“But many could find no protection, so they turned about and faced the storm.”The Cave-men wished they were safe at home, but they dared not go through the storm. They huddled together and felt their way to a spot where the snow did not drift. There they lay down in the snow and waited for the storm to cease.THINGS TO DOName some bird that migrates. Tell all that you know about the way it migrates.When you go out to play, show how the bison migrated in warm weather. Show how they migrated in cold weather.Show in your sand-box where the deep drifts would be. Show places where the snow would not drift. If you cannot be sure about where the drifts would be, see if you can find out by watching the storms during winter.If the Cave-men are buried in the snow, how do you think they can get air to breathe? How can they tell when the storm is over?XIXTHINGS TO THINK ABOUTWhat do you think those who stayed in the cave will do during the storm? Can you think of any way by which they could get food?Did you ever walk on snowshoes? How do you think people came to make snowshoes?How Antler Happened to Invent SnowshoesAntler saw the coming storm and at once she thought of the fire. She called to the women. And soon they were all breaking branches with stone axes and mauls. The children piled the fagots together and carried them to the cave.A stone maul.The snow was falling fast before they finished their work. They watched the storm for a little while and then went into the cave.The children were hungry and asked for meat. But there was no meat in the cave. Antler tried to get the children to play and to forget that they were hungry. And the children played for a little while, but they soon grew tired. And so Antler gathered the children together and began to tell them stories.As the storm raged fiercer and fiercer, Antler told stories of other storms. She had braved many storms on the wooded hills and the children liked to hear her stories.Among the stories she told that day was the story of the Big Bear. She said that the Big Bear lived in a cavern away up in the mountain. She said that he kept watch of the game and that sometimes he shut the game in his cavern. Antler said she had often heard the Big Bear above the voice of the storm. And Fleetfoot, listening for his voice, thought he heard it in the wailing of the storm.In spite of the stories Antler told, the day was long and dreary. The next day was still more dreary, for the children were crying for food. Toward the close of day they were very tired, and soon they fell asleep.Most of the women slept that night, but there was no sleep for Antler. She could not sleep when the children were hungry and when the men were out inthe storm. She stayed awake and watched and listened all through the long dark night.Fur gloves.Toward morning the storm began to slacken, and Antler gave a sigh of relief. She felt sure that many bison were floundering in the drifts. She hoped they were not far away from the cave. So she dressed in her fur garments and took a large knife and an ax. And at break of day she set out hoping to find a bison.But the snow was very deep and Antler could scarcely walk. She was faint from hunger and cold. For a while she struggled through the drifts, but soon her strength failed, and she sank down in the snow.As Antler lay in the deep drifts, she seemed powerless to move. The thought of the hungry children, however, made her turn to the gods. Then the branches of spruce trees seemed to urge her on.And so Antler took courage and grasping a strong branch of a friendly spruce struggled through the deep snow. She stepped upon the partly buried branches and they helped her on her way.A bison, floundering in a drift, filled her heart with hope. But when she started toward the bison, Antler sank down once more into the drifts. So again she turned to the friendly trees, and again she reached out to them for aid. And she broke branches from the trees and bound them to her feet.A snowshoe.Starting once more, Antler walked as if on winged feet. She ran over the deep drifts. And since she could hunt as well as the men, she soon had plenty of meat.As Antler was strapping her load upon her back, she heard a familiar voice. Quickly she turned, and her heart beat fast as she listened to hear it again. And seeing the men struggling through the drifts, she knelt and gave thanks to the gods.Soon Antler arose and laid down her load; and breaking a handful of branches, she hurried over the drifts and met the Cave-men.When the men saw Antler gliding over the drifts they wondered if it was one of the gods. Not until Antler spoke were they really sure it was she. And not until she showed them how to tie the branches to their feet did they understand what she had done. And even then they did not know that Antler had invented the snowshoe. Many people worked upon snowshoes before fine snowshoes were made. For when people heard what Antler had done, they tried different ways for themselves.Of course all the people were glad when Antler returned with the men. They feasted and told stories all day long. And afterward the children played they were hunters overtaken by a storm, and they made little snowshoes and learned to walk over the drifts.THINGS TO DOThe next time there is a storm listen to it and see if you can hear what the Cave-men thought was the voice of the Big Bear. See if you can tell what it is that makes the music of the storm.Listen to the music of the birds and see if you can give their songs and calls.What other animals do you hear calling one another? See if you can give their calls.Tell a story of some storm you have seen.Draw one of these pictures;—Antler praying to the gods for help.A bison floundering in the drift.Antler bringing aid to the men.Find a picture of a snowshoe, and tell how you think it was made.Find something which you can use for making snowshoes. Make a pair, and use them when you have a chance.See if you can find out why the snowshoe keeps one from sinking in the snow.XXTHINGS TO THINK ABOUTWhy would the women be apt to make traps before the men did?What animals did the men hunt most? How did they hunt them?What animals did the women hunt most? How?How many kinds of knots can you tie? Which of these knots slip? Which of these knots would be the best to use in a trap?How Antler made SnaresWhile Fleetfoot and Flaker were little boys, they learned a few lessons in trapping. The men seldom trapped at that time, but the women trapped in several ways.Antler was only a little girl when she learned to catch birds with a seed on a string. She was called Snowflake then and she lived in another cave.Snowflake’s mother taught her to do all the things that little girls needed to know. She learned to hunt for roots and berries, to catch birds, and to make traps, besides learning to make tents, to prepare skins, and to make them into garments. It would take too long to tell all the things that little girls learned in those days.Snowflake learned her lessons well and she found new ways of doing things. It was when she found a reindeer caught in the vines that she took the first step in making a snare. She had started to the hillside to dig roots and had gone only a little way when she heard something pulling and tugging among the vines.She peeked through the branches to see what it was, and there stood a beautiful reindeer. His antlers were caught in the tangled vines and he was trying to get loose.Snowflake’s heart went pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat, when she saw the reindeer. But she kept going nearer, and the reindeer pulled and pulled until he was strangled by the vines.When Snowflake came to the cave dragging the handsome reindeer, the people shouted for joy. And when they had knocked off the beautiful antlers, they gave them to Snowflake and changed her name.Whenever she went to the spot where the reindeer was caught she always looked for another reindeer. But the reindeer kept away from the spot.“Then she set snares on the ground and fastened them to strong branches.”“Antler learned to protect the cord by running it through a hollow bone.”So, at length, Antler thought of cutting vines and fastening them to branches. Then she learned to tie knots that would slip and tighten when pulled. And, after a while, she used the slipknots in making many kinds of snares.Antler watched the birds until she knew the spots where they liked to alight. Then she set snares on the ground and fastened them to strong branches.The birds, alighting on the spot, caught their feet in the snare. When they tried to fly away, they pulled the slipknot which held them fast.Some of the birds were frightened away, and did not return to the spot. So Antler tried to coax them back by scattering seeds near the snare.Once Antler set a snare in a rabbit path just high enough to catch the rabbit’s head. A rabbit was caught, but he nibbled the cord and ran off with the snare. And so Antler learned to protect the cord by running it through a hollow bone.There was no better trapper than Antler among all the Cave-men. It was she who taught the boys and girls how to make and set traps. When the marmots awoke from their long winter’s sleep, all the children learned to catch them in traps. They learned to loosen the bark of a tree without breakingit except along one edge. They used the bark as a leadway to a trap which they set near a marmot’s hole. After placing the noose inside the bark, they fastened it to a bent sapling.