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his heart felt heavy with the burden he now carried. There was a long silence, until Grandfather spoke to the child It was at the end of the fourth day that the third Vision came to spirit, asking, "And what will happen to the worlds of man?" him. As he gazed out onto the landscape towards the setting Sun, There was another period of silence until finally the child spoke the sky suddenly turned to a liquid and then turned blood-red. As again. "There will be a great famine throughout the world, like far as his eyes could see, the sky was solid red, with no variation man cannot imagine. Waters will run vile, the poisons of man's in shadow, texture or light. The whole of Creation seemed to sins running strong in the waters of the soils, lakes and rivers. have grown still, as if awaiting some unseen command. Time, Crops will fail, the animals of man will die, and disease will kill place and destiny seemed to be in limbo, stilled by the bleeding the masses. The grandchildren will feed upon the remains of the sky. He gazed for a long time at the sky, in a state of awe and ter- dead, and all about will be the cries of pain and anguish. Roving ror, for the red colour of the sky was like nothing he had ever seen bands of men will hunt and kill other men for food, and water will in any sunset or sunrise. The colour was that of man, not of always be scarce, getting scarcer with each passing year. The Nature, and it had a vile stench and texture. It seemed to burn the land, the water, the sky will all be poisoned, and man will live in Earth wherever it touched. As sunset drifted to night, the stars the wrath of the Creator. Man will hide at first in the cities, but shone bright red, the colour never leaving the sky, and every- there he will die. A few will run to the wilderness, but the wilder- where the cries of fear and pain were heard. ness will destroy them, for they had long ago been given a choice. Again, the warrior spirit appeared to Grandfather, but this time Man will be destroyed, his cities in ruin, and it is then that the as a voice from the sky. Like thunder, the voice shook the land- grandchildren will pay for the sins of their grandfathers and scape. "This, then, is the third sign, the night of the bleeding grandmothers." stars. It will become known throughout the world, for the sky in "Is there then no hope?" Grandfather asked. all lands will be red with the blood of the sky, day and night. It is The child spoke again. "There is only hope during the time of then, with this sign of the third probable future, that there is no the first and second signs. Upon the third sign, the night of the longer hope. Life on the Earth as man has lived it will come to an bleeding, there is no longer hope, for only the children of the end, and there can be no turning back, Earth will survive. Man will be given physically or spiritually. It is then, if these warnings; if unheeded, there things are not changed during the second can be no hope, for only the chil- sign, that man will surely know the "There is only hope during the dren of the Earth will purge them- destruction of the Earth is at hand. It is 5 0 selves of the cancers of mankind, of then that the children of the Earth must time of the first and second mankind's destructive thinking. It run to the wild places and hide. For when signs. Upon the third sign, the will be the children of the Earth the sky bleeds fire, there will be no safety who will bring a new hope to the in the world of man." night of the bleeding, there is new society, living closer to the Grandfather sat in shocked horror as the no longer hope, for only the Earth and Spirit." voice continued. . Then all was silent, the landscape "From this time, when the stars bleed, children of the Earth cleared and returned to normal, and to the fourth and final sign, will be four i i Ww Grandfather stepped from the seasons of peace [that is, one year]. It is will survive. Vision. Shaken, he said that he had in these four seasons that the children of wandered for the next season, trying the Earth must live deep in the wild places to understand all that had been and find a new home, close to the Earth an given to him, trying to understand the Creator. It is only the children of the Earth that will survive, why he had been chosen. and they must live the philosophy of the Earth, never returning to Grandfather had related the story to me in great detail during the thinking of man. And survival will not be enough, for the that night of the four prophecies. I don't think that any event had children of the Earth must also live close to the Spirit. So tell been left out, and his emotions and thoughts were such that he them not to hesitate if and when this third sign becomes manifest actually relived it for us. Thus the power of his Vision became in the stars, for there are but four seasons to escape." part of our spirit, our driving force, and a big part of our fears. Grandfather said that the voice and red sky lingered for a week, I sat for a long time up on the hill. The fire had gone out, and and then were gone as quickly as they were manifest. all had retired to sleep for the night. Creation seemed to be at a © dotill a thic af the nicht ta he T folt will survive." or why he had been chosen. Grandfather had related the story to me in great detail during that night of the four prophecies. I don't think that any event had been left out, and his emotions and thoughts were such that he actually relived it for us. Thus the power of his Vision became part of our spirit, our driving force, and a big part of our fears. I sat for a long time up on the hill. The fire had gone out, and all had retired to sleep for the night. Creation seemed to be at a standstill, awaiting this darkest part of the night to pass by. I felt alone and vulnerable, as if all of Creation were scrutinising my every thought. Grandfather had this Vision some time in the 1920s. oo mouth of the cave, nor did it make a difference, for he had received the Vision he had come for. It was in his final night at the Eternal Cave that the fourth Vision came to Grandfather, this time carried by the voice of a young child. The child said, "The fourth and final sign will appear through the next ten winters [that is, ten years] following the night that the stars will bleed. During this time, the Earth will heal itself and man will die. For those ten years, the children of the Earth must remain hidden in the wild places, make no permanent camps, and wander to avoid contact with the last remaining forces of man. They must remain hidden, like the ancient scouts, and fight the urge to go back to the destruction of man. Curiosity could kill many." HX: did not remember how many days he'd spent at the About the Author: Tom Brown, Jr has called the wilderness home for most of his life. In 1978 he wrote his first book, The Tracker (an autobi- ography), and founded the Tracker School where he teaches courses in survival skills such as tracking, nature awareness and ancient Earth philosophy. He has since written another 15 books, including Tom Brown's Field Guide to Wilderness Survival as well as The Search, The Vision, The Quest, The Journey, Grandfather and Awakening Spirits. For details on tracking courses and how to obtain Tom's books, visit The Tracker, Inc. website at www.trackerschool.com. 62 - NEXUS DECEMBER 1999 — JANUARY 2000