Rahan. Episode Twenty Nine. The Long Manes. by Roger Lecureux. A Puke (TM) Comic.

Rahan.

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Episode Twenty Nine.

The Long Manes.

Rahan, the son of the fierce ages.

Rahan was hungry, he was scared, and he was cold.
Since dawn, to escape the downpours, he had holed up in this refuge.
And he knew that, sooner or later, a wild animal would come to challenge him for this shelter.

A hoarse growl told him that this moment had come.
If the long mane attacks, Rahan won't have the strength to resist him!

Overcoming his fatigue, the son of Crao braided the vines which hung at the entrance into a fragile barricade.

Page Two:

Then he tied one of these vines to his wrist.
This frail rampart was not intended to stop a lion, but to signal its approach if he succumbed to sleep.

The curtain of rain concealed the forest from him.
But, from the grunts of the beast, he guessed its movements.
What is "Long-mane" waiting for, thought Rahan?
Why does he not attack?

The thunder ceased, but the son of Crao did not see the moon reappear.
Burdened by fatigue, he did not hear the beast approaching.

It was a sudden jerk at the wrist that signaled the danger.
His fingers twitched on his ivory knife.

And as stupor riveted him to the ground, the lion he had glimpsed for a moment fled, and disappeared into the thickets.
Rahan has never seen a “long-mane” flee like this!
Could Rahan have dreamed it?

Page Three:

But, in front of the refuge, the footprints of the beast which prove that he had not dreamed it.
As soon as it is daylight Rahan will go in search of the "Long-mane”!

At dawn, in fact, he set off in pursuit.
On the soggy, muddy ground, the tracks would be easy to follow.

But this trail suddenly stopped at the edge of a large pond.
Knowing the repulsion felt by big cats for water, Rahan was amazed that this one had crossed the pond.
However Rahan must admit it, since the traces do not go back!

On the other bank he could not find the track of the lion.
But he discovered another.
A little man has passed here!

Page Four:

These footprints of children prove that a clan lived on this territory.
In his haste to find men again, he set off happily on this new track.

But his joy was very short, as he suddenly saw a body.
Oh! The little man is dead!
Slaughtered by a "Long-mane"!!

Here and there indeed reappeared the traces of the beast.
But it is not a little man, thought Rahan. He is a small man!

The cast of the body was that of an adult hunter, but very small.
Crao sometimes spoke of these "Pygmies", who do not grow!

Rahan could do nothing more for this man.
He was about to resume the trail when a shower of short, slender spears struck all around him.

Page Five:

Forming an almost perfect circle!
Such skilled hunters could have killed Rahan if they had wanted to!
Why did they spare him?

Pygmies appeared from all sides, impressed by the size of Rahan.
They observed him with a certain fear, but without animosity.

What horde do you belong to "Big Man"?
Rahan has no more horde, and no more clan!
But all "Those-who-walk-upright" are his brothers!

As a roar rose in the distance, the "Pygmies” tore their javelins from the ground and rushed into the thickets.

I hope they will avenge Daha!
May a "Long-mane" finally perish under their blows!

Page Six:

Staying with Rahan, the chief led him to his village.
Whose huts were hardly taller than the son of Crao.
Since the season of green leaves the "Long-manes" have been attacking our isolated hunters.

On nights with a big moon, these demon-beasts roam the crests of the hills, terrorizing our women and children with their cries.

We men ourselves are afraid and there are many who would like to flee this territory!
To this day, I have been opposed to abandoning such a game-filled forest!

Why don't hunters kill these "Long-manes"?
Because they are elusive! No one can approach them!

Rahan however glimpsed a "long-mane" who fled without attacking him!
Probably because you are a "tall man"!

Page Seven:

The hunters soon returned, without having discovered the beast.
Rahan will help his Pigmy brothers!

Dawn found the son of the fierce ages lying in ambush on the shore of the pond.
He hoped that the "long manes" would come to drink there.

As the mist slowly lifted from the surface, he made out the head of a beast.
To both of us "Long-mane", thought Rahan!!