“So it ran along and nibbled the bait until its sharp teeth cut the cord.”When the children went to the trap, they clapped their hands and shouted. Then they took the marmot out of the trap and carried it to the cave. And they made a great noise when Bighorn said, “You will soon be very good trappers.”Then the children wanted to catch another marmot, so Antler went with them and showed them how the trap worked. The marmot coming out of his hole smelled the bait on the string. So it ran along and nibbled the bait until its sharp teeth cut the cord. Then the sapling sprang up and jerked the snare upward. And the weight of the marmot, pulling downward, drew the slipknot tight.THINGS TO DOTie a slipknot at one end of a string, and show how to set it for snaring birds. Show how to set it for snaring rabbits. Find a hollow stick or a bone to protect the snare from the rabbit’s teeth. Show how the marmot trap was set.Tell how you catch mice. Tell how you catch flies.What animals do you know that sleep during the winter? How can they live so long without eating?Draw one of these pictures:—Snowflake finds a reindeer caught in the vines.Antler teaches the children to set traps.Model a marmot in clay.Name all the animals you know that burrow in the ground. Watch one of them and find out what it does.XXITHINGS TO THINK ABOUTWhy would the Cave-men be apt to lose many spears and javelins?How could they keep from losing the shafts?Can you think of how they might find a way of saving their spearheads?Find a picture of a barbed spearhead. Why did people begin to make barbs?How Spears were Changed into HarpoonsNone of the clans could make better weapons than the men of the Bison clan. Since boyhood, Greybeard had been known for his delicate spear points and knives. No workshop in all the valley was better known than his. But even Greybeard’s weapons sometimes were known to fail. Even his spear points sometimes were lost in the chase.For several days the men were at home making new weapons. They never made spears and javelins with sharper and finer points. They never made straighter and smoother shafts. When they started out to hunt, they were proud of their new weapons. All the Cave-men expected that before the day passed, they would have new trophies and fresh meat.The women, trapping birds on the hillsides, listened from time to time. They expected to hear Bighorn’s whistle when the animals were ready to be skinned. But the day passed, and no signal came.At sunset the men returned, but they were gloomy and silent. They brought no trophies, and they spoke not a word of the chase.No wonder the men were gloomy and silent. Their precious spears and javelins had been lost in the chase. It was not because the men were careless. It was not because they were not skillful in making spears and javelins. It was because these weapons, when thrown from the hand, could not strike deadly blows.The Cave-men had thrown at the wild horses with a sure aim. Their javelins and spears went right to the mark. When the horses ran, the Cave-men followed. But in spite of all they could do, the wild horses were soon out of sight.Some of the horses received ugly wounds and carried the weapons far away. Others received slight wounds; they brushed off the spears and javelins, which fell and were lost in the tall grass.A chisel-scraper.Time and again, hunted animals had escaped with only a wound. Wounded animals had often escaped with a spear or javelin. But never before had so many animals escaped with so many precious weapons.Of course there was nothing for the Cave-men to do but to make new weapons. But it took a long time to season the sticks for straight and smooth shafts. It took patience and skill for the Cave-men to make delicate flint points. Perhaps this was why the Cave-men learned to retrieve the weapons they threw.Ever since the Cave-men had learned to make spears, they had lashed the head to the shaft. They thought that this was the only way to make a good spear. Chipper was the first Cave-man who invented a new way.Chipper was all alone in the workshop. He had finished a spear point which he held in his hand. Without thinking what he was doing, he slipped the tang into a hollow reed which he picked up from theground. If it had not been for a hungry wolf, he might have thought no more about it.But the wolf had smelled the meat which was on the ground close to the workshop. Hearing a sound, Chipper looked just in time to see the wolf spring toward the meat.The spear flew from Chipper’s hand before he stopped to think. And Chipper sprang upon the wolf and engaged in a hand-to-hand fight.At the first sound of the combat the Cave-men rushed to the spot. There they found that Chipper had already secured his prize.A barbed point.While the Cave-men looked at the wolf, Chipper told them what had happened. He showed them the reed which he had used in hurling his new spear point. The men looked at the hollow reed and tried it to see how it worked. Other reeds were on the ground. So the men fitted spearheads into the reeds and practiced throwing that way. They played with the reeds the rest of the day.A harpoon.When they worked at their weapons again, Chipper, alone, tried a new way. He made a loose shaft with a socket in the end. During the next chase they lost many weapons. Chipper lost many spearheads; but he always found his loose shaft.When the Cave-men noticed that Chipper never lost his shaft they began to make loose shafts. And they got the idea of a barbed spearhead from a wound which was made by a broken point. They found such a point deep down inthe wound of a bison. The sharp edge had caught in the bison’s flesh. And every movement of the bison had driven the spearhead deeper.It was by paying attention to such little things that the Cave-men learned to make barbed spears. When the Cave-men learned that barbed spearheads made very dangerous wounds, they were willing to take the trouble of making the barbed points.But no Cave-man was willing to lose one of his barbed spear points. Perhaps that is why the men began to tie the barbed heads to the loose shaft. When they first did this, they did not know that their spears had become harpoons.THINGS TO DOFind a hollow reed and use it for a shaft. Make a shaft with a socket in it. Fit a spearhead into the socket. Change the spear so as to make a harpoon.Draw a picture of the chase of the wild horses.Think of a wild horse running very fast. See if you can model a wild horse in clay so as to show that it has great speed.XXIITHINGS TO THINK ABOUTWhy was the harpoon a better weapon for hunting than the spear or javelin? What could hunters do to keep smooth shafts from slipping from their hands? What is the harpoon used for to-day?Why do animals become more cunning after they are hunted?How the Cave-men Hunted with HarpoonsOnce again the Cave-men went out to hunt the wild horses. Once again they took new weapons. But instead of spears and javelins they carried barbed harpoons.From a high hill they saw the horses on the edge of a grassy upland. They hurried over the wooded hills and crept through the tall grass. When Bighorn gave the signal the sentinels pricked up their ears. But before they could give the alarm, the men had thrown their harpoons.The frightened horses crowded upon one another. Snapping sounds of breaking shafts, sharp cries of wounded horses, and loud shouts of Cave-men added to their terror.The snorting of the sentinels warned the Cave-men back. A signal from the leader brought order to the herd. It began to move as though it were one solid mass.Away the herd galloped, striking terror to all creatures in the way. But the wounded horses soon lagged. In vain they tried to keep up. At each step the shaft of the harpoon swung under their feet. At each step the barbed head pierced deeper and deeper. So the Cave-men had little trouble in finishing the chase.Perhaps you think the Cave-men had no trouble in hunting after that. They had less trouble for some time, and they all prized their harpoons. But on colddays, when their hands were stiff, the smooth shafts slipped from their grasp.When they used shafts with knobs and large joints, it was easy to keep a firm hold. So the men made shafts with larger knobs and they put girdles around the smooth shafts.Chipper using a spear-noose.At their games of throwing spears and javelins, Bighorn was almost sure to win. It was partly because he had large hands and very strong fingers. By bending one finger like a hook and striking the butt of the shaft, he could send a harpoon straight to the mark.Chipper’s hands were not very large. His fingers were not so strong as Bighorn’s. But Chipper was a bright young man, and he found a way of using a spear-noose so that he could throw as well as Bighorn.The spear-noose was a simple thing. Chipper made it by tying a noose in each end of a cord. When he used it, he slipped one noosearound his thumb and