A PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE 79 



altruism which the ages had taught his 

 kind. 



Nor was this championing of altruism 

 remarkable. It was as surely instinct with- 

 in as the fighting tendency, though it was 

 social. And because Old Black Bass had 

 the social instinct in sufficient degree to 

 enable him to appreciate this, he now under- 

 stood that Leaper was greater than he, for 

 he was defending the principles the ages 

 had taught him. 1 



Of a sudden Leaper drove home a barb 

 that tore cruelly, and at the pain Old Black 

 Bass felt not so much anger as queer pleas- 

 ure. He was sick of the role of the bully, 

 sick of the rule of force, sick of hard glances, 

 sick of Gloria's loathing. This fierce stab 

 of pain was about what he deserved, and 

 the fact that he was getting it gave him 

 fierce satisfaction. 



In the human realm a man may in his 

 high selfishness turn his back on the friend- 

 liness of home and wander in a far country. 

 But in time he drains life to the dregs and 

 by the swineherd remembers his father's 

 house. So Old Black Bass had ramped 



iConfer Jordan's Fithes, p. 4off., for discussion of the instincts offish. 



