The Emancipatrix | Page 4

young woman. At a distance of about twenty yards she
appeared to be about five feet tall and sturdily built. She was dressed in
a single garment, made of the skin of some yellow, short-haired animal.
It may have been a lion cub. Around her waist was a strip of hide,
which served as a belt, and held a small, stone-headed tomahawk. One
shoulder and both legs were left quite bare, revealing a complexion so
deeply tanned that the doctor instantly thought: "Spanish!"
In a way, the girl's face gave the same impression. Large, dark-brown
eyes, full lips and a healthy glow beneath her tan, all made it possible
for her to pass as a Spaniard. However, there was nothing in the least
coquettish about her; she had a remarkably independent manner, and a
gaze as frank and direct as it was pure and untroubled.
In one hand she carried a branch from some large-leafed shrub. The

eyes which Kinney was using became fixed upon this branch; and even
as the newcomer cried out in joyous response to the other's greeting,
her expression changed and she turned and fled, laughing, as the
doctor's agent darted toward her. She did not get away, and
immediately the two were struggling over the possession of the branch.
In the midst of the tussle another figure made its appearance.
"Look out! Here comes Dulnop" [Footnote: It made no difference
whatever as to what language was used. The telepathic process
employed enabled the investigators to know all that their agents'
subconscious minds took in. The brains of the four automatically
translated these thought-images into their own language. However, this
method did not enable them to learn what their agents were thinking,
but only what they said, heard, and saw.] cried Kinney's agent; at the
same time she made a special effort, and succeeded in breaking off a
good half of the branch.
Instantly she darted to one side, where she calmly began to pluck some
small, hard-shelled nuts from the branch, and proceeded to crack them,
with entire ease, using a set of teeth which must have been absolutely
perfect.
She gave the latest comer only a glance or two. He--for it certainly was
a man--was nearly a half a foot taller than the girl already described;
but he was plainly not much older or younger, and in build and color
much the same. He was clothed neither more nor less than she, the only
difference being that some leopard-like animal had contributed the
material. In his belt was tucked a primitive stone hammer, also a stone
knife. His face was longer than hers, his eyes darker; but he was
manifestly still very boyish. Dulnop, they had called him.
"Hail, Cunora!" he called to the girl who had brought the nuts; then, to
her who was watching: "Rolla! Where got ye the nuts?"
Rolla didn't answer; she couldn't use her mouth just then; it was too full
of nuts. She merely nodded in the direction of Cunora.

"Give me some, Cunora!"
The younger girl gave no reply, but backed away from him as he
approached; her eyes sparkled mischievously and the doctor thought,
somewhat affectionately. Dulnop made a sudden darting move toward
her branch, and she as swiftly whirled in her tracks, so that he missed.
However, he instantly changed his mind and grasped the girl instead.
Like a flash he drew her to him and kissed her noisily.
Next second he was staggering backward under the weight of her hard
brown fist. "Do that again, and I'll have the hair out of thy head!" the
girl screamed, her face flaming. Yet Kinney saw that the man was
laughing joyously even as he rubbed the spot where her blow had
landed, while the expression of her eyes quite belied what she had said.
Not until then did the doctor's agent say anything. When she spoke it
was in a deep, contralto voice which gave the impression of riper years
than either of the other two. Afterward Kinney learned that Rolla was
nearly ten years their senior, a somewhat more lithe specimen of the
same type, clad in the skin of what was once a magnificent goat. She
carried only a single small knife in her belt. As seen reflected in pools
of water, her complexion was slightly paler and her whole expression a
little less self-assertive and distinctively philosophical. To those who
admire serious, thoughtful women of regular feature and different
manner, Rolla would have seemed downright beautiful.
"Dulnop," said she, with a laugh in her voice, "ye will do well to seek
the nut tree, first as last." She nonchalantly crushed another shell in her
mouth. "Neither Cunora nor I can spare good food to a kiss-hungry lout
like thee!"
He only laughed again and made