the other around one finger. Then he grasped the spear near the butt and slipped the cord around the knob. The spear-noose was a great help to hunters whose hands were not large and strong.Every time the Cave-men made new weapons, they worked very well for a short time. But as soon as the animals learned about them, they became more cunning in getting away. Wild horses kept sentinels on knolls and hilltops so that they could see an enemy from afar. They guarded their herds so carefully that the Cave-men could scarcely get near enough to hit them with their harpoons.And so the Cave-men returned many times bearing no trophies. They returned many times giving no signal for the women to come for fresh meat.THINGS TO DOTake a harpoon and show how the shaft would swing against the feet of an animal that had been hit by the head.Make a girdle around a smooth shaft, or make a shaft with a knob or large joint near the butt.Make a spear-noose and show how Chipper used it.Think of the wild horses during the first few minutes after the men threw their harpoons. See if you can draw a picture of them.XXIIITHINGS TO THINK ABOUTThink of as many hard things as you can that the Cave-men had to do.Why did they have to do these things? What kind of men did the Cave-men have to be?Think of as many ways as you can that the Cave-men would use to teach the boys. What tests do you think they would give the boys?“And so the Cave-men tested the boys in many different ways.”How the Cave-men Tested Fleetfoot and FlakerWinters came and went, and Fleetfoot and Flaker grew to be large boys. They watched the men; they heard them talk; they learned what a Cave-man had to do.Greybeard told them stories of brave hunters that lived long ago. He told them about the animals they must learn to hunt. The boys listened to the stories. And they thought there was no animal too fierce for them to fight. They thought there was no river too swift for them to cross. They thought there was no mountain too steep for them to climb.But the boys had not learned how fierce a bison can be. They had never crossed a raging river nor climbed a mountain peak.The men knew that the boys needed to try their strength before they could be really strong. They knew they must do brave deeds before they could be really brave. They knew they must suffer patiently before they could have self-control. And so the Cave-men tested the boys in many different ways.If the boys stood the tests, the Cave-men shouted praises; but if they showed any sign of fear, the Cave-men jeered at them.Sometimes the boys were given nothing to eat until they brought food from the hunt. And even then they were not always allowed to touch the food whichwas near. When the boys were fasting, the Cave-men tempted them with food. And if the boys took even a bite, they failed in the test. So Fleetfoot and Flaker learned to fast without a word of complaint.One of the hardest things which the boys had to do was to make their own weapons. At first, Greybeard helped them; but, later, they had to do their own work.So the boys learned to go to the trees that had the best wood for shafts. They learned to cut, and peel, and scrape, and oil, and season, and polish the sticks before they were ready to use. No wonder the boys became tired before all this work was done.Then they worked very carefully before they could make good spearheads. They hunted for the best stones and learned to shape them very well. When they forgot and struck hard blows, they spoiled the flint points. Then Greybeard would tell them that the strongest and bravest hunters were those who could strike the gentlest blows.It was work of this kind that was harder for the boys than chasing a wild horse or a reindeer. If they had not known that they must have weapons, they would not have had patience to do it.While the boys worked at their weapons, they thought of what they would do with them. They thought of the trophies they would bring home and what the people would say. And they learned to sing at their work and to mark the time for each blow. And so they managed to keep at work until the weapons were done.One day when the boys were flaking spear points, Fleetfoot turned to Flaker and said, “Do you know who made the first flaker?”“Yes,” answered Flaker, “it was Greybeard.”“No, no!” said Fleetfoot, “Nimble-finger did it.”Greybeard heard Fleetfoot speak his name and he came to the spot. Then it was that Fleetfoot learned that Greybeard was Nimble-finger.After that Fleetfoot took great pains to learn how to flake flint points. He watched Greybeard as he worked and he listened to all he said.Before many years had passed, the boys could make good weapons. They knew every spot on their own hunting ground. They knew the wild animals that lived there and what they liked to do. They knew each animal by its track. Each sound of the woods, each patch of light, they learned to read as you read a book.THINGS TO DOName things you will have to learn before you are full-grown.What kind of tests do you have to take?Tell a story of the way the Cave-men tested Fleetfoot and Flaker.Tell a story of all that you think happened the day that Fleetfoot learned that Greybeard was Nimble-finger.Name the birds you can tell by their song. Name those you can tell by sight.Draw one of these pictures:—Testing Fleetfoot and Flaker.Fleetfoot and Flaker in the workshop.Fleetfoot discovers Nimble-finger.“Then their antlers crashed in a swift charge.”XXIVTHINGS TO THINK ABOUTWhat animals would the Cave-men see just before winter? Which of these live in herds? How are the leaders of the herds chosen?What kind of a voice does the reindeer have when it is good-natured?What kind of a voice does it have when it is angry?Fleetfoot and Flaker see a CombatOne day just before winter, Fleetfoot and Flaker went out on the hills. The reindeer were coming back and the boys wanted to see them.They had gone only a little way, when they saw two handsome stags. Each wanted to be leader of the reindeer herd, and so they were trying their strength.The stags stood head to head, their red eyes blazing like fire. Their hair stood on end. They stamped their hoofs on the hard ground. They hissed fierce blasts to and fro.Slowly and carefully they changed their position, still keeping head to head. Each reindeer knew that the lances of the other could strike deadly blows. Each reindeer had fought too many battles to expose himself to such blows.And so the stags eyed each other, getting more angry all the while. Louder and fiercer sounded their blasts. Then their antlers crashed in a swift charge.They pulled and pushed with all their might in a life and death struggle. Not until their strength was exhausted did they stop a moment to rest.Then they tried to draw apart, but they found they could not do it. Each stag was held a prisoner by the antlers of the other. In vain the handsome creatures pulled and pushed. Each was held fast. And the boys, seeing their chance, secured both of the reindeer.Perhaps it was well for the reindeer that the boys were there. At least, the boys saved them from a more horrible death. Reindeer caught in this way have suffered from hunger and thirst many days before death came.The boys admired the beautiful reindeer as they lay stretched out on the ground. They felt of their polished antlers that had dealt many powerful blows. And they wished they had such weapons as these to use all of the time.THINGS TO DOShow how the reindeer stood in the combat and how they changed their positions. Draw the picture.Take a flat surface of clay and see if you can model a reindeer so that it will stand out a little from the surface.Tell a story of what you think happened at the cave after the boys killed the reindeer.XXVTHINGS TO THINK ABOUTIf you have ever seen a cat hunt, tell how she does it. Can you think why cats do not hunt together?Do dogs hunt alone, or with one another? How do wolves hunt?In what ways can animals help one another in hunting? What animals do wolves hunt to-day? What animals did the wolves hunt in the time of the Cave-men?What Happened when Fleetfoot and Flaker Hunted the BisonWhen summer came, Fleetfoot and Flaker watched the bison from day to day. The wolves, too, watched the bison. One day the boys saw two wolves hunt a bison that had strayed from the herd.The wolves walked boldly up toward the bison until they were only a few paces away. Then they went cautiously.The bison paid no attention at first; but when the wolves came closer, he stamped his foot and shook his horns. Any animal could know that the bison meant, “It is dangerous here. Keep away!”But the wolves had a plan and they carried it out. The smaller wolf kept the bison’s attention by making believe attack from the front. This gave the big wolf a chance; and he cut the large muscles of the bison’s knees with his sharp teeth. The bison was thus crippled so badly that the wolves were more than a match for him.“I wonder if we could get a bison,” said Flaker as the boys watched the wolves at their feast.“Let’s try,” said Fleetfoot.“But how can we get close up,” said Flaker, “without frightening the bison away?”