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25.
Making sure that his weapons were well secured, he placed his ladder so that one end rested firmly on a rock two or three feet above a ledge in the cliff edge and the other rested on the nearest bread loaf of dark, mossy rock covered with white bird droppings.
He was lithe, and thin, and in good condition. This first gap was the riskiest, because if he slipped he’d fall to his death. Luckily Alex Kirk had never experienced any fear of heights, so he should not either. He climbed down on the ledge and tested the ladder. It was firm, with very little bounce, and slightly declined at an angle toward the first bread loaf. He swung himself down so he hung high over the beach, then hand over hand lowered himself to the first rock. He landed feet first. Never looking back, he spanned the next two gaps, which were smaller and lower, by walking on the ladder until he stood on the beach. He left the ladder between the lowest of the rocks and swept his bow and one arrow into the ready. In this posture, he ran as fast as he could across the beach to where he’d seen the carcass wash in the tide.
No sign of any ambling rippers on the beach.
His heart aflutter with fear, he raced through the sand until he came to the water. The buffalo were a few hundred feet east of him and lowing in mild alarm, but not prepared to give up their greens for a panicked run.
He smelled dead decaying meat and wrinkled his nose, but must push on. He left his weapons, except for the knife, on the dry sand so the gut string wouldn’t get wet. Splashing into the water for a look, he beheld the most amazing sight in the glass-green water that glowed with captured sunlight.
The carcass floated in about six feet of water. It was surrounded on all sides by silvery fish that nibbled at its contents. There must be hundreds, ranging from tiny ones in schools to fish easily as heavy and as big as I. He knew that if there were sharks about, these fish would run for it, but he studied the lay carefully. Looking nervously up the beach, he took out his stone knife, dove down, and joined in the frenzy. He was after the hide, pure and simple. As he dove down repeatedly, working hard on the skin to sever it from the meat, he opened more opportunities for the fish to feed. They swarmed unabashedly under his arms, brushing against his ribs, and bouncing repeated on and off any spot where there was a bite to chew off.
The hide wasn’t quite dry yet, but it had been picked quite clean. He scared a flock of birds off as he rolled the hide up. The salt water had stiffened it and perhaps ruined it to some extent but he figured—live and learn.
He carried the hide on his shoulders like a carpet as he ran back to the boulders. Up he went, throwing the hide ahead of him, and ran to safety. He pulled the ladder up and finished his climb up, which went without incident.
Once at the top, he spread his prize out and gloated over it. There were a few gouges where beaks had gone through, and it was a bit stiff, but he had a wonderful blanket to wrap around himself tonight.
He needed more hides.
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