Fortunately their numbers are comparatively
few; otherwise there would be no other life within Caspak. It is
their very voracity that keeps their numbers down to a point which
permits other forms of life to persist, for even in the season of
love the great males often turn upon their own mates and devour
them, while both males and females occasionally devour their young.
How the human and semihuman races have managed to survive during
all the countless ages that these conditions must have existed here
is quite beyond me.
After breakfast Ajor and I set out once more upon our northward
journey. We had gone but a little distance when we were attacked
by a number of apelike creatures armed with clubs. They seemed a
little higher in the scale than the Alus. Ajor told me they were
Bo-lu, or clubmen. A revolver-shot killed one and scattered the
others; but several times later during the day we were menaced
by them, until we had left their country and entered that of the
Sto-lu, or hatchet-men. These people were less hairy and more
man-like; nor did they appear so anxious to destroy us. Rather
they were curious, and followed us for some distance examining us
most closely. They called out to us, and Ajor answered them; but
her replies did not seem to satisfy them, for they gradually became
threatening, and I think they were preparing to attack us when a
small deer that had been hiding in some low brush suddenly broke
cover and dashed across our front.
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