Act I
(Ten thousand years have passed, and it is
the time of the early voyaging from Europe
to the waters of the Pacific, when the
deserted hillside is again revealed as the
moon rises. The stream no longer flows
from the spring. Since the grove is used
only as a camp for the night when the
Nishinam are on their seasonal migration
there are no signs of previous camps.)
(Enter from right, at end of day's march, women, old men, and Shaman, the women bending under their burdens of camp gear and dunnage)
(Enter from left youths carrying fish-spears
and large fish)
(Appear, coming down the hillside, Red
Cloud and the hunters, many carrying
meat.)
(The various repeated characters, despite
differences of skin garmenting and decoration, resemble their prototypes of the prologue.)
{ Red Cloud}
Good hunting! Good hunting!
{ Hunters}
Good hunting! Good hunting!
{ Youths}
Good fishing! Good fishing!
{ Women}
Good berries! Good acorns!
(The women and youths and hunters, as they
reach the campsite, begin throwing down
their burdens)
{ Dew-Woman}
(Discovering the dry spring.) The water no longer flows!
{ Shaman}
(Stilling the excitement that is immediate
on the discovery.) The word of old time that has come down to us from all the Shamans who have gone before! The Sun Man has come back from the Sun.
{ Dew-Woman}
(Looking to Red Cloud.) Let Red Cloud speak. Since the morning of the world has Red Cloud ever been reborn with the ancient wisdom to guide us.
{ War Chief}
Save in war. In war I command.
(He picks out hunters by name.) Deer Foot... Elk Man... Antelope. Run through the forest, climb the hill-tops, seek down the valleys, for aught you may find of this Sun Man.
(At a wave of the War Chief's hand the
three hunters depart in different directions.)
{ Dew-Woman}
Let Red Cloud speak his mind.
{ Red Cloud}
(Quietly) Last night the earth shook and there was a roaring in the air. Often have I seen, when the earth shakes and there is a roaring, that springs in some places dry up, and that in other places where were no springs, springs burst forth.
{ Shaman}
There is a sign. The Shamans told it of old. The Sun Man will bear the thunder in his hand.
{ People}
There is a sign. The Sun Man will bear the thunder in his hand.
{ Shaman}
The roaring in the air was the thunder of the
Sun Man's return. Now will he destroy the
Nishinam. Such is the word.
{ War Chief}
Hoh! Hoh!
(From right Deer Foot runs in.)
{ Deer Foot}
(Breathless.) They come! He comes!
{ War Chief}
Who comes?
{ Deer Foot}
The Sun Men. The Sun Man. He is their
chief. He marches before them. And he is
white.
{ People}
There is a sign. The Sun Man is white.
{ Red Cloud}
Carries he the thunder in his hand?
{ Deer Foot}
(Puzzled) He looks hungry.
{ War Chief}
Hoh! Hoh! The Sun Man is hungry. It
will be easy to kill a hungry Sun Man.
{ Red Cloud}
It would be easy to be kind to a hungry Sun
Man and give him food. We have much. The
hunting has been good.
{ War Chief}
Better to kill the Sun Man.
(He turns upon People, indicating most
commands in gestures as he prepares the
ambush, making women and boys conceal
all the camp outfit and game, and
disposing the armed hunters among the
ferns and behind trees till all are hidden.)
{ Elk Man and Antelope}
(Running down hillside) The Sun Man comes.
(War Chief sends them to hiding places)
{ War Chief}
(Preparing himself to hide) You have not hidden, O Red Cloud.
{ Red Cloud}
(Stepping into shadow of big tree where he
remains inconspicuous though dimly
visible) I would see this Sun Man and talk with him.
(The sound of singing is heard, and War
Chief conceals himself)
(Sun Man, with handful of followers, singing
to ease the tedium of the march, enter
from right. They are patently survivors
of a wrecked exploring skip, making their
way inland)
{ Sun Men}
We sailed three hundred strong
For the far Barbaree; Our voyage has been most long For the far Barbaree; So--it's a long pull, Give a strong pull, For the far Barbaree.