“Let’s dress in wolf-skins,” said Fleetfoot, “and make believe we are wolves.”And the boys dressed in wolf-skins and took their best hunting knives. They watched the herd until they saw a large bison stray away. Then the boys approached the bison, and they looked so much like wolves that they got very close before the bison threatened with his horns.Then the boys made the attack. Flaker took the part of the little wolf and attacked the bison’s head. Fleetfoot took the part of the big wolf and tried to cripple the bison.But the boys had not counted upon the bison’s tough skin. They had not counted upon his muscles, which were as hard as boards. Flaker’s dagger glanced off at one side and merely scratched the bison. But it made the creature so angry that he charged upon Flaker.Meanwhile Fleetfoot was doing his best to cut the hard muscles of the bison’s knee. He forgot about everything else until he had lamed one of the forelegs. It was then that the bison charged and that Flaker called for help. And then Fleetfoot tried to rescue Flaker by drawing the bison’s attention away.Fleetfoot did this just in time to save Flaker’s life. He struck at the Bison’s head, then dodged in time to escape his horns. He dodged again and again until he was almost exhausted. The bison limped, but he seemed as strong and as furious as ever. Once again the bison charged, and again Fleetfoot dodged. Then a spear whizzed past Fleetfoot’s head and a voice called, “Climb a tree.”“They looked so much like wolves that they got very close before the bison threatened.”Fleetfoot never remembered running to the tree.He never remembered climbing it. But for many days he seemed to see himself in the tree and the bison just beneath. For many days he seemed to hear Greybeard’s welcome voice.A Cave-man’s carving of a “hamstrung” animal.Greybeard and Fleetfoot stayed in the trees until the bison started up the ravine. Then they climbed down from one of the trees and hurried to see what had happened to Flaker.THINGS TO DOTell something that you have learned from watching an animal.Mention as many things as you can that you think the Cave-men learned from animals.Straighten and bend your elbow or knee so as to find where the strong muscles are.Tell why the Cave-men tried to cut the strong muscles of the bison’s knee. We say when we cut these large muscles that we have “hamstrung” the animal.Look at the picture of a Cave-man’s carving of an animal which has been “hamstrung.” Can you tell what animal it is?Think of the two wolves coming up toward the bison. Model one of them in clay. See if the children can guess which one it is.XXVITHINGS TO THINK ABOUTWhat do you think had happened to Flaker? If any of his bones were broken, do you think the Cave-men could set them? Do you think there were doctors when the Cave-men lived? Who would do the work which doctors do to-day?What the Cave-men did for FlakerFleetfoot ran ahead of Greybeard and found Flaker on the ground. Fleetfoot stooped and looked into his face. He called him by name. No answer came. Then Fleetfoot asked Greybeard if Flaker was dead.Greybeard shook his head as he bent down and laid his hands upon the boy. He examined his wounds, then said to Fleetfoot, “Let’s carry him down to the cool spring.”So Greybeard and Fleetfoot lifted Flaker and carried him gently down to the spring. There they bathed his face and the ugly wounds with fresh cool water. They bound his wounds with strips of the skins that the boys wore that day.When Greybeard tried to set the broken bones, Flaker began to moan. He opened his eyes for a moment; then he fell back in a swoon.Then Greybeard sent Fleetfoot to the cave for help. And Fleetfoot hurried and told Antler; and Antler, picking up some little things which she knew she would need, and telling the women to follow quickly with a large skin, went with Fleetfoot to the spot where Flaker lay.Greybeard was watching beside the boy when Antler arrived. He helped her set the broken bones and then they prepared to carry him home.What the Cave-men did for Flaker.Taking the skin which the women brought, Antler stretched it upon the ground. Then the women helpedher lift the boy and lay him upon the skin. Gently they laid him upon the stretcher. Softly they stepped as they carried him home. They tended him carefully many days.Flaker’s wounds soon healed. But when he was strong enough to walk, the Cave-men saw that he was lame.Flaker was always lame after that. The bones had slipped out of place and now it was too late to reset them. Afterwards the Cave-men learned better ways of setting broken bones. They found better ways of holding them in place while they grew together.Perhaps the Cave-men learned this by watching the wild animals. Some birds, when they break a leg, hold the bones in place with wet clay. Sometimes we use a plaster cast, but the Cave-men knew nothing about such a way.The days seemed long to Flaker while he was getting well. Everybody was kind to him, but it seemed hard to keep quiet when everybody else was moving about.When Fleetfoot went out to hunt, Flaker wanted to go too. But he could not go, and so Fleetfoot used to tell him everything that happened.THINGS TO DOShow how the women helped Antler put Flaker upon the skin. Show how they carried him home. Draw one of the pictures.Find out why a child’s bones will grow together more easily than an old person’s bones. See if you can find out what bones are made of. Soak a bone in acid and see what happens to it. Burn a bone and see whathappens to it. Why do a child’s bones break less easily than an old person’s?If there is a spring in your neighborhood, go and see it. Find out where the water comes from.XXVIITHINGS TO THINK ABOUT
“But many could find no protection, so they turned about and faced the storm.”
The Cave-men wished they were safe at home, but they dared not go through the storm. They huddled together and felt their way to a spot where the snow did not drift. There they lay down in the snow and waited for the storm to cease.
THINGS TO DO
Name some bird that migrates. Tell all that you know about the way it migrates.When you go out to play, show how the bison migrated in warm weather. Show how they migrated in cold weather.Show in your sand-box where the deep drifts would be. Show places where the snow would not drift. If you cannot be sure about where the drifts would be, see if you can find out by watching the storms during winter.If the Cave-men are buried in the snow, how do you think they can get air to breathe? How can they tell when the storm is over?
Name some bird that migrates. Tell all that you know about the way it migrates.
When you go out to play, show how the bison migrated in warm weather. Show how they migrated in cold weather.
Show in your sand-box where the deep drifts would be. Show places where the snow would not drift. If you cannot be sure about where the drifts would be, see if you can find out by watching the storms during winter.
If the Cave-men are buried in the snow, how do you think they can get air to breathe? How can they tell when the storm is over?
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
What do you think those who stayed in the cave will do during the storm? Can you think of any way by which they could get food?Did you ever walk on snowshoes? How do you think people came to make snowshoes?
What do you think those who stayed in the cave will do during the storm? Can you think of any way by which they could get food?
Did you ever walk on snowshoes? How do you think people came to make snowshoes?
How Antler Happened to Invent Snowshoes
Antler saw the coming storm and at once she thought of the fire. She called to the women. And soon they were all breaking branches with stone axes and mauls. The children piled the fagots together and carried them to the cave.
A stone maul.
The snow was falling fast before they finished their work. They watched the storm for a little while and then went into the cave.
The children were hungry and asked for meat. But there was no meat in the cave. Antler tried to get the children to play and to forget that they were hungry. And the children played for a little while, but they soon grew tired. And so Antler gathered the children together and began to tell them stories.
As the storm raged fiercer and fiercer, Antler told stories of other storms. She had braved many storms on the wooded hills and the children liked to hear her stories.
Among the stories she told that day was the story of the Big Bear. She said that the Big Bear lived in a cavern away up in the mountain. She said that he kept watch of the game and that sometimes he shut the game in his cavern. Antler said she had often heard the Big Bear above the voice of the storm. And Fleetfoot, listening for his voice, thought he heard it in the wailing of the storm.
In spite of the stories Antler told, the day was long and dreary. The next day was still more dreary, for the children were crying for food. Toward the close of day they were very tired, and soon they fell asleep.
Most of the women slept that night, but there was no sleep for Antler. She could not sleep when the children were hungry and when the men were out inthe storm. She stayed awake and watched and listened all through the long dark night.
Fur gloves.
