San Francisco State University - Franciscan Yearbook (San Francisco, CA)

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i I I I F l l Well, that's true of course, but-- Of course it's true. And it's harder work than any hunter does. Sometimes I just lie and think for many settings of the sun to begin to get the scratchings clear in my head. Then there are the technical prob- lems to consider. She was impressed. What's 'technical'7 Well, I know you can't even begin to understand, but it's the way the flint cuts into the rock, the way sometimes a cloud will obscure light so l can't see it right, or perhaps the rock is soft in spots spoils the whole outline. ' Oh dear, she sympathized, like when a hunter's bow breaks he loses his game, lt's worse than that. He's only hunting game! But surely it's just as bad for him and what he's trying to do. He must feed his family, mustn't he? CKYGS-if, the and and And you must scratch the wall and if it's spoiled you've lost your game, too, haven't you? Oh, women and their tongues. Yes, in a way I guess you might say it's almost the same thing, but of course the technical end of it is the easiest. And you just showed me how difficult! That's all right. You're not such a bad little Notmotheryetf' Femma flushed and left. In the meantime the tribe that had the redheaded wall scratcher be- gan to kill much game and spoiled the catch of many of the hunters of this tribe. The women made many arrows for their hunters and dug their caves back in deeper. From one Moon Full to the next the two tribes fought and finally the tribe with the redheaded wall scratcher left Plenty River altogether and even the Storyteller couldn't tell where they went because after Plenty River and the Big Plain You Can't See Across, everyone knew the world ended and the whole tribe must have stepped right off into Place Without Sun. ln the ceremony of rejoicing that followed the vanquishing of the other people, this tribe learned of another ceremony to be. Luster, the long fingered one, was taking a mate. It was Femma the girl to whom he had talked so often, and all the other girls envied her and some of the young hunters grumbled a bit among themselves, but of course, they were just jealous of him. The girl was very happyfand ar- ranged the sea-shells on the ledge in her new cave with real pride. I6 Luce ,..,. acetate, as at

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The girl excused herself and went home all aglow with the glamour of Luster. Surely he would be a remarkable man, and how important 'twoud be to be the mate of a wall scratcher. Truly the world had myriad delights these days. How sad it would have been to be born in grand- mother's time, the time the storyteller always called The Time of Many Travels . In those days the tribe had been able only to hunt and eat and travel wearily from one clump of trees or one river bed to another. When they had found the Plenty River with its abundance of game and friendly hills with some caves already dug, they had settled down for good. Now they had fire and plenty to eat without much effort so they could have excitement and luxuries. Maybe Luster should start by fol- lowin Chut for a while. She should have asked him. If this T 0 9: lf 9 if 5 i l9,.LH gs. U1 is lll f i' The seasons rolled on and the girl Femma became of the age when she could bear young. llfany hunters who had no woman yet looked at her very thoroughly, but she didn't invite them to taste her rabbit stew or anything, as was customary, because she had her eyes full of Luster. He was a little cranky these days as Ohna, with more years on her body now, could not hunt nor work so well. Some days the meal she fixed was little more than a pickmeup and Luster grumbled. Why don't you hunt some for her? Femma asked in her innocence. Luster glared at her. Sometimes I wonder why I bother with you. You have such a tiny understanding of things. First remember l have long fingers and I am a wall scratcher. Yes, she admitted meekly, but -- the tribe didn't vote for you to succeed Chut when he died of the gout. What do I care for that? His wall scratchings were vulgar and done for show. Sometimes he even scratched something others asked to see instead of what he saw himself. .lust for food and skins! Well, but you were just complaining about the food. ' Yes, but don't you see I can't lower myself and wall scratch just for a full belly. I have long fingers. I am Luster. I see visions none else can see as clear, and I share these visions with the whole world. Ilow else could the commoners realize the beauty of life unless they looked upon my wall scratchings? 15

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There were a few hairpulling and shin-kickings in their first few Moon Fulls together because Femma didn't yet realize the advantages of being mated with Luster. She couldn't get it through her head why she should do all the hunting, although Luster explained it to her pa- tiently enough. She did manage to grasp the idea of the technical dif- ficulties of his work and sympathize when no tribal Chieftain came to honor him with Seashells and food for each wall scratching. Their tribe was but newly civilized and many of the commoners could not seem to comprehend their duties to his wall scratchings. They said he did it for h self and would not try to see the glimpses of beauty he was offering the She comforted Luster at this lack of appreciation by the world and they Bath told each many times about the days of Moons Not Risen Yet when the children and grandchildren of these people around them would come upon one of his wall scratchings and would really see it. Luster explained how this glimpse of beauty would affect the future looker and she would gasp with pride for him. Alas, a neighbor about as many seasons alive as Luster began to get the vulgar acclaim of the commoners about this time. He not only pounded the drums but also blew sweet sounds through aireed. 'The com- moners swayed and jumped at the sounds he made and poured many gifts upon him. This was hard for Luster to accept, that they be so eager for the other man's noises and so tardy to look upon his, Luster's, wall scratchings. Also, although he sneered at Chut's successor's work and knew he could do better, still there were skins he would like to wear and new flints to own, but he had nothing to trade and Femma wasn't a very good hunter. All she could do was to keep them eating and she even, ungrate- fully, complained sometimes at her work. He had bigger and better wall scratchings in mind with correspond- ingly difficult technical problems to consider. Also, her grumblings in- terfered with her duty to inspire him. Here he was, straining every poetic sinew of his mind to conjure up these bigger and better wall scratchings with the correspondingly difficult technical problems, quite gracious and content with a meaner cave and less to eat then his vulgar neighbor who merely made sweet sounds. He didn't expect as good a cave nor food nor skins as the hunters had, for, after all, they were mere com- moners whom he would some day educate to the beauty of life with his wall scratchings. Until he uplifted them in this way, their lives ofcourse were sordid and trivial and he didn't mind their contenting themselves with mere food and cavemates. 17 1 x I i 1 1 l l 1 1 1 4 J