-43-. '5dm&time -PerH&F5 by J. 0. H. SCHOFIEID. (Winning Essay for Debating Society Essay Competition 1934, Senior Division). Slowly the red sun rose from among the mists over the great lake. It was dawn in the dim days before history, when man was not a man but half ape. A creature endowed with the body of a monkey,the brains of a child,and the passions of a beast, rather than a human. ^ the sun rose, it revealed a landscape of weird and fan tastic beauty. A wide estuary broadened into a lake. On one shore were steep forest clad hills,wherein were the dwellings of Taggan, tie cave-folk, the hunters. On the opposite bank could be seen through the mists of the dawn, the crude shelters of Ka, the fisher-folk, the terrorisers of Taggan. The mists sloivly cleared. Below the caves of Taggan was a scene of carnage. Strange man-like bodies lay prostrate on the sand, while gigantic vultures and chimaerical creatures shared the grim repast. - The Ka, swimming the estuary had attacked Taggan by night,had been the victors, and each man had swamback dragging a screaming female with him. The survivors from the carnage sat in the caves,too fright ened to notice their hunger, and to search for meat. Cur, their leader by virtue of his strength and wisdom, was perplexed. He sat meditatively scratching himself, while a wench washed the wounds he had solately received. Groat plans of revenge were vaguely trying to penetrate the full fogs of his brainj schemes of attacking Ka entered his mind, but were discarded. Like the rest of his clan he was not able to swim, and he was terrified of the deep water. Mentally, he surrendered to the tyranny of Ka. Hunger eventually drove the ape-men from their caves. Meat was necessary for life, -and,they must live. their long
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