Toward morning the storm began to slacken, and Antler gave a sigh of relief. She felt sure that many bison were floundering in the drifts. She hoped they were not far away from the cave. So she dressed in her fur garments and took a large knife and an ax. And at break of day she set out hoping to find a bison.
But the snow was very deep and Antler could scarcely walk. She was faint from hunger and cold. For a while she struggled through the drifts, but soon her strength failed, and she sank down in the snow.
As Antler lay in the deep drifts, she seemed powerless to move. The thought of the hungry children, however, made her turn to the gods. Then the branches of spruce trees seemed to urge her on.
And so Antler took courage and grasping a strong branch of a friendly spruce struggled through the deep snow. She stepped upon the partly buried branches and they helped her on her way.
A bison, floundering in a drift, filled her heart with hope. But when she started toward the bison, Antler sank down once more into the drifts. So again she turned to the friendly trees, and again she reached out to them for aid. And she broke branches from the trees and bound them to her feet.
A snowshoe.
Starting once more, Antler walked as if on winged feet. She ran over the deep drifts. And since she could hunt as well as the men, she soon had plenty of meat.
As Antler was strapping her load upon her back, she heard a familiar voice. Quickly she turned, and her heart beat fast as she listened to hear it again. And seeing the men struggling through the drifts, she knelt and gave thanks to the gods.
Soon Antler arose and laid down her load; and breaking a handful of branches, she hurried over the drifts and met the Cave-men.
When the men saw Antler gliding over the drifts they wondered if it was one of the gods. Not until Antler spoke were they really sure it was she. And not until she showed them how to tie the branches to their feet did they understand what she had done. And even then they did not know that Antler had invented the snowshoe. Many people worked upon snowshoes before fine snowshoes were made. For when people heard what Antler had done, they tried different ways for themselves.
Of course all the people were glad when Antler returned with the men. They feasted and told stories all day long. And afterward the children played they were hunters overtaken by a storm, and they made little snowshoes and learned to walk over the drifts.
THINGS TO DO
The next time there is a storm listen to it and see if you can hear what the Cave-men thought was the voice of the Big Bear. See if you can tell what it is that makes the music of the storm.Listen to the music of the birds and see if you can give their songs and calls.What other animals do you hear calling one another? See if you can give their calls.Tell a story of some storm you have seen.Draw one of these pictures;—Antler praying to the gods for help.A bison floundering in the drift.Antler bringing aid to the men.Find a picture of a snowshoe, and tell how you think it was made.Find something which you can use for making snowshoes. Make a pair, and use them when you have a chance.See if you can find out why the snowshoe keeps one from sinking in the snow.
The next time there is a storm listen to it and see if you can hear what the Cave-men thought was the voice of the Big Bear. See if you can tell what it is that makes the music of the storm.
Listen to the music of the birds and see if you can give their songs and calls.
What other animals do you hear calling one another? See if you can give their calls.
Tell a story of some storm you have seen.
Draw one of these pictures;—Antler praying to the gods for help.A bison floundering in the drift.Antler bringing aid to the men.
Find a picture of a snowshoe, and tell how you think it was made.
Find something which you can use for making snowshoes. Make a pair, and use them when you have a chance.
See if you can find out why the snowshoe keeps one from sinking in the snow.
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
Why would the women be apt to make traps before the men did?What animals did the men hunt most? How did they hunt them?What animals did the women hunt most? How?How many kinds of knots can you tie? Which of these knots slip? Which of these knots would be the best to use in a trap?
Why would the women be apt to make traps before the men did?
What animals did the men hunt most? How did they hunt them?
What animals did the women hunt most? How?
How many kinds of knots can you tie? Which of these knots slip? Which of these knots would be the best to use in a trap?
How Antler made Snares
While Fleetfoot and Flaker were little boys, they learned a few lessons in trapping. The men seldom trapped at that time, but the women trapped in several ways.
Antler was only a little girl when she learned to catch birds with a seed on a string. She was called Snowflake then and she lived in another cave.
Snowflake’s mother taught her to do all the things that little girls needed to know. She learned to hunt for roots and berries, to catch birds, and to make traps, besides learning to make tents, to prepare skins, and to make them into garments. It would take too long to tell all the things that little girls learned in those days.
Snowflake learned her lessons well and she found new ways of doing things. It was when she found a reindeer caught in the vines that she took the first step in making a snare. She had started to the hillside to dig roots and had gone only a little way when she heard something pulling and tugging among the vines.
She peeked through the branches to see what it was, and there stood a beautiful reindeer. His antlers were caught in the tangled vines and he was trying to get loose.
Snowflake’s heart went pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat, when she saw the reindeer. But she kept going nearer, and the reindeer pulled and pulled until he was strangled by the vines.
When Snowflake came to the cave dragging the handsome reindeer, the people shouted for joy. And when they had knocked off the beautiful antlers, they gave them to Snowflake and changed her name.
Whenever she went to the spot where the reindeer was caught she always looked for another reindeer. But the reindeer kept away from the spot.
“Then she set snares on the ground and fastened them to strong branches.”
“Antler learned to protect the cord by running it through a hollow bone.”
So, at length, Antler thought of cutting vines and fastening them to branches. Then she learned to tie knots that would slip and tighten when pulled. And, after a while, she used the slipknots in making many kinds of snares.
Antler watched the birds until she knew the spots where they liked to alight. Then she set snares on the ground and fastened them to strong branches.
The birds, alighting on the spot, caught their feet in the snare. When they tried to fly away, they pulled the slipknot which held them fast.
Some of the birds were frightened away, and did not return to the spot. So Antler tried to coax them back by scattering seeds near the snare.
Once Antler set a snare in a rabbit path just high enough to catch the rabbit’s head. A rabbit was caught, but he nibbled the cord and ran off with the snare. And so Antler learned to protect the cord by running it through a hollow bone.
There was no better trapper than Antler among all the Cave-men. It was she who taught the boys and girls how to make and set traps. When the marmots awoke from their long winter’s sleep, all the children learned to catch them in traps. They learned to loosen the bark of a tree without breakingit except along one edge. They used the bark as a leadway to a trap which they set near a marmot’s hole. After placing the noose inside the bark, they fastened it to a bent sapling.
“So it ran along and nibbled the bait until its sharp teeth cut the cord.”
When the children went to the trap, they clapped their hands and shouted. Then they took the marmot out of the trap and carried it to the cave. And they made a great noise when Bighorn said, “You will soon be very good trappers.”
Then the children wanted to catch another marmot, so Antler went with them and showed them how the trap worked. The marmot coming out of his hole smelled the bait on the string. So it ran along and nibbled the bait until its sharp teeth cut the cord. Then the sapling sprang up and jerked the snare upward. And the weight of the marmot, pulling downward, drew the slipknot tight.
THINGS TO DO
Tie a slipknot at one end of a string, and show how to set it for snaring birds. Show how to set it for snaring rabbits. Find a hollow stick or a bone to protect the snare from the rabbit’s teeth. Show how the marmot trap was set.Tell how you catch mice. Tell how you catch flies.What animals do you know that sleep during the winter? How can they live so long without eating?Draw one of these pictures:—Snowflake finds a reindeer caught in the vines.Antler teaches the children to set traps.Model a marmot in clay.Name all the animals you know that burrow in the ground. Watch one of them and find out what it does.
Tie a slipknot at one end of a string, and show how to set it for snaring birds. Show how to set it for snaring rabbits. Find a hollow stick or a bone to protect the snare from the rabbit’s teeth. Show how the marmot trap was set.
Tell how you catch mice. Tell how you catch flies.
