.
Several times on the day mentioned signs of approaching Apes had been
seen. Gimbo, the grandfather of Sosee, who still persisted in walking on
four feet, (although the Ammi generally had begun to walk upright), said
he could scent the trail of the Apes, and had noticed the marks of one
walking on four feet. But Gimbo was deemed a garrulous old man, somewhat
unreliable, who claimed exceptional wisdom about the animals lower than
men, so that little attention was given to his warning.
The mother of Orlee, however, had observed a sudden starting up of geese
from the swamp; but this also raised little suspicion, as they might
have been startled by a fox. Later, however, her keen sense of hearing
detected successive splashings in the water, as if made by plunging
alligators or turtles on the approach of an enemy. She was, accordingly,
slow to leave the spot where her child was playing—a girl of three years,
the sister of Sosee.
Gaining confidence, however, with the restored silence of the swamp,
she took a club with which she usually warded off reptiles when hunting
berries, or killed them when requiring them for food; and, armed in this
way, she waded into the swamp, still keeping, however, in sight of her
child.
As the berries were plentiful, she had soon eaten all she wanted, making
thereof her morning meal, when she was attracted by some luscious ones
farther in the swamp, which she hurried to get for the child. Having
filled her hands she was next startled by a huge snake of the Boa
species, which swung suddenly down from a tree, like a great vine and
sought to fasten its coils around her.
[Illustration: SOSEE’S MOTHER ENCOUNTERS THE SNAKE.]
Dropping the berries and uttering a wild scream, she seized the serpent,
and, sinking her nails and teeth in its flesh, began a fatal struggle
with it. The snake, which had fastened one coil about her leg, swung
round violently with the intention of encircling her waist. Her screams
startled the child, which began crying, and the two noises attracted the
attention of Koree, the lover of Sosee, who was sporting in a puddle near
by.
Koree started to the rescue of the woman, but, in the tangled underbrush
could not find her; but, instead, he ran against a gigantic ape, which
had also been startled by the cries, and, in his fright, was running
about in confusion. This ape gave Koree a powerful blow with his fist,
and then ran out of the swamp to where the child was playing. Seizing the
child he next ran with it into the bushes and was out of sight.
Too weak, or too frightened, to follow, Koree now hurried back to give
the alarm, when he encountered Sosee on the tree, as we have related.
Sosee’s screams and calls to Koree to rescue the child roused some men
near by, who now all rushed for the swamp.
As they approached they saw the mother of the child emerging from the
bushes carrying the huge snake in triumph about her neck, part of which
was hanging down in long folds, pending from her arms. Never was a woman
prouder over a necklace of diamonds or pearls. Her bloody face and arms
added to the terror inspired by her Amazonian air, as, with a proud step,
she advanced to the men and threw down her trophy.
Disburdened of her load, and sinking from the stimulant of battle, she
now became faint, through loss of blood, and was about to drop to the
ground; for, in the struggle with the serpent, she had been severely
bitten and wrenched, so that her own blood was mingled with that of the
reptile on her body.
As she was about to faint away, however, she observed that her child was
gone, when all the excitement returned which had attended her in battle,
and, on hearing of its capture, she sent up a wail which echoed through
the forest, and flew into a rage that terrified the bystanders.