A moment later he was swimming underwater, his knife between his teeth.
It is strange that the "long-manes" of this territory love water so much!

He was only a few feet away from the beast, in its wake, when he saw the amazing thing.

Page Eight:

It was not a beast he was about to disembowel.
But a man!
A man who was hiding under the skin of a "Long-mane"!!

Recovering from his stupor, the son of Crao sheathed his knife, and grabbed the swimmer's ankle.
Rahan wants to know the secret of "the wild man"!

Rahan could stay underwater three times longer than anyone.
He pulled the stranger down, who quickly lost his breath.

Rahan wants to know why you hide under the skin of a "long-mane"!

The son of Crao had just hoisted the man onto the bank, when a roar rang out.
Attack Ayak! Kill the enemy!

Page Nine:

The thickets parted before a large lion.
This time it was a real beast!
Attack Ayak! Attack!

Obeying the order, the beast leapt.
The knife's ivory blade glinted as it burst from the lizard's sheath.

This was not the first time that the son of the fierce ages faced a "long-mane".
He knew that the first blow he would land would have to be fatal.

And it was!
His blade plunged into the side of the beast, who launched his last roar.
Ra-ha-ha!

The fierce cry of victory ended in a howl of anger.
The lion-man had taken advantage of the brief fight to flee!
Rahan will find you wherever you go!!

Page Ten:

With the agility of "Those-who-run-in-the-trees"!
Rahan hoisted himself onto a high branch.

He saw the man who already far away was climbing a hill.
Rahan thanks you for showing him the way to your lair!

Soon after, the son of Crao climbed in his turn towards the crest of this hill.

And one new surprise awaited him.
A clan of wild men!

At the entrance to a cave, some men conferred.
All wore a "Long-mane" skin.
On a rock, a few lions dozed in the bright sun.

Page Eleven:

If Ayak hasn't returned yet, it's because he was killed by the "enemy-with-the-fire-hair"!
You will be punished Dragka!

By allowing yourself to be surprised by this enemy, you have delivered to him our secret!
The "Little Men" will now know that they are not being attacked by real "Long-manes".

Their terror will disappear!
They will regain their courage and defend this game-filled forest that we have been coveting for many moons!

For the son of Crao, in ambush not far from the cave, these words cleared up the mystery.
This clan terrifies the "Pygmy’s” so that they will abandon their territory!

A howl arose followed by hoarse growls.
Dragka had just been offered to the lions!!
These men are ruthless!
May Rahan never fall into their hands!

Page Twelve:

Rahan could have slipped away and gone to reveal to the "pygmies" what he had just learned.
But his curiosity was stronger.

How do the "Beast-men" manage to leave behind them traces of "Long-manes"?

A light rasping on a rock alerted him.
A few steps from him, a snake was watching him.
If Rahan makes the slightest noise while killing him, the whole clan will come running!

Remembering a trick that Crao the Brave had taught him, he no longer moved.

He even stopped breathing when the reptile slid down his chest, slowly, so slowly.

Page Thirteen:

A moment later the snake disappeared under the rocks.
In front of the cave, the chief of the clan gave an order.
You must bring back "The Fire-Haired Enemy" before dark!

The wild men dispersed.
They did not imagine that Rahan is so close to them!
Otherwise, they would not leave their leader at Rahan's mercy!

The chief was indeed left alone.
But the four lions that had torn Dragka to pieces were once again dozing on the outskirts of the cave.

The son of fierce ages, crawling to the grotto, did not take his eyes off the beasts.
Fortunately, the wind is blowing from Rahan's side!

Perhaps sated and not sniffing the scent of the man, the lions did not flinch when he slipped into the cave of the "Beast-men".

Page Fourteen:

At the bottom of the cave, in front of a big fire, the chief of the clan implored the gods of the hunt.
Make the game-rich land of the "Little Men" return to Vigor the leader!

And also make sure that the fiery-haired enemy dies before revealing the secret of "Long-manes"!

It is up to you to kill him, Vigor! If you can!!
Springing from the shadows, the son of Crao leapt into the open.
Oh!

Oh! Rahan understands now how you cut the throats of the "Small-Men"!!
The hands of Vigor were gloved with sharp-clawed paws!

Kaa! Sloka! Grag! Thor! To me! To me!
Rahan understood that the chief, who was rushing on him, had called his four lions for help!

Page Fifteen:

Leaping aside, he dodged the strange clawed "Hands."
His leg extended, unbalancing Vigor.

The latter was still on the ground, and the point of the ivory knife was already goading his back.
Rahan hates killing "Those-Who-Walk-Upright"! But.

The lions, roaring, stood at the entrance to the cave.
They were going to jump.
The tip of this blade will visit your heart if you do not order your beasts to flee!

And so Vigor howled.
Back! Back! Go join your masters!

Docile, the beasts disappeared.
Rahan will not take your life, but he will deliver you to the "Small-Men" that you wanted to decimate.

Page Sixteen:

Oh! For the first time, Crao's son noticed the strange wooden plates laced on Vigor's feet.
Rahan now understands how yours leave "Long-mane" footprints!

The skillfully sculpted underside of the plates perfectly imitated the underside of a lion's paw!

Rahan had not recovered from his surprise when Vigor, suddenly straightening up, snatched the ivory knife from him.
Ha-ha-ha! You now know all our secrets!

Yes it is with these skins and these false legs that we deceive the "Small-Men"!
And it is with these trunks that we imitate the roars of the "Long-manes!"

When the big moon arrives, we will prowl around their village.
Woe to their hunters who linger in the forest!

Page Seventeen:

Without taking their eyes off each other, the son of Crao and Vigor circled slowly around the fire.
You yourself should have died the other night!
But Dragka was afraid of your size and ran away!

We sent him out to find you, with one of those real long manes we trained.

But you killed Ayak and Dragka fled again!
If you have been spying on us for a long time, you know the fate we have reserved for this coward!

This fate will be yours Rahan!
Kaa! Sloka! Grag! Thor!
To call his lions, Vigor only turned his head towards the entrance of the cave for a brief moment.
A moment that Rahan knew how to take advantage of!
Argh!
Hit in the face by a flaming branch, Vigor collapsed near the fire.

Page Eighteen:

Rahan had promised himself to hand you over to the "Little Men"!
But? But?
Having impaled himself on the ivory knife, Vigor did not move.

He deserved to join the "Territory of Shadows"!
He was a "Bad-Man"!

The son of the fierce ages, intrigued, looked at the tusks.
Vigor said that his people imitate the cry of "Long-manes" with these "Things"! But how?

Imitating the men of the great river, whom he had seen blowing into sea-shells, Rahan blew at the top of his lungs into the tusk.

The roar which escaped from it was covered by a vengeful clamor.
The wild men are back!

Page Nineteen:

Alone, Rahan had no chance of escaping the men of vigor and their lions!
Nevertheless, he came out of the cave, ready for the final fight.

And the menacing clamors became ovations.
All the Pigmy hunters were there brandishing their javelins.

Rahan has delivered us from fear!
Rahan chased away the evil spirits that terrorized our people!
The son of Crao found it hard to understand this sudden enthusiasm.

But the chief of the pygmies continued.

Since it was no longer about “Demon-Beasts", but simple beasts, confidence has returned to us.
We have followed your footsteps here.

Page Twenty:

"Long-Manes" and "Tall-Men" who wanted to look like them, attacked us!
But our hunters were no longer afraid, and they killed them! All of them!

The son of fierce ages imagined the men of Vigor succumbing to the javelins of the pygmies.

But these were too cruel, too perfidious not to reach the "Territory of Shadows"!

With the mystery of the wild men clarified, peace and happiness returned to the "Little men".
With whom Rahan remained until the season-of-yellow-leaves.

Then one morning, as usual, he entrusted his destiny to his knife.
The weapon spun for a moment and stopped, its blade pointing at the blazing horizon.
It is towards this unknown territory that the son of Crao would go, to encounter new dangers, to discover new mysteries.

Index:
https://rumble.com/v3486cm-rahan-index-of-episodes-by-roger-lecureux..html

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