What animals do you know that sleep during the winter? How can they live so long without eating?
Draw one of these pictures:—Snowflake finds a reindeer caught in the vines.Antler teaches the children to set traps.
Model a marmot in clay.
Name all the animals you know that burrow in the ground. Watch one of them and find out what it does.
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
Why would the Cave-men be apt to lose many spears and javelins?How could they keep from losing the shafts?Can you think of how they might find a way of saving their spearheads?Find a picture of a barbed spearhead. Why did people begin to make barbs?
Why would the Cave-men be apt to lose many spears and javelins?
How could they keep from losing the shafts?
Can you think of how they might find a way of saving their spearheads?
Find a picture of a barbed spearhead. Why did people begin to make barbs?
How Spears were Changed into Harpoons
None of the clans could make better weapons than the men of the Bison clan. Since boyhood, Greybeard had been known for his delicate spear points and knives. No workshop in all the valley was better known than his. But even Greybeard’s weapons sometimes were known to fail. Even his spear points sometimes were lost in the chase.
For several days the men were at home making new weapons. They never made spears and javelins with sharper and finer points. They never made straighter and smoother shafts. When they started out to hunt, they were proud of their new weapons. All the Cave-men expected that before the day passed, they would have new trophies and fresh meat.
The women, trapping birds on the hillsides, listened from time to time. They expected to hear Bighorn’s whistle when the animals were ready to be skinned. But the day passed, and no signal came.
At sunset the men returned, but they were gloomy and silent. They brought no trophies, and they spoke not a word of the chase.
No wonder the men were gloomy and silent. Their precious spears and javelins had been lost in the chase. It was not because the men were careless. It was not because they were not skillful in making spears and javelins. It was because these weapons, when thrown from the hand, could not strike deadly blows.
The Cave-men had thrown at the wild horses with a sure aim. Their javelins and spears went right to the mark. When the horses ran, the Cave-men followed. But in spite of all they could do, the wild horses were soon out of sight.
Some of the horses received ugly wounds and carried the weapons far away. Others received slight wounds; they brushed off the spears and javelins, which fell and were lost in the tall grass.
A chisel-scraper.
Time and again, hunted animals had escaped with only a wound. Wounded animals had often escaped with a spear or javelin. But never before had so many animals escaped with so many precious weapons.
Of course there was nothing for the Cave-men to do but to make new weapons. But it took a long time to season the sticks for straight and smooth shafts. It took patience and skill for the Cave-men to make delicate flint points. Perhaps this was why the Cave-men learned to retrieve the weapons they threw.
Ever since the Cave-men had learned to make spears, they had lashed the head to the shaft. They thought that this was the only way to make a good spear. Chipper was the first Cave-man who invented a new way.
Chipper was all alone in the workshop. He had finished a spear point which he held in his hand. Without thinking what he was doing, he slipped the tang into a hollow reed which he picked up from theground. If it had not been for a hungry wolf, he might have thought no more about it.
But the wolf had smelled the meat which was on the ground close to the workshop. Hearing a sound, Chipper looked just in time to see the wolf spring toward the meat.
The spear flew from Chipper’s hand before he stopped to think. And Chipper sprang upon the wolf and engaged in a hand-to-hand fight.
At the first sound of the combat the Cave-men rushed to the spot. There they found that Chipper had already secured his prize.
A barbed point.
While the Cave-men looked at the wolf, Chipper told them what had happened. He showed them the reed which he had used in hurling his new spear point. The men looked at the hollow reed and tried it to see how it worked. Other reeds were on the ground. So the men fitted spearheads into the reeds and practiced throwing that way. They played with the reeds the rest of the day.
A harpoon.
When they worked at their weapons again, Chipper, alone, tried a new way. He made a loose shaft with a socket in the end. During the next chase they lost many weapons. Chipper lost many spearheads; but he always found his loose shaft.
When the Cave-men noticed that Chipper never lost his shaft they began to make loose shafts. And they got the idea of a barbed spearhead from a wound which was made by a broken point. They found such a point deep down inthe wound of a bison. The sharp edge had caught in the bison’s flesh. And every movement of the bison had driven the spearhead deeper.
It was by paying attention to such little things that the Cave-men learned to make barbed spears. When the Cave-men learned that barbed spearheads made very dangerous wounds, they were willing to take the trouble of making the barbed points.
But no Cave-man was willing to lose one of his barbed spear points. Perhaps that is why the men began to tie the barbed heads to the loose shaft. When they first did this, they did not know that their spears had become harpoons.
THINGS TO DO
Find a hollow reed and use it for a shaft. Make a shaft with a socket in it. Fit a spearhead into the socket. Change the spear so as to make a harpoon.Draw a picture of the chase of the wild horses.Think of a wild horse running very fast. See if you can model a wild horse in clay so as to show that it has great speed.
Find a hollow reed and use it for a shaft. Make a shaft with a socket in it. Fit a spearhead into the socket. Change the spear so as to make a harpoon.
Draw a picture of the chase of the wild horses.
Think of a wild horse running very fast. See if you can model a wild horse in clay so as to show that it has great speed.
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
Why was the harpoon a better weapon for hunting than the spear or javelin? What could hunters do to keep smooth shafts from slipping from their hands? What is the harpoon used for to-day?Why do animals become more cunning after they are hunted?
Why was the harpoon a better weapon for hunting than the spear or javelin? What could hunters do to keep smooth shafts from slipping from their hands? What is the harpoon used for to-day?
Why do animals become more cunning after they are hunted?
How the Cave-men Hunted with Harpoons
Once again the Cave-men went out to hunt the wild horses. Once again they took new weapons. But instead of spears and javelins they carried barbed harpoons.
From a high hill they saw the horses on the edge of a grassy upland. They hurried over the wooded hills and crept through the tall grass. When Bighorn gave the signal the sentinels pricked up their ears. But before they could give the alarm, the men had thrown their harpoons.
The frightened horses crowded upon one another. Snapping sounds of breaking shafts, sharp cries of wounded horses, and loud shouts of Cave-men added to their terror.
The snorting of the sentinels warned the Cave-men back. A signal from the leader brought order to the herd. It began to move as though it were one solid mass.
Away the herd galloped, striking terror to all creatures in the way. But the wounded horses soon lagged. In vain they tried to keep up. At each step the shaft of the harpoon swung under their feet. At each step the barbed head pierced deeper and deeper. So the Cave-men had little trouble in finishing the chase.
Perhaps you think the Cave-men had no trouble in hunting after that. They had less trouble for some time, and they all prized their harpoons. But on colddays, when their hands were stiff, the smooth shafts slipped from their grasp.
When they used shafts with knobs and large joints, it was easy to keep a firm hold. So the men made shafts with larger knobs and they put girdles around the smooth shafts.
Chipper using a spear-noose.
At their games of throwing spears and javelins, Bighorn was almost sure to win. It was partly because he had large hands and very strong fingers. By bending one finger like a hook and striking the butt of the shaft, he could send a harpoon straight to the mark.
Chipper’s hands were not very large. His fingers were not so strong as Bighorn’s. But Chipper was a bright young man, and he found a way of using a spear-noose so that he could throw as well as Bighorn.
The spear-noose was a simple thing. Chipper made it by tying a noose in each end of a cord. When he used it, he slipped one noosearound his thumb and the other around one finger. Then he grasped the spear near the butt and slipped the cord around the knob. The spear-noose was a great help to hunters whose hands were not large and strong.
