[Illustration]
The war being resolved upon, preparations now went on, and consumed so
much time that many again lost interest. They grew impatient, first at
the preparations, and then at the expected war itself, and so had to be
repeatedly stirred up by new infusions of resolution. Koree superintended
the preparations, whose chief work was to keep the minds of the people
prepared; for our early ancestors could not hold a resolution as long as
we. Their anger was soon cool, like their love, and their attention went
rapidly from one subject to another.
“Hollow out some water-melons,” said Koree, “in which to carry our
weapons.”
The Ammi had used melon rinds for vessels, when they wanted something
larger than a cocoanut shell. These lasted, indeed, but a short time, but
they were easily replaced.
“Water-melons are too heavy,” said one, “and will spoil before we reach
the enemy. Let us use bark which can be tied at the ends and hung over
our shoulders.”
Some, accordingly, took bark, but many preferred melons or gourds,
which, however, they exchanged for bark before proceeding far. It takes
experience to learn what is best for war or peace.
“Sharpen your clubs,” said Koree, “but only at one end. Let the other end
be blunt, so as to serve for a staff in marching and a weapon in battle.”
They accordingly sharpened their clubs, which served as spears, and also
aided them in digging for roots, clams and other provisions.
They also provided split bones and broken cocoanut shells, which were
sharp, and so served both as weapons to cut and implements to dig.
Some thought of still other things which might be useful in war, and
filled their bark knapsacks with so much that, when they were ready to
start they were so hopelessly overloaded that they could scarcely move.
But they gained experience on the way, and soon learned what to leave
as well as what to take, thus acquiring early the soldier’s virtue of
learning to throw away.
The greedy fellow Oko, already mentioned, wanted them to carry all their
stores with them, and he tried to get others to help carry his.
“We helped you gather those stores,” said one, “and will not serve you
again by carrying them after you have taken them from us.”
“I did not take them by force,” he answered.
“No,” replied the first, “because you would not fight; but you stole
them, or persuaded us to give them to you.”
“I always gave you something in exchange.”
“True, but it was in each case something worth less.”
Oko was the first man that had learned to cheat, his avariciousness being
distorted into dishonesty which easily deceived them, since men, though
they early learned to resist force, were slow to withstand guile.
Being unable to get help in carrying his stores he concluded to stay at
home to watch them, when the thought of getting greater stores from the
Lali again changed his mind; and his voice was now for war.
The preparations thus went on, and all seemed propitious for a successful
campaign, when suddenly a tremendous shock was felt. A mountain range in
the distance rose to the sky, forming a ridge of the Alps. A roar such
as has not since visited the earth reverberated through the country,
shaking the air as violently as the first shock shook the earth. The
world rocked to and fro like a vessel at sea, tumbling every man to the
earth, and rolling him over the ground. It was impossible to stand, or
even to lie still. The whole human race became sea sick, and all were, in
addition, more frightened than sick. Down came the dug-outs with their
contents over the heads of the Ammi, and men and provisions were rolled
promiscuously over the ground. Fruits and nuts fell from the trees, and
many trees fell with them. There seemed to be no safety for anything on
the earth, or even for the earth itself. The land appeared to be going,
and all looked for a general collapse.
[Illustration: THE CATASTROPHE.]
To add to the disaster the Swamp overflowed, and its waters rushed over
the settlement of the Ammi, overwhelming everything except the huts that
stood on high ground. Several of the men, and many of the women and
children, who had escaped being scared to death, were finally drowned;
while reptiles and wild beasts again overran the region of the Ammi. All
Alligator Swamp seemed emptied upon Cocoanut Hill, and the infant race
looked to see their country, like Holland, sink out of sight.
The return of the waves was scarcely less disastrous than their advance.
As the earth settled again, and the flood came down from the hills, it
swept away much that the advance had left. The earth for a long time
swayed back and forth, the waters rushing alternately in each direction.
Many of the Ammi escaped only by running into the trees, some of whom
even then were shaken down into the water. To add to the terror the sky
became dark, the sun being entirely hid by the thick clouds of dust and
smoke which issued from the crevices of the earth. Noises were repeatedly
heard as of great explosions, and, following every rest from the rocking
of the earth, was a shaking up by intermittent convulsions. The birds
did not find even the air still enough for flight, but many fell to the
ground (or water) killed by the concussion. None knew when the next burst
would occur, but all looked for their death, uncertain only whether it
would come by fire, water, or engulfment. Thunder seemed to come from
both the earth and sky, and lightnings flashed out from the rents of the
earth as well as of the clouds. The world at times appeared to be on
fire, and it looked as if it would be burned up in case it should escape
all the other means of destruction. The sun, the moon, and the stars
seemed all to be destroyed, and no human being looked again for light
except from the fire of the destruction of all things. Death was expected
to follow this disaster, in which men and animals alike were to take part.
In the midst of this despair, however, hope arose with the stillness that
came as sudden as had the commotion. The earth seemed again to stand. The
thunderings became quiet; the waters rushed back to their places; light
began to appear through the smoke, and in time the sun was seen to be in
his place. The distant mountain ranges again appeared in sight, but much
changed. Some peaks were gone, or lay in heaps about the ranges, while
new ridges arose where the plain had before stretched. A new earth seemed
to greet the sky; the old horizon was gone, and a new sky-line along the
mountains added grandeur as well as novelty to the changed scene.
For a moment the impression prevailed that the earth was not permanent,
but changeable like the sea, the forest, and the men. The globe was at
this time passing through a crisis as decisive as that of the human race,
preparing for our present physical geography as well as our present
society; and we may be excused for turning aside, for a moment, from
the convulsions of the human mind in its preparations for war, to the
physical convulsions of Nature in preparing the earth itself for its
future uses.