Every time the Cave-men made new weapons, they worked very well for a short time. But as soon as the animals learned about them, they became more cunning in getting away. Wild horses kept sentinels on knolls and hilltops so that they could see an enemy from afar. They guarded their herds so carefully that the Cave-men could scarcely get near enough to hit them with their harpoons.
And so the Cave-men returned many times bearing no trophies. They returned many times giving no signal for the women to come for fresh meat.
THINGS TO DO
Take a harpoon and show how the shaft would swing against the feet of an animal that had been hit by the head.Make a girdle around a smooth shaft, or make a shaft with a knob or large joint near the butt.Make a spear-noose and show how Chipper used it.Think of the wild horses during the first few minutes after the men threw their harpoons. See if you can draw a picture of them.
Take a harpoon and show how the shaft would swing against the feet of an animal that had been hit by the head.
Make a girdle around a smooth shaft, or make a shaft with a knob or large joint near the butt.
Make a spear-noose and show how Chipper used it.
Think of the wild horses during the first few minutes after the men threw their harpoons. See if you can draw a picture of them.
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
Think of as many hard things as you can that the Cave-men had to do.Why did they have to do these things? What kind of men did the Cave-men have to be?Think of as many ways as you can that the Cave-men would use to teach the boys. What tests do you think they would give the boys?
Think of as many hard things as you can that the Cave-men had to do.
Why did they have to do these things? What kind of men did the Cave-men have to be?
Think of as many ways as you can that the Cave-men would use to teach the boys. What tests do you think they would give the boys?
“And so the Cave-men tested the boys in many different ways.”
How the Cave-men Tested Fleetfoot and Flaker
Winters came and went, and Fleetfoot and Flaker grew to be large boys. They watched the men; they heard them talk; they learned what a Cave-man had to do.
Greybeard told them stories of brave hunters that lived long ago. He told them about the animals they must learn to hunt. The boys listened to the stories. And they thought there was no animal too fierce for them to fight. They thought there was no river too swift for them to cross. They thought there was no mountain too steep for them to climb.
But the boys had not learned how fierce a bison can be. They had never crossed a raging river nor climbed a mountain peak.
The men knew that the boys needed to try their strength before they could be really strong. They knew they must do brave deeds before they could be really brave. They knew they must suffer patiently before they could have self-control. And so the Cave-men tested the boys in many different ways.
If the boys stood the tests, the Cave-men shouted praises; but if they showed any sign of fear, the Cave-men jeered at them.
Sometimes the boys were given nothing to eat until they brought food from the hunt. And even then they were not always allowed to touch the food whichwas near. When the boys were fasting, the Cave-men tempted them with food. And if the boys took even a bite, they failed in the test. So Fleetfoot and Flaker learned to fast without a word of complaint.
One of the hardest things which the boys had to do was to make their own weapons. At first, Greybeard helped them; but, later, they had to do their own work.
So the boys learned to go to the trees that had the best wood for shafts. They learned to cut, and peel, and scrape, and oil, and season, and polish the sticks before they were ready to use. No wonder the boys became tired before all this work was done.
Then they worked very carefully before they could make good spearheads. They hunted for the best stones and learned to shape them very well. When they forgot and struck hard blows, they spoiled the flint points. Then Greybeard would tell them that the strongest and bravest hunters were those who could strike the gentlest blows.
It was work of this kind that was harder for the boys than chasing a wild horse or a reindeer. If they had not known that they must have weapons, they would not have had patience to do it.
While the boys worked at their weapons, they thought of what they would do with them. They thought of the trophies they would bring home and what the people would say. And they learned to sing at their work and to mark the time for each blow. And so they managed to keep at work until the weapons were done.
One day when the boys were flaking spear points, Fleetfoot turned to Flaker and said, “Do you know who made the first flaker?”
“Yes,” answered Flaker, “it was Greybeard.”
“No, no!” said Fleetfoot, “Nimble-finger did it.”
Greybeard heard Fleetfoot speak his name and he came to the spot. Then it was that Fleetfoot learned that Greybeard was Nimble-finger.
After that Fleetfoot took great pains to learn how to flake flint points. He watched Greybeard as he worked and he listened to all he said.
Before many years had passed, the boys could make good weapons. They knew every spot on their own hunting ground. They knew the wild animals that lived there and what they liked to do. They knew each animal by its track. Each sound of the woods, each patch of light, they learned to read as you read a book.
THINGS TO DO
Name things you will have to learn before you are full-grown.What kind of tests do you have to take?Tell a story of the way the Cave-men tested Fleetfoot and Flaker.Tell a story of all that you think happened the day that Fleetfoot learned that Greybeard was Nimble-finger.Name the birds you can tell by their song. Name those you can tell by sight.Draw one of these pictures:—Testing Fleetfoot and Flaker.Fleetfoot and Flaker in the workshop.Fleetfoot discovers Nimble-finger.
Name things you will have to learn before you are full-grown.
What kind of tests do you have to take?
Tell a story of the way the Cave-men tested Fleetfoot and Flaker.
Tell a story of all that you think happened the day that Fleetfoot learned that Greybeard was Nimble-finger.
Name the birds you can tell by their song. Name those you can tell by sight.
Draw one of these pictures:—Testing Fleetfoot and Flaker.Fleetfoot and Flaker in the workshop.Fleetfoot discovers Nimble-finger.
“Then their antlers crashed in a swift charge.”
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
What animals would the Cave-men see just before winter? Which of these live in herds? How are the leaders of the herds chosen?What kind of a voice does the reindeer have when it is good-natured?What kind of a voice does it have when it is angry?
What animals would the Cave-men see just before winter? Which of these live in herds? How are the leaders of the herds chosen?
What kind of a voice does the reindeer have when it is good-natured?
What kind of a voice does it have when it is angry?
Fleetfoot and Flaker see a Combat
One day just before winter, Fleetfoot and Flaker went out on the hills. The reindeer were coming back and the boys wanted to see them.
They had gone only a little way, when they saw two handsome stags. Each wanted to be leader of the reindeer herd, and so they were trying their strength.
The stags stood head to head, their red eyes blazing like fire. Their hair stood on end. They stamped their hoofs on the hard ground. They hissed fierce blasts to and fro.
Slowly and carefully they changed their position, still keeping head to head. Each reindeer knew that the lances of the other could strike deadly blows. Each reindeer had fought too many battles to expose himself to such blows.
And so the stags eyed each other, getting more angry all the while. Louder and fiercer sounded their blasts. Then their antlers crashed in a swift charge.
They pulled and pushed with all their might in a life and death struggle. Not until their strength was exhausted did they stop a moment to rest.
Then they tried to draw apart, but they found they could not do it. Each stag was held a prisoner by the antlers of the other. In vain the handsome creatures pulled and pushed. Each was held fast. And the boys, seeing their chance, secured both of the reindeer.
Perhaps it was well for the reindeer that the boys were there. At least, the boys saved them from a more horrible death. Reindeer caught in this way have suffered from hunger and thirst many days before death came.
The boys admired the beautiful reindeer as they lay stretched out on the ground. They felt of their polished antlers that had dealt many powerful blows. And they wished they had such weapons as these to use all of the time.
THINGS TO DO
Show how the reindeer stood in the combat and how they changed their positions. Draw the picture.Take a flat surface of clay and see if you can model a reindeer so that it will stand out a little from the surface.Tell a story of what you think happened at the cave after the boys killed the reindeer.
Show how the reindeer stood in the combat and how they changed their positions. Draw the picture.
Take a flat surface of clay and see if you can model a reindeer so that it will stand out a little from the surface.
Tell a story of what you think happened at the cave after the boys killed the reindeer.
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
If you have ever seen a cat hunt, tell how she does it. Can you think why cats do not hunt together?Do dogs hunt alone, or with one another? How do wolves hunt?In what ways can animals help one another in hunting? What animals do wolves hunt to-day? What animals did the wolves hunt in the time of the Cave-men?
If you have ever seen a cat hunt, tell how she does it. Can you think why cats do not hunt together?
Do dogs hunt alone, or with one another? How do wolves hunt?
In what ways can animals help one another in hunting? What animals do wolves hunt to-day? What animals did the wolves hunt in the time of the Cave-men?
What Happened when Fleetfoot and Flaker Hunted the Bison
When summer came, Fleetfoot and Flaker watched the bison from day to day. The wolves, too, watched the bison. One day the boys saw two wolves hunt a bison that had strayed from the herd.
The wolves walked boldly up toward the bison until they were only a few paces away. Then they went cautiously.
The bison paid no attention at first; but when the wolves came closer, he stamped his foot and shook his horns. Any animal could know that the bison meant, “It is dangerous here. Keep away!”
But the wolves had a plan and they carried it out. The smaller wolf kept the bison’s attention by making believe attack from the front. This gave the big wolf a chance; and he cut the large muscles of the bison’s knees with his sharp teeth. The bison was thus crippled so badly that the wolves were more than a match for him.
“I wonder if we could get a bison,” said Flaker as the boys watched the wolves at their feast.
“Let’s try,” said Fleetfoot.
“But how can we get close up,” said Flaker, “without frightening the bison away?”
“Let’s dress in wolf-skins,” said Fleetfoot, “and make believe we are wolves.”
And the boys dressed in wolf-skins and took their best hunting knives. They watched the herd until they saw a large bison stray away. Then the boys approached the bison, and they looked so much like wolves that they got very close before the bison threatened with his horns.
Then the boys made the attack. Flaker took the part of the little wolf and attacked the bison’s head. Fleetfoot took the part of the big wolf and tried to cripple the bison.
But the boys had not counted upon the bison’s tough skin. They had not counted upon his muscles, which were as hard as boards. Flaker’s dagger glanced off at one side and merely scratched the bison. But it made the creature so angry that he charged upon Flaker.
Meanwhile Fleetfoot was doing his best to cut the hard muscles of the bison’s knee. He forgot about everything else until he had lamed one of the forelegs. It was then that the bison charged and that Flaker called for help. And then Fleetfoot tried to rescue Flaker by drawing the bison’s attention away.
Fleetfoot did this just in time to save Flaker’s life. He struck at the Bison’s head, then dodged in time to escape his horns. He dodged again and again until he was almost exhausted. The bison limped, but he seemed as strong and as furious as ever. Once again the bison charged, and again Fleetfoot dodged. Then a spear whizzed past Fleetfoot’s head and a voice called, “Climb a tree.”
“They looked so much like wolves that they got very close before the bison threatened.”
Fleetfoot never remembered running to the tree.He never remembered climbing it. But for many days he seemed to see himself in the tree and the bison just beneath. For many days he seemed to hear Greybeard’s welcome voice.
A Cave-man’s carving of a “hamstrung” animal.
Greybeard and Fleetfoot stayed in the trees until the bison started up the ravine. Then they climbed down from one of the trees and hurried to see what had happened to Flaker.
THINGS TO DO
Tell something that you have learned from watching an animal.Mention as many things as you can that you think the Cave-men learned from animals.Straighten and bend your elbow or knee so as to find where the strong muscles are.Tell why the Cave-men tried to cut the strong muscles of the bison’s knee. We say when we cut these large muscles that we have “hamstrung” the animal.Look at the picture of a Cave-man’s carving of an animal which has been “hamstrung.” Can you tell what animal it is?Think of the two wolves coming up toward the bison. Model one of them in clay. See if the children can guess which one it is.
Tell something that you have learned from watching an animal.
Mention as many things as you can that you think the Cave-men learned from animals.
Straighten and bend your elbow or knee so as to find where the strong muscles are.
Tell why the Cave-men tried to cut the strong muscles of the bison’s knee. We say when we cut these large muscles that we have “hamstrung” the animal.
Look at the picture of a Cave-man’s carving of an animal which has been “hamstrung.” Can you tell what animal it is?
Think of the two wolves coming up toward the bison. Model one of them in clay. See if the children can guess which one it is.
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
What do you think had happened to Flaker? If any of his bones were broken, do you think the Cave-men could set them? Do you think there were doctors when the Cave-men lived? Who would do the work which doctors do to-day?
What do you think had happened to Flaker? If any of his bones were broken, do you think the Cave-men could set them? Do you think there were doctors when the Cave-men lived? Who would do the work which doctors do to-day?
What the Cave-men did for Flaker
Fleetfoot ran ahead of Greybeard and found Flaker on the ground. Fleetfoot stooped and looked into his face. He called him by name. No answer came. Then Fleetfoot asked Greybeard if Flaker was dead.
Greybeard shook his head as he bent down and laid his hands upon the boy. He examined his wounds, then said to Fleetfoot, “Let’s carry him down to the cool spring.”
So Greybeard and Fleetfoot lifted Flaker and carried him gently down to the spring. There they bathed his face and the ugly wounds with fresh cool water. They bound his wounds with strips of the skins that the boys wore that day.
When Greybeard tried to set the broken bones, Flaker began to moan. He opened his eyes for a moment; then he fell back in a swoon.
Then Greybeard sent Fleetfoot to the cave for help. And Fleetfoot hurried and told Antler; and Antler, picking up some little things which she knew she would need, and telling the women to follow quickly with a large skin, went with Fleetfoot to the spot where Flaker lay.
Greybeard was watching beside the boy when Antler arrived. He helped her set the broken bones and then they prepared to carry him home.
What the Cave-men did for Flaker.
Taking the skin which the women brought, Antler stretched it upon the ground. Then the women helpedher lift the boy and lay him upon the skin. Gently they laid him upon the stretcher. Softly they stepped as they carried him home. They tended him carefully many days.
Flaker’s wounds soon healed. But when he was strong enough to walk, the Cave-men saw that he was lame.
Flaker was always lame after that. The bones had slipped out of place and now it was too late to reset them. Afterwards the Cave-men learned better ways of setting broken bones. They found better ways of holding them in place while they grew together.
Perhaps the Cave-men learned this by watching the wild animals. Some birds, when they break a leg, hold the bones in place with wet clay. Sometimes we use a plaster cast, but the Cave-men knew nothing about such a way.
The days seemed long to Flaker while he was getting well. Everybody was kind to him, but it seemed hard to keep quiet when everybody else was moving about.
When Fleetfoot went out to hunt, Flaker wanted to go too. But he could not go, and so Fleetfoot used to tell him everything that happened.
THINGS TO DO
Show how the women helped Antler put Flaker upon the skin. Show how they carried him home. Draw one of the pictures.Find out why a child’s bones will grow together more easily than an old person’s bones. See if you can find out what bones are made of. Soak a bone in acid and see what happens to it. Burn a bone and see whathappens to it. Why do a child’s bones break less easily than an old person’s?If there is a spring in your neighborhood, go and see it. Find out where the water comes from.
Show how the women helped Antler put Flaker upon the skin. Show how they carried him home. Draw one of the pictures.
Find out why a child’s bones will grow together more easily than an old person’s bones. See if you can find out what bones are made of. Soak a bone in acid and see what happens to it. Burn a bone and see whathappens to it. Why do a child’s bones break less easily than an old person’s?
If there is a spring in your neighborhood, go and see it. Find out where the water comes from.
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT