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By KATHARINE ELIZABETH DOPP, Ph. D.
The Extension Division of The University of Chicago. Author of "The Place oj
Industries in Elementary Education'1
Book I. THE TREE-DWELLERS. THE AGE OF FEAR.
Illustrated with a map, 14 full-page and 46 text drawings in half-tone by
HOWARD V. BROWN. Cloth. Square i2mo. 158 pages ; 45 cents.
For the primary grades.
Book II. THE EARLY CAVE-MEN. THE AGE OF COMBAT.
Illustrated with a map, 16 full-page and 71 text drawings in half-tone
by HOWARD V. BROWN. Cloth. Square i2mo. 183 pages; 45 cents.
For the primary grades.
Book III. THE LATER CAVE-MEN. THE AGE OF THE CHASE.
Illustrated with 27 full-page and 87 text drawings in half-tone by HOWARD
V. BROWN. Cloth. Square i2mo. 197 pages; 45 cents.
For the primary grades.
Book IV. THE EARLY SEA PEOPLE. FIRST STEPS IN THE CON-
QUEST OF THE WATERS. Illustrated with 21 full-page and 117 text
drawings in half-tone by HOWARD V. BROWN and KYOHEI INUKAI. Cloth.
Square i2mo. 224 pages; 50 cents.
For the intermediate grades.
Other volumes, dealing ivith the early development of pastoral and
agricultural life, the age of metals, travel, trade,
and transportation, will follow.
TO
for ^lore glbout the
I DEDICATE THIS BOOK
1 A feeling of awe came over them while they worked" — PAGE 172.
G4V&M
Zecfareria Education.
In the Extension Division of the
University of Chicago
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R4ND MMID i COMPANY
CHKA30 HiWYORK LON
Copyright^ iqob
By KATHARINE ELIZABETH DOPP
Entered at Stationers' Hall
CEfre ffianfr - SRcllttUi?
Chicago
THE series, of which this is the third volume, is an attempt
to meet a need that has been felt for several years by par-
ents and physicians, as well as by teachers, supervisors, and
others who are actively interested in educational and social prog",
ress. The need of practical activity, which for long ages consti-
tuted the entire education of mankind, is at last recognized by the
elementary school. It has been introduced in many places and
already results have been attained which demonstrate that it is
possible to introduce practical activity in such a way as to afford
the child a sound development — physically, intellectually, and
morally — and at the same time equip him for efficient social
service. The question that is perplexing educators at the present
time is, therefore, not one regarding the value of practical activity,
but rather one of ways and means by which practical activity can
be harnessed to the educational work.
The discovery of the fact that steam is a force that can do
work had to await the invention of machinery by means of which
to apply the new force to industrial processes. The use of prac-
tical activity will likewise necessitate many changes in the educa-
tional machinery before its richest results are realized. Yet the
conditions that attend the introduction of practical activity as a
motive power in education are very different from those that
attended the introduction of the use of steam. In the case of
steam the problem was that of applying a new force to an old
work. In the case of practical activity it is a question of restoring
a factor which, from the earliest times until within the last two or
three decades, has operated as a permanent educational force.
The situation that has recently deprived the child of the oppor
[7]
8 Preface
tunity to participate in industrial processes is due, as is well
known, to the rapid development of our industrial system. Since
the removal of industrial processes from the home the public has
awakened to the fact that the child is being- deprived of one of the
most potent educational influences, and efforts have already been
made to restore the educational factor that was in danger of being
lost. This is the significance of the educational movement at the
present time.
As long as a simple organization of society prevailed, the school
was not called upon to take up the practical work ; but now society
has become so complex that the use of practical activity is abso-
lutely essential. Society to-day makes a greater demand than ever
before upon each and all of its members for special skill and knowl-
edge, as well as for breadth of view. These demands can be met
only by such an improvement in educational facilities as corres-
ponds to the increase in the social demand. Evidently the school
must lay hold of all of the educational forces within its reach.
In the transitional movement it is not strange that new factors
are being introduced without relation to the educational process
as a whole. The isolation of manual training, sewing, and cooking
from the physical, natural, and social sciences is justifiable only
on the ground that the means of establishing more organic rela-
tions are not yet available. To continue such isolated activities
after a way is found of harnessing them to the educational work
is as foolish as to allow steam to expend itself in moving a loco-
motive up and down the tracks without regard to the destiny of
the detached train.
This series is an attempt to facilitate the transitional movement
in education which is now taking place by presenting educative
materials in a form sufficiently flexible to be readily adapted to the
needs of the school that has not yet been equipped for manual
training, as well as to the needs of the one that has long recognized
practical activity as an essential factor in its work. Since the
experience of the race in industrial and social processes embodies,
Preface 9
better than any other experiences of mankind, those things which
at the same time appeal to the whole nature of the child and fur-
nish him the means of interpreting the complex processes about
him, this experience has been made the groundwork of the pres-
ent series.
In order to gain cumulative results of value in explaining our
own institutions, the 'materials used have been selected from the
life of Aryan peoples. That we are not yet in possession of. all
the facts regarding the life of the early Aryans is not considered
a sufficient reason for withholding from the child those facts that
we have when they can be adapted to his use. Information
regarding the early stages of Aryan life is meager. Enough has
been established, however, to enable us to mark out the main lines
of progress through the hunting, the fishing, the pastoral, and the
agricultural stages, as well as to present the chief problems that
confronted man in taking the first steps in the use of metals, and
in the establishment of trade. Upon these lines, marked out by
the geologist, the paleontologist, the archaeologist, and the anthro-
pologist, the first numbers of this series are based.
A generalized view of the main steps in the early progress of
the race, which it is thus possible to present, is all that is required
for educational ends. Were it possible to present the subject in
detail, it would be tedious and unprofitable to all save the specialist.
To select from the monotony of the ages that which is most vital,
to so present it as to enable the child to participate in the process
by which the race has advanced, is a work more in keeping with
the spirit of the age. To this end the presentation of the subject
is made : First, by means of questions, which serve to develop the
habit of making use of experience in new situations ; second, by
narrative, which is employed merely as a literary device for ren-
dering the subject more available to the child ; and third, by sug-
gestions for practical activities that may be carried out in hours of
work or play, in such a way as to direct into useful channels energy
which when left undirected is apt to express itself in trivial if not
10 Preface
in anti-social forms. No part of a book is more significant to the
child than the illustrations. In preparing the illustrations for this
series as great pains have been taken to furnish the child with
ideas that will guide him in his practical activities as to illustrate
the text itself.
Mr. Howard V. Brown, the artist who executed the drawings,
has been aided in his search for authentic originals by the late
J. W. Powell, director of the. United States Bureau of Ethnology, Wash-
ington, D. C.; by Frederick J. V. Skiff, director of the Field Columbian
Museum, Chicago, and by the author. Ethnological collections and
the best illustrative works on ethnological subjects scattered
throughout the country have been carefully searched for material.
Many of the text illustrations of this volume are reproductions
of originals found in the caves and rock shelters of France.
K. E. D.
October, 1906.
'CONT
fi
PAGE
Dedication 7
Preface .' 8
Contents 12
Illustrations 13
THE LATER CAVE-MEN
THE AGE OF THE CHASE
PAGE PAGE
The Reindeer Start for their Sum- How the Cave-men Tested Fleetfoot
mer Home 15 and Flaker 105
Chew-chew . 20 Fleetfoot and Flaker See a Combat 109
Fleetfoot's Lessons 23 What Happened when Fleetfoot and
After the Chase 27 Flaker Hunted the Bison . . . in
Why the Cave-men Made Changes What the Cave-men did for Flaker 115
in their Weapons 32 How Flaker Learned to Make
How the Cave-men Made Delicate Weapons of Bone 118
Spear Points 36 How Flaker Invented the Saw . . 121
The Return of the Bison .... 41 The Reindeer Dance 124
The First Bison Hunt of the Season 46 Fleetfoot Prepares for his Final Test 128
What Happened when the Children Fleetfoot Fasts and Prays . . . 132
Played with Hot Stones ... 50 The Meeting of the Clans .... 139
Why the Children Began to Eat What Happened when the Clans
Boiled Meat 54 Found Fleetfoot 143
The Nutting Season 56 Fleetfoot's Return 147
Why Mothers Taught their Children Willow-grouse ........ 150
the Boundary Lines .... 62 How Fleetfoot and Willow-grouse
What Happened to Fleetfoot . . 65 Spent the WTinter 153
How the Strangers Camped for the How Willow-grouse Learned to
Night 69 Make Needles 157
Fleetfoot is Adopted by the Bison How Flaker Became a Priest and a
Clan 72 Medicine Man 161
How the Cave-men Protected Them- How the Cave-men Learned to Boil
selves from the Cold .... 77 and to Dry Foods 165
How the Children Played in Winter 81 The New Home 168
Overtaken by a Storm 84 How the Clans United to Hunt the
How Antler Happened to Invent Bison 173
Snowshoes 88 How Things Were Made to Do the
How Antler Made Snares .... 92 Work of Men .178
How Spears Were Changed into How the Cave-men Rewarded and
Harpoons 97 Punished the Clansmen . . . 182
How the Cave-men Hunted with
Harpoons 101 Suggestions to Teachers . . . 185
FULL PAGE
14 A feeling of awe came over them
while they worked" . Frontispiece
" Pigeon boiled me at and gave it to
the men, and they all sounded
her praises" 14
" The reindeer swam through the
deep water and waded out to
the opposite bank" 17
Chew-chew telling stories to Fleet-
foot 21
"1/ien Scarf ace threw, and all
the horses took fright "... 25
"Chew-chew took her basket and
started up the dry ravine ". . 29
"She took a flint point and
scratched the men's arms until
she made big scars" .... 31
" Straight 'shaft saw the herd at
sunrise and made a sign to the
men" 42
"At the close of the day there was
not a little valley in the sur-
rounding country that did not
have a herd of two or three
hundred bison 45
" With a qtiick snort he turned
and charged" 47
"Chertu-chew tried to teach the chil-
dren how to know the hissing
sound" 53
" All the women and children
went nutting " 57
The wild hogs were having a feast ' 59
"Mothers taught their children
what the boundaries were "
"A big man caugJit him, and put
him upon his shoulder" .
"The tent was an old oak, which
reacJied out long and low-
spreading branches " . . . .
"Greybeard asked Fleetfoot to
drop the hot stones in the water
again "
" When the men saw the new gar-
ment they wondered how it was
made" 79
"But many could flnd no protec-
tion, so they turned about and
faced the storm"
"And so the Cave-men tested the
boys in many different wuys"
' * Then their . antlers crashed in a
siuift charge "
" They looked so much like wolves
that they got very close before
the bison threatened" . .
" What the Cave-men did
Flaker" ... . .
"People began to wander away
from their old holies"
"It was the melting of this glacier
whichfedthe little stream "
"Greybeard, now old and feeble,
walked all the way to the
spot"
After the bison hunt
for
TEXT
63
67
70
76
87
104
108
113
116
129
136
181
A reindeer
A stone ax .
A stone knife
A laurel leaf
Laurel leaf-shaped spear point
A stone scraper
A shaft-straightener
1 6 A delicate spearhead 36
24 " W hen the Cave-men held the
32 flint in the hand, the hand
32 yielded to the light blow" . . 37
32 " While Scarf ace placed the punch
34 he sang in low tones" ... 37
35 Straightshaft iising aflaker . . 38
[12]
Illustrations
13
PAGE
A flaker 39
An ibex 43
A bear's tooth awl . . . . . 51
A scraper 73
A skin stretched on a frame . 73
A hammer of reindeer horn . 74
A cave-man s glove So
A stone maul 89
Fur gloves 90
A snows/we 91
"Then she set snares on t/ie
ground and fastened them to
strong branches" 94
"Antler learned to protect the
cord by running it through a
hollow bone" 94
" So it ran along and nibbled the
bait until its sharp teeth cut
the cord" 95
A chisel-scraper 98
A barbed point 99
A harpoon 100
Chipper using a spear-noose . . 102
A Cave-man" s carving of a ^ham-
strung" animal 114
A wedge or tent pin . . . . 119
The head of a javelin .... 120
A small antler 121
A knife with two blades, a saw,
and a file, all in one .... 122
A Cave-man" s dagger ... . . 123
A Cave-man s mortar stone . . 125
A drum 126
The engraving of a cave-bear . 131
A stone borer 134
A necklace of fossil shells . . 139
A throwing-stick 145
An Irish deer 146
A fragment of a Cave mail s
baton, engraved 147
A Cave-man s nose ornament . 149
A Cave-man s baton, engraved 149
An Eskimo drawing of reindeer
caught in snares 151
"A piece of sandstone for flatten-
ing seams" 152
A reindeer snare 152
Three views of a Cave-man's
spearhead 154
"// was during this time that the
Bison clan learned to use the
throwing-stick" 155
PAGE
Harpoons with several barbs . . 156
A bone awl 157
A bone pin 157
A large bone needle 157
A bone from which the Cave-men
have sawed out slender rods
for needles 158
A piece of sandstone ^^sed by the
Cave-men in making needles . 158
A flint comb used in rounding
and polishing needles . . . 158
A flint saw used in making nee-
dles of bone 158
A short needle of bone . . . . 159
A flint comb used in shredding
fibers 159
A long fine needle of bone . . . 159
Two views of a curved bone tool 160
A Cave-man's engraving of two
herds of wild horses .... 162
A Cave-man's carving of horses'
heads 163
A Cave-man's engraving of a
reindeer 163
Harpoons of reindeer antler . . 166
A flint harpoon with one barb . 167
A spool-shaped stone .... 167
A baby's hood 169
"/« summer he played in the
basket cradle " 169
First step in coiled basketry . . 170
Second step in coiled basketry . . 1 70
Three rows of coiled work . . . 1 70
A water basket 172
A Cave-man s engraving of a tent
showing the interior structure 175
A Cave-man's engraving of a
tent showing the exterior . . 175
A Cave-man' s engraving of a tent
with covering pulled one side
so as to show the ends of the
poles which support the roof . 175
Framework showing the best kind
of a tent made by the Cave-men 176
A tent pin 176
Handle of a Cave-man's hunting-
knife with engraving .... 182
A hunter's tally 183
Fragment of Cave-man's baton 183
Engraving of a seal upon a bear's
tooth 184
A Cave-man's hairpin, engraved 184
"Pigeon boiled meat and gave it to the men, and they all sounded
her praises. " — Page i66t
THE LATER CAVE-MEN
THE AGE OF THE CHASE
I
The Reindeer Start for their Summer Home
Every winter the reindeer came to the wooded hills
where the Cave-men lived. No matter how deep the
snow, they always found food. Sometimes they
stretched their slender necks and ate moss from the
trees. Again they scraped up the snow with their
forefeet and found dry grass.
The reindeer liked cold weather. They liked the
north wind that brought the snow. As soon as the
snow began to melt, they started toward the mountains.
In the high valleys among the mountains, there was
snow all the year round.
One morning the Cave-men awoke and found the
south wind blowing. All the people were glad; for
they knew it would drive the winter away.
The reindeer snift'ed the warm wind and knew it was
time to go. Each leader signaled to his herd. And
soon the wooded hills were dotted with small herds
moving toward the ford.
16
The Later Cave-men
Straightshaft saw what the reindeer were doing and
he signaled the news to the men. Then the Cave-men
gathered around Scarface, who was to lead them in
the hunt.
The children had listened to all that was said about
the great herd. They could scarcely wait to see it.
Fleetfoot pulled his grandmother's hand and started up
the cliff. Chew-chew wanted to see the herds meet at
the reindeer ford. All the women wanted to see the
great herd before it went away. So they all climbed
the cliff where they could get a good view.
When the children saw a herd near the river, they
clapped their hands and shouted. Then Chew-chew
pointed out many herds and they all danced for joy.
The scattered herds were coming slowly down the
little valleys,
leader headed
" Look! "said
Each followed a handsome
toward the ford.
Chew-chew as the leader of
a herd plunged into the river.
The herd plunged too, for
reindeer know it is best to
follow their leader. The reindeer
swam through the deep water and
waded out to the opposite bank.
^Then the frightened creatures hur-
Iried on toward the well-known ford.
'"Why did the reindeer jump
into the river?" asked Fleetfoot of Chew-chew. Before
she could answer Eagle-eye pointed to a big cave-bear.
The cave-bear was going into a thicket when Fleetfoot
A reindeer.
44 The reindeer swam through the deep water arid waded out to the
opposite bank"
18 The Later Cave-men
heard his mother say, ' ' Cave-bears and hyenas hide in
the thickets. They lie in wait for the herds."
Scarface seemed to be lying in wait on some rocks
by an evergreen tree. He had stopped on his way to
the reindeer pass to see what had frightened the herd.
While the men were going to the pass, the reindeer
were gathering at the ford. Several herds of two or
three hundred each were already there. Other herds
were coming. The flat sandy banks on one side of the
river were already covered with reindeer. Soon the
ford was filled, and the reindeer began to press up the
narrow river valle}^.
When 'at last all the herds from the wooded hills
were gathered at the ford, the handsomest leader of
all stepped forth to lead the way. After looking
around to see if an enemy was near, he started up
the well-trodden trail through the narrow river valley.
Slowly the great herd began to move. To those
watching from the cliff, it looked like a moving forest.
Those in advance were soon out of sight, and were
going toward the pass.
Meanwhile the men had reached the pass where the
bravest ones hid at the farther end. There they waited
to spear the reindeer, while others hid behind rocks
near the entrance to drive the reindeer on.
While the women and children watched from the
cliff a signal came from the men. It was a call for
the women to come and carry the reindeer to the cave.
The younger women went, but Chew-chew stayed and
watched with the children.
The Reindeer Start for their Summer Home 19
At length the Cave-men returned. The men brought
trophies and the women brought heavy loads of meat.
They found Chew-chew and the children still watching
from the cliff. There they all watched for a long, long
time; for not until the sun was low down in the sky
had the last of the reindeer left the ford.
THINGS TO DO
Model a large river valley with many little valleys in it. Show
where the small herds were. Model the cliffs along the river and show
the flat sandy banks on one side, and the narrow valley with steep sides
on the other.
Find rocks and make the reindeer pass. Make the trail from the
ford tJirough the narrow valley to t lie pass.
Play the story this lesson tells.
Draw one of these pictures: —
The reindeer stretched their slender necks and ate moss from
the trees.
The reindeer sniffed the warm wind and knew it was time to go.
Fleet foot pulled his grandmotJicr s hand and started up tlie cliff.
The cave-bears and hyenas hide in the thickets.
Hunting at the reindeer pass.
Show how Eagle-eye loaded a reindeer upon her back. Model Eagle-
eye in clay so as to show how she carried the reindeer.
II
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
If you have read the story of "The Early Cave-men," tell how the
cave that was flooded was made.
Can you think of any other way in which a cave might be made?
If you have ever seen a shallow hole in a cliff, see if you can find
out how it was made. If such a hole was made in a very soft rock
20 The Later Cave-men
what would happen to it ? What would happen to a hole made in a
hard rock ?
See if you can find a piece of limestone. What do we use
limestone for ?
If we wanted a house of limestone, what would we do to get it?
When the Cave-men wanted a limestone house, what did they do ?
Chew-chew
Chew-chew was the oldest woman in the cave at the
Fork of the River. She was not as strong as she once
had been; but she was still able to lead the women in
their work. Her sons' wives carried the heaviest bur-
dens, but Chew-chew still carried heavy loads.
Chew-chew was the wisest woman in the cave.
When the other women did not know what to do,
they always asked Chew-chew The bravest men
were always glad to get Chew-chew's advice. The
children thought nobody could tell such stories as
Chew-chew told.
Chew-chew and all of her children belonged to the
Horse clan. All the children in those days took the
clan name of their mother. Chew-chew's sons had
captured wives from the Reindeer clan. And so the
children in Chew-chew's cave belonged to the Reindeer
clan. It thus happened that in every cave there were
people of different clans. But since Chew-chew was
the oldest woman in the cave, we shall call the people
at the Fork of the River by the name of the Horse clan.
Chew-chew often told the children about her first
home. She told them about the cave near the River
of Snow, which was much like the cave which sheltered
Chew-chew telling stories to Fleetfoot.
22 The Later Cave-men
them. She told them about the wide shelving rocks
which were like the ones above their cave. And she
told how frightened her people were the day a rock fell
near the mouth of their cave.
No one knew at the time what made the rock fall
No one knew there was no need of being afraid. Some
one said that the god of the cliff was angry and that he
had pushed the rock down Everybody believed the
story. So nobody dared go near the cave.
But the Cave-men needed a shelter. So they offered
gifts to the god of the cliffs. When they thought he was
satisfied, they all went back to ithe cave. And after a
while they used the big rock as a table for their work.
Chew-chew wanted the children to grow to be brave
and wise. So she told them stories of the bravest and
wisest people of her clan. She told them stories about
their grandfathers who were the heroes of the olden
times. And Fleetfoot never grew tired of hearing
about the wonderful things which his grandfathers did.
And so Chew-chew taught the children all she
thought they ought to know. And they looked into
her eyes and listened to all that she said.
THINGS TO DO
If there are cliffs or shelving rocks near by, go and see them. Find
places where you think caves may form. Find out why it is that the
rocks shelve. Why does a shelving rock sometimes break and fall to the
ground?
Model the cliffs which you find. Model a cave which is formed in a cliff.
Tell a story which you think Chew-chew might have told to the
children.
Fleetfoot's Lessons 23
Play one of these plays: —
Chew-chew telling stories to the children.
What the people did when the rock fell near the mouth of the cave.
Draw a picture of something which you have played.
Ill
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
Why did Chew-chew tell the children stories about their forefathers ?
Why do we like to hear such stories ?
Do you think that the later Cave-men will hunt in just the same
way that the early Cave-men did ?
What change took place in the animals while the Cave-men were
learning to be good hunters ? What change did the Cave-men have to
make in their hunting on account of this ?
Of all the animals you know, which are the fastest runners ? Can
you think how they became fast runners ?
Fleetfoot's Lessons
When the men were at home, Fleetfoot liked to
stay with them. He liked to watch them make spears;
he liked to watch them run races; he liked to listen
to the stories they told about the wild animals.
When the men went out to hunt, Fleetfoot wanted
to go with them. But he was a little boy, and had to
stay at home. Sometimes he went with his mother
when she went to dig roots; sometimes he went with
her to gather twigs for baskets. But the safest place
for little children was not far from the fire. So Fleetfoot
stayed at home nearly all the time.
While the children played near the cave, Chew-
chew broke fagots with a stone ax. When she was
ready to sit down, they all gathered around her.
24 The Later Cave-men
They knew that that was one of the times when
fl* Chew chew told them stories.
P This time Chew-chew began with a story of the
early Cave-men. She told of animals that stood
their ground and fought instead of running away.
She told about the strong spears and axes made to
conquer the wild beasts. She told of brave and
daring deeds of the heroes of olden times.
1 None of the animals feared man before he had
§ fire. And for a long time afterward none of them
^^Jfi fecired him without a torch. But the early Cave-
^ llmen made strong weapons after they had fire.
^^jj They struck hard blows with their stone axes,
A stone ax. which the animals learned to fear.
Grass-eating animals feared beasts of prey long
before the Tree-dwellers lived. Wild horses learned to
run fast by trying to escape from packs of wolves
They learned to keep sentinels to watch while the
herd fed. All the grass-eating animals learned to do
this. The sentinels signaled at a sign of danger, and
then the herd ran; and so their enemies learned to
hunt by following the chase.
When Chew-chew was tired of telling stories, she
marked out a path for a race. Then she showed the
children how to get a fair start, by standing abreast
and holding a stick.
The children learned to keep in step until they
reached the real starting place. Then they dropped
the stick and ran. And they all clapped their hands
and cheered the one who won the race.
Then Scarf ace threw, and all the horses took fright :."
26 The Later Cave-men
After the children had raced a long time, they
came back to Chew-chew for another story. And
this time she told them stories about the men of their
own clan. They often chased the animals from
early morn until noon. At first they got very tired
when they went on a long chase. But the more
they practiced running, the better they hunted in
the real chase.
When the story was ended, the children climbed the
cliff. Chew-chew went with them and they all looked
at the wild horses going up the trail.
The horses had been to the river to drink and now
they were going away. They were following their
leader up the trail which led to the grassy plains.
Chew-chew knew where the men were lying in wait
and she pointed out the spot. The children looked just
in time to see Straightshaft throw his spear. Then
Scarf ace threw, and all the horses took fright.
Up hill and down, through bushes and briars, the
horses galloped away. The Cave-men followed the
wounded ones, hurling their spears as they ran.
The chase was long and weary, and some of the
wounded horses escaped. But the men returned with
many trophies and the women brought heavy loads of
meat.
The trophies the Cave-men prized the most were the
heads of the wild horses. They kept these trophies near
the cave, and they thought that they were charms.
The Cave-men thought that the horses' heads would
bring more horses to the hunting grounds.
After the Chase 27
THINGS TO DO
Tell a story about the age of combat. Tell a story about tJie age of
the chase. Draw a picture to illustrate each story.
Show on your sand map where the men were lying in wait for the
horses. Model the trail whicJi the horses folloived.
What chasing game do you knoiv hoiv to play f Can you think how
some of these games first started?
Why do people not try to run as fast in a long race as in a short one ?
Model in clay something whicJi you might name " The Age of Combat."
IV
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
How do you feel after you have had a long, hard chase ?
What does your mother tell you to do when you come in dripping
with sweat ?
How do you think the Cave-men learned to take care of themselves?
When they were lame and stiff, do you think they would know
what made them so ? Think of as many things as you can that
they might do to make themselves feel better.
After the Chase
When the long, hard chase was over, the Cave-men
were tired and dripping with sweat. All but Scarface
threw themselves upon the cold ground to rest.
It was Scarface who blew the whistle which called
the women to the spot. It was he who guarded the
carcasses until the women came. And while the
women skinned the horses he sat on a log to rest.
It was sunset when they reached the cave. All
joined in a feast upon horse flesh, then they slept until
28 The Later Cave-men
break of day. It was then that the men groaned with
pain. Their muscles ached, and they were so lame
that they could scarcely move. Scarface alone of all
the men was not suffering with pain.
Perhaps you can tell what made the men lame.
None of the Cave-men knew, Everybody thought that
an angry god was trying to punish them.
And so the men tried to drive the god away by rais-
ing fearful shouts. Then they asked Chew-chew's
advice, and Chew-chew took her basket and started up
the dry ravine. There she found bitter roots which
she gathered and carried home.
No one knew at that time how to steep roots, for
people had not learned how to boil. So Chew-chew
chopped the roots with a stone chopper and laid them
upon hot stones. And while the men breathed the bit-
ter fumes, Chew-chew threatened the angry god and
commanded him to go away.
In a few days the men were well and it was almost
time to go hunting again. Straightshaft feared the
angry god. He talked with the men and they won-
dered why it was that Scarface escaped. They looked
at his deep scar which a tiger's claw had made. And
then they looked at the trophies of Scarface which he
wore about his neck.
Every Cave-man admired the deep scar of the brave -
est man in the clan. Every man wished that he, too,
could show such a scar as- that. And the men began
to wonder if the scar was a kind of a charm.
The more the men talked about the scar, the more
Chew-chew took her basket and started up the dry ravine"
30 The Later Cave-men
they wanted scars. They talked with Chew-chew about
it, and at last decided to let her make scars.
So Chew-chew muttered prayers to the gods, and
asked them not to hurt the Cave-men. Then she took
a flint point and scratched the men's arms until she
made big scars.
Years afterward, when people made scars, they
stained them with all sorts of things. Sometimes they
stained the scars with juices of plants, and sometimes
they colored them with paints.
The Cave-men thought they could protect them-
selves by scars, and by all sorts of charms. So they
kept on making scars, and they hunted for all sorts of
charms.
But no matter how many charms they wore, they
often were lame and stiff. Some one must have noticed
that they were more apt to be lame after sitting on the
cold ground while they were warm. For after a while
the custom grew of never sitting on the bare ground
while they were warm.
THINGS TO DO
Draw or paint a pattern which you think the Cave-men might have
tattooed upon their arms. Where do we put the pictures which we make?
Find and name as many roots and herbs as you can that are used as
medicines.
What animals have you seen eating herbs?
What mistakes did the Cave-men make when they tried to cure
themselves ?
took a flint point and scratched the men's arms until she made
big scars."
32 The Later Cave-men
:• fc;'-:' .''::::: ' 'v 3?'- '
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
What way can you use a spear besides thrusting it with one or both
hands ?
What changes do you think the Cave-men made in their spearheads
when they began to throw spears ? What changes do you think they
made in the shafts ?
How do you think the Cave-men made straight shafts for their
spears? What do we do with wood when we wish to bend it?
Why the Cave-men made Changes in their
Weapons
While the Cave-men were resting from the hunt,
they did a great many things. They practiced running;
they hunted for stuff to make new weapons; they
worked upon their weapons and trophies; they
learned new hunting dances. No matter what
they did, they always asked their gods to help.
All the later Cave-men learned
to make light spears and javelins.
The clumsy spear which served
Strongarm so well was not what
Scarface needed. But in the days
of the early Cave-men the heavy
spear was a good weapon. Strong-
arm cared as much for his spear as Laurel leaf
you do for your dog. It was like a A fe/*? shaped
J . -,.,/ £ A 17 J' spear point.
mend in time 01 need, r ew ani-
mals could withstand Strongarm's blow when he
A stone grasPe(i his spear in one or both hands and lunged
knife
Why the Cave-men made Changes in their Weapons 33
forward with all his might. His spear was a powerful
weapon. But Strongarm lived in the age of combat
when people fought animals at close range.
The later Cave-men did not make light spears and
javelins all at once. They began by throwing heavy
spears. Chew-chew could tell of many a hunter
who lost his life throwing a spear. Sometimes
it was because the spear was too heavy to throw
with enough force. Sometimes it was because the
shaft was crooked and the spear did not go to the
right spot.
When the Cave-men practiced throwing, they did
not stand still and throw. They took aim and threw
as they ran. That was the kind of practice they
needed for the real chase.
The mark, too, was a moving mark. It was made
of a bundle of branches, or an old skin stuffed with
leaves. While one man dragged it by a long cord, the
others ran after it, throwing their spears.
A Cave-man could wound an animal with a spear,
but he could not give a deadly blow. There was
always danger of the wounded animal turning upon
the hunter. A skilled hunter with a good spear ran
little risk in throwing it. But not all the Cave-men
had enough skill. Not all of the Cave-men made good
enough weapons to be thrown with a sure aim.
And so the Cave-men learned new ways of making
and using spears. Perhaps they did not want to do it.
But they had to do it or die. So }^ou see why the men
and boys spent most of their time in learning to follow
34 The . Later Cave-men
the chase. Even the women and girls learned to hunt
and to make all sorts of weapons.
Long before Scarface lived the Cave-men began to
make lighter spears. The straighter they made the
shaft, the easier it was to hit the mark. And so the
Cave-men began to vie with one another in making
the straightest and smoothest shafts.
When they cut the sticks for the shafts the Cave-
men made gifts to the wood-gods, and asked for
the straightest and toughest branches that grew
on the trees. Then they cut the branches care-
fully and carried them home to the cave. There
they peeled them from butt to tip and smoothed
them with stone scrapers. Sometimes they rubbed
them with fat and laid them away to dry. It was
hard work to make a crooked stick straight.
But the Cave-men tried many ways and at last
they learned to make as beautiful shafts as ever
been made.
When the Cave-men pulled the shaft back
and forth on the sandstone, they made deep grooves
in it. We have found pieces of grooved sandstone
that the later Cave-men used. Sometimes they
would clamp a crooked stick between a grooved piece
of sandstone and a flat bone. Then they would
pull and twist, and pull and twist, and pull and
twist that stick back and forth until the crooked place
was made straight.
When Scarface was very old he made a shaft-
straightener of a piece of reindeer horn. He carved
Why the Cave-men made Changes in their Weapons 35
the head of the reindeer upon it, and made a hole
for the shaft. Then he thrust the
crooked stick through the hole and
turned the shaft-straightener round and
round as we turn a wrench, until he
straightened the shaft.
A
shaft-
straightener.
THINGS TO DO
See if you can find a good branch for a shaft. If you have a right
to cut the brancJi, see if you can make it into a shaft.
Find a stone which you can use for a scraper. What else can you use
as a scraper ?
If you do not care to make a shaft ', make something else out of the
stick which you straighten.
Name the things which you have at home or at school made of wood.
Make a collection of the different kinds of wood which you know.
Which of these are soft wood? What do ive use soft ivood for?
Which are hard? What do we use hard wood for?
VI.
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
Can you think why the Cave-men used stone for their spear points
and knives before they used bone or horn ?
What tools did the Cave-men need in making- flint spear points?
Why did the Cave-men have to learn to strike gentle blows in
making their weapons ? Can you think of any way of removing little
pieces of flint besides striking them off ?
36 The Later Cave-men
How the Cave-men made Delicate Spear
Points
Perhaps you have seen very beautiful Indian arrows.
Perhaps you have wished you could make such arrows
yourself. The later Cave-men first made such weapons
and no people since have ever been able to make more
beautiful ones.
The early Cave-men did not need such beautiful
spear points. Rough points of flint and heavy stone
axes were the weapons they needed most. It was not
until the Age of the Chase that people shaped stone
into beautiful forms.
Scarface always used flakes of flint for the points of
spears and javelins. But in earlier times, people
did not know how to strike off flakes of flint.
They put the flint on a hard rock and struck it
with a heavy blow. They smashed the flint, for
the hard rock did not yield. They had not
learned to let the flint break in its own way.
When the Cave-men held the flint in the
hand, the hand yielded to the light blow. The
flint broke in its own way. But the sharp
edges cut the men's hands. So they covered
the palms of their hands with rawhide and
kept from getting hurt. When .they worked
in this way, they had no trouble in striking off
flakes for spear points and knives.
When the men worked on their flint points,
Fleetfoot liked to play near the workshop. He
spearhead
How the Cave-men made Delicate Spear Points 37
liked to watch Straightshaft strike off flakes with a
hammer-stone and punch. He liked to listen to the
song that Scarface and Straightshaft sang.
Scarface and Straightshaft always sang when
they worked with the hammer-stone and
punch. While Scarface placed the punch
he sang in low tones. And when he was
ready for Straightshaft to strike, he sang
so as to let him know. Then Straight-
shaft took up the song and marked the
time for each blow.
The men always
sang when they
wrorked together.
If one man stopped
when it was his
turn to sing, the
other did not know
what to do. Besides
marking the time,
the song helped
the men to meas-
ure the force of
each blow. It
helped them to
strike off tiny flakes so as not to
bieak the point. So, at length,
the Cave-men began to think
that the song they sang was a ..wk£U Scarface placedthe
Charm. punch he sang in low tones "
"When the Cave-
men held the flint
in tJie hand, the
hand yielded to the
light blow."
38
The Later Cave-men
While the men struck off large flint flakes, Fleetfoot
played not far away. He played while they hafted long
narrow flakes for knives, but when they began to chip
spearheads, he came and watched them at their work.
He listened to the song of Scarface and Straightshaft,
while they shaped a fine spearhead.
At length the spearhead was ready for the finish-
ing touches. So Straightshaft dropped his hammer-
stone and picked up a queer little tool. He called it
a flaker, and he used it to press off tiny flakes from
the beautiful point.
When Straightshaft had finished, he
dropped the flaker and Fleetfoot picked
it up. And he asked Straightshaft if
he might use it to press off little flakes.
Straightshaft let him try, but Fleet-
foot was not strong enough to press
off hard flint flakes. So he listened to
the story that Scarface told of the young
man who first made a flaker.
Holding up a little bone flaker, Scar-
face turned to the men and said:
"When I was a boy, no one pressed
off flakes of flint. No one had a flaker.
We hammered off flint flakes.
"One summer when there were plenty
of salmon, the neighboring clans had a
great feast. Nimble-finger came. I
Straightshaft u^ing saw him- l heard him speak. The third
a flaker. day of the feast I saw him flake flint."
How the Cave-men made Delicate Spear Points 39
As Scarface went on he told how Nimble-finger
invented the flaker. He did it one day when he
was making a bone handle for a knife. When
he was scraping a bone with a flint scraper he
happened to press off a flint flake.
Nimble-finger did not know how it happened.
He tried again and again. At last he pressed off
another flake; and this time he knew that he did
it by pressing the point of the bone against one
edge of the flint.
Nimble-finger never finished that bone-handled
hunting knife. But he showed the people how
to make a flaker. He became an inventor; for
he gave the world a tool it had never had before.
When the people returned from the feast many
forgot about the flaker. Others longed for delicate
spear points like those Nimble-finger made. So,
at length, they tried to make flakers of their own.
Some tried to make them of wTood; but the wood
was too soft to break the stone. Others tried to
make them of ivory; but ivory was too hard to get A
a hold. At length all the Cave-men made flakers flaker-
of antler and bone, for they were hard enough to break
the stone and soft enough to get a hold.
When Scarface finished, Fleetfoot began to talk
about Nimble-finger. He asked Scarface, "Where
does Nimble-finger live ? Does he always come to the
great feasts ?"
To the child's questions Scarface replied, "While
Nimble-finger was still a young man he went far away.
40 The Later Cave-men
For many years he lived far north in a cave beside the
River of Stones. But years have come and gone since
then. If he still lives, he is an old man; but of that I
know not."
THINGS TO DO
If you can find a piece of flint strike off a flake with a hammer-
stone. Strike off a flake with an angular stone. Strike off a flake
by using a hammer and punch.
Sort out the flakes that are good for knives. Put handles on them.
Sort out the flakes that are good for making into spear Jieads. See if
you can strike off tiny flakes until the large flake looks like a spearhead.
Find something ivhich you can use as a flaker. When you have made
one, see if you can use it.
Make a collection of stones which you can chip or flake. Tell all you
know about each of those stones.
Think of Scar face as he was telling the story. Draw the picture.
VII
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
What do our horses and cattle eat ? Where do we get their food ?
What do wild cattle and horses eat ? See if you can find out whether
wild cattle or horses have ever lived in a place where the ground is
covered with snow part of the year.
Did you ever see cattle pawing the ground? Did you ever see
horses pawing the ground ? Did you ever see them paw the snow ?
See if you can find out something about the great herds of bison
that used to live in this country. What has become of them?
Can you think why bison live in herds? What officers. does a herd
of bison have ? Can you think how the officers of a herd of bison are
chosen ?
The Return of the Bison 41
The Return of the Bison
Ever since the reindeer went away the Cave-men
had been looking for the return of the bison. Each
summer the herds came up the valley to feed on green
grass and tender shoots. Each winter they went to the
forests of the lowlands where they found shelter from
the cold.
The snow was now gone from the wooded hills and
the days were warm again. The dingy brown coats of
the hillsides were changing to the palest green. The
buds were beginning to swell. Everything seemed to
say that summer was coming.
Each day the Cave-men watched for signs of the
coming of the great herd. Each night they danced the
bison dance and tried to make the bison come.
One morning Straightshaft climbed the cliff and
looked far up and down the valley. Looking north he
could see the River of Stones with high cliffs on one or
both banks. He could see dense forests of evergreen
that grew on the low banks. He could see hills and
valleys beyond the cliffs where many wild animals lived.
Looking south, near at hand, was the Fork of the
River where Little River joined the River of Stones.
Here the cliffs were not very high; farther down, they
became lower, and at last there were no cliffs. The
edge of the lowland forest where the bison wintered
could be seen far away. Grassy lowlands near the
forests stretched farther than the eye could see. It was
here that the bison and cattle found the best winter
" Straightshaft saw the herd at sunrise and made a sign to the men.'
The Return of the Bison 43
pastures. It was in the lowland forests that they found
shelter from the cold.
Straightshaft looked toward
the lowlands, hoping to see a
bison. Mammoths were feed-
ing not far away, and beyond were woolly
rhinoceroses. But there was not one bison.
As Straightshaft watched the second day,
chamois and ibexes played on the hills.
Herds of horses came from the grassy up-
lands and returned after drinking at the
ford. But no sign of a bison yet appeared.
The third day Straightshaft saw a
black spot in the distance. It was far
down on the river trail. As he watched,
it became larger and larger. And then $P
Straightshaft knew that it was a bison
coming in advance of the great herd.
The morning of the fourth day the great
herd came. A powerful bison led the way.
Strong sentinels guarded either side. The herd fol-
lowed blindly, galloping eight or ten abreast.
Straightshaft saw the herd at sunrise and made a
sign to the men. Those who saw it passed it along,
and soon all the people had seen the sign. Then
everybody climbed up a hill or a high cliff and watched
the coming of the bison.
Nearer and nearer the great herd came, like a sea of
tossing manes and horns. The earth trembled beneath
their tread and the air was filled with their bellowing.
44 The Later Cave-men
When the bison reached the ford, the foremost
creatures stopped to drink. But the solid mass, press-
ing on from the rear, crowded them up the river. Soon
the ford was packed with struggling beasts. Some
tried to escape by swimming up the river. Others
swam down the stream. And still the solid mass from
the rear kept crowding on and on.
At length the herd divided. One part followed the
river trail, while the other went up the narrow valley.
Whenever a herd reached a branching valley, a big
bison led off a small herd. This happened many a
time. And at the close of the day there was not a little
valley in the surrounding country that did not have a
herd of two or three hundred bison.
THINGS TO DO
Play you are a herd of bison, and show how the herd marched. Show
how it divided. Show /tow you think it would come together again.
Show in your sand-box where StraigJitsJiaft stood while he watched.
Show the trails the bison followed*
Think of the herd as it galloped up the river trail. Draw the picture.
Make such a sign as you tJiink StraigJitsJiaft made.
Plan a bison dance.
viii ft;";;;:liiB|il
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
If you were to hunt bison, what would you want to know about them?
In what ways can bison notice signs of danger ? In what ways
can they help one another ?
Watch animals, and see if they give signs to one another.
What weapons do you think the Cave-men would take when they
went to hunt the bison ? How could the Cave-men help one another
in hunting ? How might one man hinder the others ?
At the close of the day there was not a little valley in the surrounding
country that did not have a herd of tivo or three hundred bison."
46 The Later Cave-men
The First Bison Hunt of the Season
And now the great herd of bison had come, and the
Cave-men were eager to hunt them. While they were
getting ready to start they kept up this merry song : —
The bison have come ;
The bison have come ;
Now for the chase !
Now for the chase !
Bring axes and spears ;
Bring axes and spears;
Now for the chase !
Now for the cliase!
When Scarface climbed the cliff he saw three herds
of bison. The first was feeding in an open space; the
second was on a hillside, and the third was in a narrow
valley close by a deep and hidden ravine. This was a
place where the Cave-men liked to hunt. So they
agreed to follow Scarface through the hidden ravine.
Scarface led the way, and all the men followed. Not
a leaf rustled beneath their tread. Not a twig broke as
they crept up the side of the deep ravine and looked
out at the herd.
Everybody wanted to get the yearlings or young
cows, for their flesh was tender and sweet. But the
cows and young bison were in the center of the herd.
They were guarded by the sentinels, whose flesh was
hard and tough.
And so the Cave-men wondered how to get a young
bison. They wondered if the vigilant leader was more
'* With a quick snort he turned and charged".
48 The Later Cave-men
than a match for them. They watched his signals,
and saw fresh sentinels take the places of the hungry
ones. They noticed how quickly the bison obeyed
every signal the leader gave.
At last the Cave-men decided to attack the leader
first. They waited till he was not more than a stone's
throw away. Then Scarf ace gave the signal and the
men made a bold attack.
Straightshaft hurled his spear with all his might,
then turned to give place to the others. The leader
was taken by surprise. The men had crept up so
quietly that not till the spear whizzed through the air
did he suspect danger.
® With a quick snort he turned and charged. Straight-
shaft ran, but the others met the charge. They hurled
their spears and dealt heavy blows with their stone axes.
Before the leader could give the alarm he lay
stretched out on the ground. The sentinels looked for
a signal. Meanwhile the cows and yearlings tried to
make their escape.
Then each of several sentinels tried to lead. But
the frightened herd did not know which one to follow.
Some of the bison rushed one way and some rushed
another. Then there was a general stampede. They
gored one another with their sharp horns. They tram-
pled one another under their feet. They were too
frightened to know what they were doing.
It was then that the Cave-men singled out the young
bison. When they had secured them for their prize>
they started toward the cave, singing—
The First Bison Hunt of the Season 49
To-day we went hunting.
We crept up the ravine ;
We surprised the leader of the bison.
He made a charge upon us —
We have his horns for a headdress.
We killed many a young bison;
We have plenty of tender meat.
Perhaps one of the sentinels became leader of the
herd that very day. Perhaps several battles were
fought to see which sentinel was the strongest. For
bison never follow a leader that is not stronger and
wiser than themselves.
THINGS TO DO
Show in your sand-box where each of the three herds was feeding.
Make a plan for hunting the herd that was feeding in an open space.
Draw one of tJicse pictures: —
The Cave-men creeping up the banks of the steep ravine.
The charge of the leader.
The stampede.
Deciding which bison shall be leader of the herd.
Make a song to sing in getting ready to hunt the way you have
planned. Make a song to sing on your return.
Model a large y strong bison.
IX
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
Watch water when it is boiling, and see if you can tell what happens.
Why would it be harder for people to learn to boil than to roast ?
What kind of dishes did the Cave-men have ? What would happen
to them if they were put over the fire?
50 The Later Cave-men
What does your mother do, when she wants to find out whether the
flatiron is hot enough to iron ?
When the Cave-men first learned to boil water, do you think they
would think of boiling food ? What might make them think of boiling
food ?
IVhatH appened when the Children Played
with Hot Stones
Again the Cave-men went out to hunt. Again the
women went out to gather roots and berries. Only
Chew-chew and the children were left near the cave.
Chew-chew was curing the skins which the women
had brought home. Some of them were stretched out
on the ground. Others were stretched on frames.
Many of these were ready to be rolled up and put away.
While the skins were drying, Chew-chew had time
for other work. She wanted to finish her basket, and
so the splints must be put to soak.
At a sign from Chew-chew, Fleetfoot went to the
river for a bag of water. While he was gone, Chew
chew began to make a place to put it. She dug a shal-
low hole in the ground and lined it with a skin.
When Fleetfoot came back they patted down -the
skin. Then they poured the water into the skin-lined
hole, and put the splints to soak.
While Chew-chew worked at her basket, Fleetfoot
played near at hand. Often he came to his grand-
mother's side and talked about many things.
At length Chew-chew, holding up a skin, turned to
When the Children Played with Hot Stones 51
Fleetfoot and said, " Do you know what animal wore
this skin?"
"One of the reindeer we saw at the
ford," quickly responded Fleetfoot.
"Where have all the reindeer gone?"
was Chew-chew's next question.
"To the cave of the Big Bear of the moun-
tains," came the prompt answer.
While Chew-chew and Fleetfoot talked
the children played near the cave. Pigeon
was playing with stones which she had
gathered and tossed into the fire. In
trying to get them out again she burned
her fingers, and began to cry.
When Chew-chew saw what had hap- A bear's tooth
pened, she told Fleetfoot to play with Pigeon.
And Fleetfoot played with Pigeon, and he showed her
how to lift hot stones without getting burned.
The children played and carried hot stones with
tongs made of sticks. They ran back and forth be-
tween rows of skins until Pigeon dropped a hot stone
into the hole.
No sooner had Pigeon dropped the stone than she
screamed, "A snake! a snake!" And she ran to her
grandmother and sobbed, while she hid her face in her
chubby arm.
Chew-chew thought that a snake was crawling
about. Fleetfoot helped her look under all the skins.
They looked for some time, but they found no trace of
a snake.
52 The Later Cave-men
Then Chew-chew asked Pigeon to tell her all about
it. And Pigeon said, "A big snake hissed and made
me drop the stone."
Just then Fleetfoot dropped a hot stone and some-
thing went "s-s-s-s-s-s."
Pigeon screamed again, but a hearty laugh from
Chew-chew showed there was nothing to fear. Chew-
chew knew tha,t the hissing sound was not the hiss of
a snake. It was the sizzling of the water when it
touched the hot stone.
And so Chew-chew tried to teach the children how
to know the hissing sound. She picked up hot stones
and dropped them into the water. Each time a stone
was dropped, the hissing sound was heard; and the
children learned to know the sound, and they were no
longer afraid.
As Chew-chew kept on dropping the hot stones, she
did not notice all that happened. She thought only of
teaching the children, so that they would not be afraid.
But at last such a strange thing happened, that even
Chew-chew was afraid.
The water no longer was still. It kept moving like
the angry water in the rapids of the river. A thin mist
began to rise, and a strange voice came from the water,
saying : —
"Bubble, bubble, bubble;
Bubble, bubble, bubble."
At the sound Chew-chew was filled with fear. She
was afraid the gods were angry. She looked about for
an offering, and found a piece of bison meat. She
"Chew-chew tried to teach the children how to know the hissing sound."
54 The Later Cave-men
dropped the meat into the water, hoping to appease the
angry god.
The bubbling ceased, but Chew-chew was still afraid.
So she called the children together, and took them into
the cave.
When the men and women came home that night,
Chew-chew told them what had happened. They went
to the spot and saw the meat, which they thought the
god had left. Then they listened in silence as Chew-
chew told them the story again and again.
THINGS TO DO
Choose some one for each of the parts and dramatize the story.
Draw pictures which will show what happened.
See if you can boil water by dropping hot stones into it.
Show in your sand-box how the skins were stretched out, and how the
skin-lined hole was made.
X
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
What do you think Chew-chew might learn by dropping the meat
into the hot water ?
What kind of boiling-pots did people first use ?
Why didn't they hang their boiling-pots over the fire ?
Why the Children Began to Rat Boiled Meat
The more Chew-chew thought about the bubbling
sound, the more she wanted to hear it again She
wondered what the god wanted to say, and if he was
asking for food. She wondered if she could make
friends with him by giving him something to eat.
Why the Children Began to Eat Boiled Meat 55
Chew-chew talked with Eagle-eye and at length they
tried to make friends with the god. They prepared a
place for the water by making a skin-lined hole. Eagle-
eye poured the water into the hole, while Chew-chew
dropped in a piece of meat. Then they looked and
listened for a sign, but no sign was made. They tried
it again and again, but still there was no sign.
At length Chew-chew thought of the hot stones she
had dropped when she heard the voice. So she and
Eagle-eye heated stones and dropped them into the
water. As they did it they muttered prayers to the
gods and asked them to protect the Cave-men.
Before the women had dropped many stones, the
children crowded around. Nobody was frightened this
time when the hissing sound was heard. But their
eyes opened wide when the water began to bubble.
Chew-chew dropped the meat into the water as an
offering to the god. Everybody watched as she dropped
the meat. Everybody breathed more freely when the
bubbling ceased. And Chew-chew said, ' ' The god is
pleased with the offering of meat."
Many times after that Chew-chew dropped hot
stones into the water, and offered meat to the god. But
when she did it she never thought that she was cooking
meat. She thought she was helping the Cave-men by
winning the favor of the god.
Sometimes when the children were hungry, Chew-
chew let them tear off strips of partly boiled meat.
Sometimes she let them drink the broth from bone dip-
pers and horns.
56 The Later Cave-men
The children liked to eat the boiled meat and to
drink the rich broth. But they always thought the
meat and broth were what the god had left.
THINGS TO DO
Make tongs out of sticks and see if you can lift small objects with them.
Watch water when it boils, and tell where the steam comes from.
Where does it go ? Hold a cold plate over the steam and see what
happens. Where do the drops of water on the plate come from ?
When water stands in the open air, what becomes of part of it ?
Why do zue hang clothes out on the clothes-line to dry ?
What becomes of the water that ^vas in the clothes ?
Tell what you think happens just as clouds form. See if you can do
sometJiing that will show what happens at the time.
What happens to the clouds just as it begins to rain f
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
Why would the grass-eating animals go from place to place during
the summer? What do you think the Cave-men would do when the
herds went away ?
At what season of the year are nuts fit to gather ? Is there any
place near by where you have a right to go nutting?
What animals eat nuts ? • What animals store nuts ? Do you think
the Cave-men would gather many nuts ?
The Nutting Season
Summer passed as summers had passed before. When
the bison went to the higher lands, the Cave-men fol-
lowed them. When they started toward their winter
pastures, the Cave-men came home.
'All the women and children went nutting.
58 The Later Cave-men
It was the nutting season when they returned. All
the beech, walnut, and butternut trees were heavily
laden that year. The ground underneath their
branches was nearly covered with nuts. Slender
hazel bushes bent under their heavy loads.
Wild hogs and bears had begun to harvest the nuts
before the Cave-men returned. Each day they went to
the trees and ate the nuts that had fallen. When
Eagle-eye saw what they were doing, she said, ' ' Bring
your bags and baskets and come. If we do not look
out the hogs will get the best of the nuts this year."
Then all the women and children went nutting.
They gathered the nuts that lay upon the ground and put
them in their baskets. Some climbed trees and shook
the branches until they got a shower of nuts; others took
their digging sticks and beat the heavily laden branches.
The children had a feast that day. They sat down
under the trees and cracked all the nuts they could eat.
They gathered handfuls and helped their mothers fill
baskets and skin bags. They climbed the trees and
they laughed and played all day long.
When the women first came to the trees, they heard
the wild hogs in the distance. Once a big hog came
up and tried to eat the nuts out of a basket. But Eagle-
eye chased him with a big stick and drove him away
from the spot.
When Eagle-eye was coming back from the chase,
she saw other trees heavily laden. She called to the
women, and they came to the spot and forgot all about
the nuts they had gathered.
The wild hogs were having a feast.
60 The Later Cave-men
It was Chew-ehew who first thought of the pile of
nuts they had left on the ground. It was she who ran
to the trees and found the wild hogs having a feast.
Chew-chew struck one of the hogs with her digging
stick. He was munching the nuts she had gathered.
He turned away and she struck another; then the first
hog came back.
Chew-chew soon found that unless she had help the
hogs would eat all the nuts, for as fast as she drove
one hog away another one came back. Chew-chew
screamed for help and the women came with their
digging-sticks.
The women drove the hogs away, but they returned
again and again. And so the women learned to keep a
close watch while they were gathering nuts. But in
spite of all their trouble, they had a good time that day.
It was not until they were starting home that they
found that a serious thing had happened. They did
not know all about it then, and some of them never
knew.
It was all about Fleetfoot. When Eagle-eye looked
for him, he was nowhere to be seen. At first she
thought he was with Chew-chew, but Chew-chew had
not seen him since morn.
Fleetfoot had played near his mother nearly all day.
He had cracked nuts; he had climbed trees; he had
mimicked the squirrels ; he had scattered burrs in the
rabbits' paths, and he had done all sorts of things,
But now Fleetfoot was lost, and everybody began to
hunt for him. Eagle-eye found the stones he had left
The Nutting Season 61
only a short time before. She found his tracks and fol-
lowed them until they crossed the boundary of the hunt-
ing ground. There she lost all trace of him. She called,
but the " caw-caw" of a crow was the only answer.
The men heard her call, and came to join in the
search. But in spite of all they could do, they did not
find the child.
And so the Cave-men thought they would never see
Fleetfoot again. They thought he had lost his way in
the forest and had been killed by a cave-bear. For a
few days they mourned for the child, then they spoke
no more of him.
THINGS TO DO
Tell a story of ^cvhat happened one time when you went nutting.
Name all the nuts you can tliat grow on trees. Name those that
grow on bushes. WJiere do peanuts grow ?
Dramatize this story.
Draw a picture of the part you like the best.
XII
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
Why do people put up such signs as " Keep off," " Do not trespass"?
Why do people build fences around their land ?
Do you think the Cave-men could hunt wherever they chose ?
Why did each clan have its own hunting ground ? What kind of
boundaries did the hunting grounds have ? Why was it not safe to go
on the land of a stranger ?
Why did mothers teach their children the boundary lines?
What do you think some mothers mean when they tell their chil-
dren that the " Bogie-man" will get them ?
62 The Later Cave-men
Why Mothers Taught their Children the
Boundary Lines
Each day brought so many hard things to do that
most of the Cave-men forgot Fleetf oot. But his mother
and grandmother did not forget him. They often
thought of the boy they had lost.Vu<
Other mothers were afraid they might lose their
children. So they tried to keep them from running
away. Most of all, they tried to keep them from run-
ning across the boundary line.
When Pigeon tried to run away, Eagle-eye would
say, ''The cave-bear will get you." Mothers tried all
sorts of ways to keep their children from danger.
Each clan had its own hunting ground. The people
who lived together shared it, but no one else was
allowed to hunt on the land. It was not even safe to
cross the land of a stranger. Sometimes the Cave-men
had to do it. Sometimes they had to call upon their
neighbors for help. But since there were people who
had lost their lives when trying to cross the land of
strangers, the Cave-men learned to use signs to show
what they wanted. They carved pictures upon sticks,
which told what we might tell in a letter.
When a stranger carried a message-stick, it was safe
for him to do his errand. People knew what he wanted
and why he came, so they let him go on his way
unharmed. But when a stranger had no message-stick,
his life was not safe in a strange land.
Mothers taught their children what the boundaries were.
64 The Later Cave-men
And so people learned to stay on their own lands, and
mothers taught their children what the "boundaries were.
They taught the children to name them over and over
again. They taught them to know how the boundaries
looked.
For a long time Pigeon had to tell her mother each day
the boundaries of the hunting grounds. She would stand
on the cliff and point north to the narrow valley, then
south to Little River. Then she pointed to a high ridge
of hills toward the east and west to the River of Stones.
While Pigeon was so small that Eagle-eye had to
take her by the hand, her mother took her to the
boundaries. Eagle-eye had taught her so well that she
knew them as soon as she saw them.
Perhaps you have heard the story told about mothers
who taught their children the boundary lines. It is told
that mothers used to be so anxious to have their children
remember the boundaries that they whipped them at
each one. Then the story is told that in later times
instead of beating the children, people let them beat the
boundaries. Some day you may be able to learn more
about the strange customs of beating the boundary lines.
THINGS TO DO
Mark oiit in your sand-box the boundary lines of the hunting ground
cf the Horse clan. Show a good place for another hunting ground.
Ask some one to read you the story, '' TJie Goblins will get you if you
dont watcJi out." What do you think the story means ?
Climb a hill, or look out of a high window, and see if you can find
land zv/iic/i at one time was a good Jiunting ground.
Sec if you can make a message-stick.
What Happened to Fleetfoot 65
XIII
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
What do you think had happened to Fleetfoot ?
If strangers found him, what do you think they would do with him ?
What Happened to Fleetfoot
Perhaps you have been wondering what happened
to Fleetfoot. Perhaps you would like to know how he
happened to wander away from his clan.
It happened in this way. He cracked all the nuts
he could eat; he climbed trees; he threw sticks and
stones; he watched the wild hogs eating nuts; he
listened to the whistle which Scarface blew to call the
men to the hunt. He wished that he could blow the
whistle and hunt with the men.
Then a rabbit hopped across his path and stopped
and looked at him. How Fleetfoot longed to catch the
rabbit and to hold him in his hands ! He stood perfectly
still; he could hear himself breathe; he tried to breathe
more quietly, for he did not want to frighten the rabbit.
The rabbit started. How Fleetfoot wished he would
go down the path where he had scattered burrs! But
the rabbit took another path and Fleetfoot ran to catch
him. He was almost sure he could lay his hands on
the rabbit's stumpy white tail.
The rabbit was too quick for him, yet Fleetfoot did
not give up He started on a hard chase and forgot
about everything else. Up hill and down the rabbit
66 The Later Cave-men
ran and Fleetfoot followed after. Not until the rabbit
was out of sight did Fleetfoot give up the chase. Then
he stopped and rested a while and tried to get his breath.
While Fleetfoot was resting he looked at the squirrels
which were chattering in the trees. He watched them
hold nuts with their forepaws while they gnawed
through the shells. He listened to their chattering and
then he wandered on.
Fleetfoot did not know that he had crossed the nar-
row valley. He did not know that he had wandered
into a strange land. He thought nothing about where
he was until some time had passed. But after a while
everything seemed still, and Fleetfoot began to feel
lonesome. And so he turned around to go back to the
women and children.
Fleetfoot walked and walked, but he did not find
them. He called, but no answer came. So he wan-
dered on and on.
Soon Fleetfoot knew he was in a spot he had never
seen before. Everything seemed strange. He looked
this way and that; but he could not tell which way to
go. And so the lost child wandered farther and farther
away from home.
He was choking down a sob when he caught sight of
some women with packs upon their backs. Fleetfoot
thought he had found his people going home with their
loads of nuts. He ran and called to his mother.
A strange woman stopped and looked at the child.
Then she gave a signal to her clan.
Fleetfoot was within reach of the strange woman
4tA big man caught him, and put him. upon his shoulder"
68 The Later Cave-men
before he saw his mistake. He tried to run away. But he
could not do it. A big man caught him and lifted him
up and put him upon his shoulder. Strange men, women,
and children crowded around and stared into his face.
Bighorn asked him where he lived; but Fleetfoot was
too frightened to speak. He remembered the stories
Chew-chew had told about strange clans. He wondered
what the strangers would do. How he wished he were
safe at home!
But poor Fleetfoot did not see his home again for
many long years. He was in a strange land, and soon
he was traveling with the strangers far away from his
home.
A woman, whose name was Antler, took charge of
Fleetfoot. She took him by the hand until he was too
tired to walk. Then she carried him until they came
to the place where they camped for the night.
THINGS TO DO
Choose some one for each of the parts and see if you can act out this
story. Draw pictures to illustrate the story.
Name the wild animals you can find in your neighborhood. Notice
what they eat. Do they help or harm the people near where they live?
Model one of these animals in clay.
XIV
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
What kind of a shelter do you think the people will have for the
night ?
Think of as many easy ways as you can of making a shelter ou|j of
trees.
How the Strangers Camped for the Night 69
iu the Strangers Camped for the Night
The camping place was an old one. It had been
used many times. The strange clan always used it on
their way to ami from the lowland plains. It was
under a big oak tree, and near a spring of fresh water.
When the strangers reached the camp, Greybeard
took charge of Fleetfoot. The women quickly unloaded
their packs, and began to build a tent.
It did not take long to make the tent, for it was
almost ready-made. It was an old oak, which reached
out long and low-spreading branches. The branches
had been bent to the ground many times, and now they
nearly touched it. So all that the women had to do
was to fasten the ends firmly. They did it by rolling
a stone over the end of a branch, and sometimes
they tied the end of a branch to a peg which they had
driven in the ground.
All the Cave-men made such tents in the summer
when they were away from the caves. When the
branches were not thick enough for a shelter, the women
broke saplings and leaned them against the tree.
While Chipper worked at a spearhead, the other men
were moving about. Bighorn feared that Fleetfoot's
clan might follow their tracks.
Long after Fleetfoot fell asleep, the strangers talked
quietly. They held their ears close to the ground and
listened. They went and looked at Fleetfoot, now
fast asleep. Then they all sat down by the fire.
How the Strangers Camped for the Night 71
At length the men turned to Greybeard. And Grey'
beard spoke to them and said, ' ' When I was young my
clan lived in a cave near Sweet Briar River. Every
year, in the salmon season, the neighboring clans met
at the rapids. The Horse clan came from the Fork of
the River, where the Sweet Briar joins the River of
Stones. They may live there still. This boy may
belong to them."
"Do you think they will follow us?" asked Bighorn.
Greybeard looked up, but did not speak. He seemed
to be trying to think. At length he turned to the men
and said, " Sleep until the moon sets; I'll watch and
wake you."
So the Cave-men went to the tent and slept while
Greybeard kept watch. Not a sound escaped his ear
that night. Not a leaf rustled that he did not hear.
Not a twig broke, as wild animals passed, but that he
found out what it meant.
As Greybeard watched in the moonlight he heard
many a familiar sound. Now he heard the roar of a
tiger, and again the "hoo-hoo" of an owl; now the
howling of hyenas, and again an eagle's scream.
Among all these sounds Greybeard heard nothing
that seemed to come from the lost child's clan. But
when the moon was set he roused the people, and under
cover of the darkness they hurried toward home.
They let Fleetfoot sleep, for fear he might answer if
he were called. And so the child slept while he was
hurried away through the darkness. At daybreak, when
he awoke, he found himself in a new home.
72 The Later Cave-men
THINGS TO DO
See if there is a tree in your neighbor hood that could be made into such
a tent as the Cave-men made.
Find a thick branch and make such a tent in your sand-box.
Draw one of these pictures: —
The council of the clan before going to sleep.
Greybeard watching in the moonlight.
Hurrying home under cover of the darkness.
Fleet foot awakes and finds himself in his new home.
Act out part of this story and let some one guess what it is.
Write as many calls of the birds as you know. Model one of the
birds in clay. If you know its nest, model that.
!. . '' XV
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
How do you think Fleetfoot felt the first few days he was with the
strange clan?
What do you think he will learn of them? What do you think he
can teach them?
Fleetfoot is Adopted by the Bison Clan
For a few days Fleetfoot missed his mother and
Chew-chew more than he could tell. He missed little
Pigeon, too. He missed the people he had always seen.
But he said very little about them.
It was Greybeard who told him that he was now
living with the Bison clan. Not all of the people
belonged to that clan, but there were more of that
clan than of any other. And so they were known as
the Bison clan.
Fleetfoot is Adopted by the Bison Clan
73
At first Fleetfoot was afraid of the men and large
boys. Most of all he was afraid of Bighorn, for it was
Bighorn who captured him.
But before one moon had passed, he was adopted by
the Bison clan. And soon after that, he began to feel
at home. Greybeard told him stories, and gave him
little spears. Antler was kind to him, and the children
were always ready to play.
Fleetfoot liked to play witlT
the children. He liked to play
with Flaker best of all. Flaker
was Antler's child, and he was
about the size of Fleetfoot.
As the days became cold, the
women worked upon skins.
There was not a smooth spot near
the cave which was not covered
with a skin. Fleetfoot watched
Antler as she cut lit-
tle slits in the edges.
He helped stretch
the skins out on the
ground and drive
little pegS thrOUgh A skin stretched on a frame.
the slits. He watched her stretch a skin
on a frame and put it near the fire.
Antler scraped a skin until the fat was
off, and the inner skin was removed. Then
she roughened it by scraping it crosswise,
so as to make it flexible.
A scraper.
74 The Later Cave-men
When Fleetfoot saw Antler roll the skins in a loose
roll, he asked if she was going to chew them. Antler
smiled as she asked Fleetfoot how his mother softened
skins.
Fleetfoot showed how his mother did it. And he told
Antler about Chew-chew. He told her that Chew-chew
got her name because she learned to chew the skins.
While Antler and Fleetfoot were talking, all the
women and children gathered around. They wanted
to see what they were doing, and to hear what Fleet-
foot said.
Then Antler said to the women and children,
" These skins are ready to soften. Come, join hands
and show Fleetfoot how we soften hard skins."
What a noisy time they had
for a little while ! Each group
wanted to finish first. Some of them
stamped the skins, and kept time by
of reinSeeTkorn singinR- Others pounded the skins with
their hands, and still others pounded
with hammers of reindeer horn.
They had such a merry time that Fleetfoot could
not keep still. He was soon stamping and singing as
well as any one.
When the skins were softened, Antler told Fleetfoot
that once her people chewed the skins. But since they
had found an easier way, they chewed only the edges
they wished to sew.
And so Fleetfoot began to learn lessons of the Bison
clan. But once he was the teacher. It was when he
Fleetfoot is Adopted by the Bison Clan 75
showed Flaker what happened the day Pigeon played
with hot stones. Flaker told his mother, and Antler
told Greybeard. And then Greybeard asked Fleetfoot
to drop the hot stones in the water again.
All the Cave-men gathered around to see what Fleet-
foot did. When the steam began to rise from the
water, they stepped back. But when they saw that the
child was not afraid, they came forward cautiously.
When the water began to bubble, they were all filled
with fear. They looked upon Fleetfoot in silence.
They called him a wonderful child.
THINGS TO DO
Tell a story about dressing skins. Draw pictures which will show
all that is done in dressing the skin.
Dramatize the part of the story that tells what Fleetfoot taught the
Bison clan. Draw a picture of it.
Make a song that people migJit sing in stamping upon the skins.
Make a song to sing while beating the skins.
XVI
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
What kind of clothes do you wear in winter ? What do you think
the Cave-men wore ? Can you think how they learned to fit skins to
their bodies ? What part of an animal's skin could they use for
sleeves ? What part could they use for leggings?
How do you think they learned to make mittens and gloves ?
How many ways do you know of fastening garments ? Which of
these do we use ? Which of these do you think the Cave-men used ?
What did they use instead of a needle ? What kind of thread did
they have ?
«' Greybeard asked Fleetfoot to drop the hot stones in the water again.
How the Cave-men Protected Themselves from the Cold 77
How the Cave-men Protected Themselves
from the Cold
One morning Fleetfoot started out of the cave, but
a cold wind drove him back. Snow had fallen during
the night, and the air had grown very cold. It was not
fit for a bare-backed boy to go out on such a day. So
Fleetfoot stayed in the cave all day long.
All the Cave-men stayed in the cave nearly all the
day. Once Chipper went out and found fresh tracks.
He followed the tracks until he came within close range
of a reindeer. But his bare arms shook with the cold,
and he missed his aim.
The next day was bitterly cold. The river was
frozen almost into silence. Only the ripples of the
swiftest currents laughed aloud at the frost. The snow
was deep on the hillsides. It was deeper in the valleys,
and the narrow ravines were almost filled with snow.
The third day was still very cold and everybody was
hungry and cross. The children were crying for food,
and since Antler had nothing to give them, she was
trying to get them to play.
At length the children began to take turns at playing
they were cave-bears. Now it was Fleetfoot's turn to
be the bear, and when Antler saw him she laughed.
The Cave-men looked up in surprise. Everybody
was so hungry and cross it seemed strange to hear any
one laugh. But Antler really was laughing.
Fleetfoot had found a cave-bear's skin on a ledge in
78 The Later Cave-men
the cave. He had wrapped it around him so that he
looked like a little cave-bear. The children kept call-
ing him ' ' little bear, " and he was trying to act like one.
Soon all the people were laughing. They forgot, for
the time, how hungry they were. And the next day
they had meat, for it was warm enough to go hunting.
Many times after that the children played cave-bear.
Many times the people laughed when they saw the
children dressed in cave-bears' skins. Once when Antler
looked at them, she got an idea about making clothes.
When Antler took a large skin and wrapped it around
her, Fleetfoot thought that she was going to play
bear." But Antler was not playing. She was think-
ing of the cold days when the children had no food.
She was thinking that if she could make a warm dress,
perhaps she could go out in the bitter cold.
Antler talked with Birdcatcher about it, and Bird-
catcher helped her fit the skin. Birdcatcher fitted the
skin of the head over Antler's head so as to make a
warm hood. Then she run a cord through the slits
along the edges and tied the ends under Antler's chin.
Antler fastened the skin down the front with buckles.
She covered her arms with the skin of the forelegs. She
cut off the skin that hung below the knees, and after-
ward used it to make a pair of leggings.
When the garment was fitted, Antler took it off.
Then the women sat down and worked until it was
done. They punched holes through the edges with a
bone awl. Then they threaded the sinew through the
holes in an ' ' over-and-over seam."
When the men saw the new garment, they wondered how it was made."
80 The Later Cave-men
When the men saw the new garment, they wondered
how it was made. So Antler and Birdcatcher showed
them how it was done, and helped them to make
warm garments of their own.
And so all the Cave-men soon had warm garments
fur. Sometimes they fastened them with
buckles, and sometimes they used bone pins.
They made long leggings of soft skins,
and moccasins for their feet.
Perhaps you can think how they learned
to make mittens and gloves. We know
that they had warm mittens and gloves, for
we have found pictures they made of them.
When they dressed in their warm fur garments,
the Cave-men did not fear the cold. If they
wanted food, they put on their garments and
went wherever they pleased.
A Cave-man" s glove.
THINGS TO DO
If you can get a small skin, fit it to a doll the way you think the
Cave-men fitted skins to their bodies. If you cannot get a skin, cut a
piece of clot Ji so as to make it the shape of a skin, and show how the new
suit was made.
Pind as many things as you can that you can use for pins, buttons,
and buckles.
Find as many ways as you can of sewing a simple seam. When you
go to a museum notice how the seams are sewed. Why do you think
people invented new stitches? Visit a shoemaker and not ice how he sews.
Draw one of these pictures: —
The cold wind drives Fleet foot into the cave.
Playing "Cave-bear"
How the Children Played in Winter 81
XVII
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
How do you think the children played in the winter ? What do you
play in the winter ?
How do you think the Cave-men would hunt when there was only
a light fall of snow ?
How would they hunt when the snow was deep ?
How would they hunt when there was a hard crust on the snow ?
How the Children Played in Winter
When the children saw their fathers and mothers go
out of doors, they, too, wanted to go. But they had no
warm clothing, so their mothers tried to keep them in
doors.
Sometimes Fleetfoot and Flaker teased to go out
and play in the snow. And when the days were warm
enough, Antler let them go out and play. But on very
cold days they had to stay in the cave.
The children had good times in the cave. They
played many animal games. They played they were
grown men and women, and they made believe do all
sorts of work. They peeked out of the cave many
times each day. They heard their fathers and mothers
talk. And they listened to Greybeard's stories.
And so the children always knew what the men and
women were doing. After a heavy fall of snow, they
knew they would trap the animals in the drifts. When
a hard crust formed, they knew they would dig pitfalls.
82 The Later Cave-men
Antler often wished that the children might play out
doors every day. Greybeard wanted the boys to learn
to make pitfalls and traps. But neither Antler nor
Greybeard had thought of making clothing for little
children.
The day Antler thought of making clothes for the
boys, was the day they ran away to the pitfall. It was
soon after Chipper came to the cave and said that two
reindeer were in the pit.
When the boys heard what Chipper said, they were
playing they were Bighorn and Chipper. They had tied
the skins of wolves' heads over their heads, and they
let the rest of the skins hang down as if they were capes.
When the news came about the reindeer, everybody
was excited. Everybody hurried to the pitfall so as to
see the reindeer. Nobody noticed the boys steal out of
the cave. Nobody noticed them run to the pitfall.
But soon after she started, Antler saw the tracks of
their bare feet. She guessed at once where the boys
had gone. And it was then that she thought of making
them clothing.
While the children slept that night, Antler talked
with the women. And when morning came, the
women took skins and made the children warm clothes
and moccasins.
When the children put on their wolf -skin suits, they
looked like a pack of wolves. Sometimes they played
they were wolves. Then they chased make-believe
wild horses.
Sometimes when the children were playing in the
How the Children Played in Winter 83
snow, they found the antlers of a full-grown stag. The
children began to look for the antlers of the full-grown
stags in early winter. But they knew that the other
reindeer kept their antlers until early spring.
An old stag's antlers were large and strong, and the
children liked to find them. They would pick them up
and hold them in their hands and would then make
believe they were Cave-men trapping reindeer in the
snow.
One day Greybeard showed Fleet foot and Flaker
how to trap the reindeer in the snow. He showed
them how to dig a pitfall in the drifts. The boys
found a large drift near the trail and they cut out a
large block of snow. They hollowed a deep pit under
the crust which they took pains not to break. Then
they fitted the block of snow in its place, thus cover-
ing the pit.
To make sure that the reindeer would come to the
pitfall they scattered moss over the thin crust. Then
Greybeard taught them to say,
" Come doiun to the river, reindeer ;
Come down to the river to drink.
Come eat the moss I have spread for you,
Come and fall into my trap."
All the Cave-men believed that these words would
charm the reindeer to the spot. They always muttered
such lines as charms when they went out to hunt.
And so Greybeard taught the boys the lines, for he
wanted them to know all the Cave-men's charms.
84 The Later Cave-men
THINGS TO DO
Name the animals which you know by their tracks. Draw a picture
of the tracks you know best.
Tell a story about hunting an animal by tracking it.
Next time there is a heavy fall of snow, play hunting animals by
driving them into the drifts.
See if you can show in your sand-box how the pitfall was made.
See if you can think of a way of Jiaving real drifts in your sand-box.
Draw a picture of the children playing with the antlers of the
reindeer.
Draw a picture of the reindeer in the pitfalL
XVIII
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
Do you know whether we can tell what the weather is going to be ?
Have you ever heard any one talking about the signs of the
weather ? What signs do you know ?
Notice animals and see how they act before a storm.
Notice what animals and birds are here in summer that are not here
in winter. Are any here in winter that are not here in the summer ?
Why did the bison go away from the Cave-men's hunting grounds
each winter ? When they went away would they go in large or small
herds ?
If the weather kept pleasant how do you think they would travel ?
What would they do if it looked like a storm ?
Notice the animals that live near you and see whether they turn
their heads or backs toward the storm.
Overtaken by a Storm
Winter passed and summer came and now it was
almost gone. The cattle had gone to the forests in the
Overtaken by a Storm 85
lowlands where they spent the winter. Straggling lines
of bison were moving down the valley. Now and then
they stopped a few days to eat the tall grass. Then
they slowly moved onward toward the lower lands.
The days were like the Indian summer days which
we sometimes have in late autumn. Everybody
enjoyed each day as it came, and thought little about
the coming cold. But one morning the sky was gray
and gloomy, and the sun could not pierce through the
heavy clouds. The air was cold and now and then a
snowflake was falling.
There was no meat at the cave, and everybody was
hungry. So Bighorn said to the men, " Let's hunt the
bison to-day."
The men crowded around, for they were always glad
to go hunting with Bighorn. As soon as he had shown
them his plan, they took their weapons and started
toward the herd.
Bighorn expected to find the herd feeding quietly on
a hillside. But, instead, the bison were tossing their
horns, sniffing the air, and looking this way and that.
Bighorn saw that the bison were restless and that he
could not take them by surprise. "We shall have a
hard chase," said he to the men, "if we get a bison
to-day."
The men stood still for a moment, for they did not
know what to do. Fine snowflakes were now falling
and the dark clouds threatened a heavy storm. But
the men were hungry and they were not ready to give
up the hunt at once.
86 The Later Cave-men
"Listen!" said Bighorn, as a low rumbling sound
came from the upper valley.
The Cave-men put their ears to the ground and
heard a sound like distant thunder. As they listened
it came nearer and nearer and the ground seemed to
shake.
The Cave-men were not afraid. They knew what
the sound meant. The bison, too, knew what it meant
They knew that winter was coming, and that it was
time for them to be gone. They knew that the laggard
herds were racing with the storm.
And so the sentinels of the scattered herds gave sig-
nals to the bison. And before the Cave-men were on
their feet, the bison had started toward the ford.
Louder and louder the rumbling sound grew as the
great herd galloped on. The snow was now falling
thick and fast, and a cold northwest wind was blowing.
But in spite of the wind and the snow, the Cave-men
pressed on toward the ford. Bighorn still hoped to get
a bison as the great herd passed.
By the time the herd reached the ford, the wind had
become a strong gale. The air was so thick with the
snow that it nearly blinded the men. Then Bighorn
turned and said to the men, ' ' We must find a shelter
from the storm."
The bison, too, tried to find a shelter. Some of
them hugged up closely to the sheltered side of the
cliffs. Others sought cover in the ravines. But many
could find no protection, so they turned about and faced
the storm.
88 The Later Cave-men
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.
Shoiv 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 snoiv, hoiv do you think they can
get air to breathe ? How can they tell when the storm is over?
XIX
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 snow-shoes ? How do you think people came
to make snow-shoes ?
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,
How Antler Happened to Invent Snowshoes 89
The snow was falling fast before they fin-
ished 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 A stone maui.
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 i&
90
The Later Cave-men
Fur gloves.
the storm. She stayed awake and watched and lis-
tened all through the long dark night.
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 power-
less 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,
How Antler Happened to Invent Snowshoes 91
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 snow-
shoes 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 d-ay 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.
92 The Later Cave-men
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.
XX
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 ?
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.
How Antler made Snares 93
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.
94 The Later Cave-men
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 man}^
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 ^^ enougk to Catch the
rabbit's head. A rabbit was caught,
but he nibbled the cord and ran off with the snare, j j
And so Antler learned to protect the cord by run-^S
ning it through a hollow bone. / T
There was no better trapper than Antler j
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 7 "Antler
i • j. » 1 11 ji 1-11 i i learned to pro
long winter s sleep, all the children learned tect the cord
to catch them in traps. They learned to
loosen the bark of a tree without breaking hollow ' bone
How Antler made Snares 95
it 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.
When the children went to the trap, they clapped
" So it ran along and nibbled the bait until its sharp teeth cut the cord."1
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."
96 The Later Cave-men
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 down-
ward, 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: —
Snow flake 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.
XXI
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 spear-
heads ?
Find a picture of a barbed spearhead. Why did people begin to
make barbs ?
How Spears were Changed into Harpoons 97
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 some-
times were known to fail. Even his spear points some-
times 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.
98 The Later Cave-men
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 brashed off the spears and javelins, which fell and
were lost in the tall grass.
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. Per-
haps this was why the Cave-men learned to
Ascrha6er 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 the
How Spears were Changed into Harpoons 99
ground. 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, Chip-
per 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.
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.
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 spear-
heads; 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 spear-
head from a wound which was made by a broken
point. They found such a point deep down in
100 The Later Cave-men
the 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.
A
harpoon.
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 ^vild horse running very fast. See if you can model a
wild horse in clay so as to show that it has great speed.
XXII
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
Why was the harpoon a better weapon for hunting than the speai
or javelin ? What could hunters do to keep smooth shafts from slip-
ping 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 101
How the Cave-men Hitnted 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 crea-
tures 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 cold
102
The Later Cave-men
days, 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.
At their games of throwing spears and javelins, Big-
horn was almost sure to win. It was partly because he
had large hands and very strong fingers. By bending
one finger like ^^g| 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
Chipper using a spear-noose. slipped One
How the Cave-men Hunted with Harpoons 103
around his thumb and the other around one finger.
Then he grasped the spear near the butt and slipped the
cord taround 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 cun-
ning 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.
XXIII
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 ?
How the Cave-men Tested Fleetfoot and Flaker 105
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 which
106 The Later Cave-men
was 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 weap-
ons were done.
How the Cave-men Tested Fleetfoot and Flaker 107
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 Grey beard 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
Fleetfoot and Flaker See a Combat 109
XXIV
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 ?
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 rein-
deer 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.
110 The Later Cave-men
Then they tried to draw apart, but they found they
eould 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 pol-
ished 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*
XXV
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 ?
Fleetfoot and Flaker Hunt the Bison 111
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 crip-
pled 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, "with-
out frightening the bison away?"
"Let's dress in wolf-skins," said Fleetfoot, "and
make believe we are wolves."
112 The Later Cave-men
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 threat-
ened 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."
Fleetfoot never remembered running to the tree.
They looked so much like wolves that they got very close before the bison
threatened."
114 The Later Cave-men
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.
Greybeard and Fleetf oot stayed
in the trees until the bison started
up the ravine. Then they climbed
down from one of the trees and hurried
A cave-marts carving of a to see what had happened to Flaker.
"hamstrung animal.
THINGS TO DO
Tfll 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 tJie strong muscles of the bison s
knee. We say. when we cut these large muscles that we have "ham-
strung" 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.
XXVI
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 the Cave-men Did for Flaker 1 15
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 clown 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.
Taking the skin which the women brought, Antler
stretched it upon the ground. Then the women helped
What the Cave-men did for Flaker.
What the Cave-men Did for Flaker 117
her lift the boy and [ay 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 what
118 The Later Cave-men
happens to it. Why do a child's bones break less easily than an old
persons?
If there is a spring in your neighborhood, go and see it. Find out
where the water comes from.
XXVII
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
If Flaker is lame, how will he be able to get food ? What do you
think he can do that will be useful to the clan ?
Do you think the Cave-men took as good care of the sick, and the
lame, and the old people, as we do? What could they do for them?
Why did the men use weapons more than tools? Why did the
women use tools more than weapons ?
Think of as many tools as you can that the women used.
How Flaker Learned to Make Weapons
of Bone
Before Flaker was hurt he and Fleetf oot had planned
to do many things. But now Flaker was lame, and all
the Cave-men knew he would never be able to hunt.
When Flaker first knew it, he was very sad. And
so Fleetfoot tried to comfort him. Each day he
brought him a bird or a rabbit, and he told him all that
had happened.
For a while Flaker thought that if a man could not
hunt, there was nothing else for him to do. But soon
he found there were many things to do besides going
out to hunt.
Flaker began by doing a few little things to help
Fleetfoot. He helped him flake heads for harpoons
and javelins and make strong shafts.
How Flaker Learned to Make Weapons of Bone 119
When Greybeard and Fleetfoot praised his work,
Flaker was very happy. And so Flaker busied himself
in the workshop when the men went out to hunt.
Sometimes Chipper helped him, and often Greybeard
worked with him.
When Flaker was tired he would look at the tro-
phies which were fastened on the wall near the cave.
He was always glad to see the locked antlers of the
two stags.
As he looked at the strong antlers, he could almost
see the handsome stags. He thought of them standing
head to head ready to strike deadly blows. And he
wished he had had such powerful weapons to meet the
bison's charge.
The children wanted to be good to Flaker and so
they brought him the antlers they found. They liked
to play with the antlers, and their mothers used
them in many ways. They had learned to cut
them with choppers and chisels, and sometimes
they cut them with stone knives.
All the women used the small prongs of the
antlers. They used them as wedges in prying the
bark loose from the sap-wood of young trees. All
the women had learned to make hammers of antler
by making two cuts near the base. And some-
times they used the broad end of the brow antler
instead of a stone chisel.
Once when Flaker was watching Antler, he
thought she was making a dagger. But Antler had
not thought of making a dagger. She was
120 The Later Cave-men
making a hammer and wedge. When she had finished,
she dropped the long beam of the antler upon the
ground and went away with her tools.
Flaker kept his eyes fixed upon the long beam. The
more he looked at it, the more it looked like a dagger.
At length he reached and picked it up. Then he took
his knife and began to cut it.
That night when Fleetfoot came home, Flaker
gave him a dagger of reindeer horn. Fleetfoot
showed it to Bighorn, who took it, then tossed it on
the ground.
Bighorn had never seen such a dagger. He
thought a good dagger had to be made of stone. So
he made fun of Flaker's weapon, then thought no
more about it.
But Greybeard and Chipper did not make fun of
the weapons Flaker made. They tried the dagger
next day, and found that it stood the test. So they
asked Flaker to make each of them daggers and
The he ad of Javelins of reindeer horn.
a javelin.
THINGS TO DO
Tell all you know about the antlers of full-grown stags. Tell all
you know about the antlers of other reindeer.
Look at the antlers in tJie pictures on pages 16, //, 108, and 131.
Find the part that would make such a wedge as is shown on page 119.
Find the part that would make such a hammer as is shown on page
7^. Find a part for a chisel or scraper Find the long beam that
was used in making such a dagger as is shown on page 123. Do you
think that Flaker s first dagger was carved in this way? Can you
tell why the Cave-men carved their weapons?
How Flaker Invented the Saw
121
Act out the part of this story you like best.
Draw one of these pictures : —
Flaker watching for Fleetfoot's return.
The children bringing antlers to Flaker.
The women at work making tools.
Fleet foot showing the dagger to Bighorn.
Greybeard and Chipper asking Flaker to make daggers.
Make as many simple tools as you can out of bone or horn,
ways of using them.
XXVIII
Find
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
What do you think Flaker used in cutting- the antler ? What tools
will he need to use in making weapons of bone or horn ?
What do you think the first saws were ? How do you think people
came to use saws ? How large do you think they were ?
What are files used for ? Can you think what the first files were
like ? What do you think they were used for ?
How Flaker Invented the Saw
How glad Flaker was when Greybeard and Chipper
asked him to make them some daggers!
He looked at all the antlers
the children had brought.
He thought of the rein-
deer he had seen with
antlers such as these.
He remembered the
handsome reindeer with
their deadly weapons, and at
length he chose the large antlers which had belonged
to a handsome stag.
A smaL antler.
122 The Later Cave-men
Flaker looked at the long beams and decided to use
them for daggers. He took his knife to cut off the
prongs, but he could scarcely cut them with a knife.
Flaker knew that the women cut the prongs with a
chopper, but a chopper was a woman's tool. And
Flaker wanted to be like the men. And so he kept
working with his knife, but he wished he had taken a
beam which the women had left.
When he was tired using his knife, he
played with some flint flakes. He ran his fingers
over the sharp edges. Then he carelessly pressed
off tiny flakes.
But Flaker soon tired of this and he picked up
the antler again. He pushed a flint flake back and
forth upon one of the prongs of the antler.
Flaker was simply playing at first; but when he
saw that the flint was cutting, his play became real
work. And he kept on pushing and pulling the
flake until the prong fell to the ground. Then he
sawed off other prongs, but he did not know he
was sawing.
Flaker had never seen a saw and he did not
know what it was. He did not know that when
he pressed off the tiny flakes he made the teeth
of a flint saw.
But Flaker had made a saw. It was only the
rough edge of a flint flake. No doubt such rough
A knife with e(i§es had been made many times before.
wo blades, a But Flaker learned to use the rough edge bv
saw, and a file, - . - ,,. . , , ., _ ° J
aii in one. pushing and pulling it back and forth.
How Flaker Invented the Saw 123
When Flaker sawed the prongs from the beam, some
of the places were rough. So he rubbed
them with the face of the flint until he
made them smooth. When Flaker did this,
the flake, which had been only a knife,
became a file as well as a saw.
Greybeard and Chipper tried the new
daggers and found that they were sharp
and strong. And the next time they went on
the chase they took the new weapons along.
Bighorn saw the new weapons, but he said
little about them. For Bighorn knew better
than to make fun of weapons Greybeard used.
Nothing pleased Flaker more than to be
able to help Greybeard. And so he cherished
the new tool that he used in shaping reindeer
horn. Sometimes he showed it to Greybeard,
who was always kind to the boys. But even
the wise old man had no idea of what a won-
derful tool it was.
The other Cave-men saw the tool, but they
thought very little about it. They cared a
great deal about the weapons they used in
the chase. But few of the Cave-men ever
thought of making anything they did not
need right away.
And so little was said about the new tool
which was a knife with two blades, a saw, and a file,
all in one. Nobody dreamed at that time that the little
tool was the forerunner of a great change.
124 The Later Cave-men
THINGS TO DO
If you can strike off a large flint flake ivith three faces, see if you
can make it into a knife-saw-file.
Look at the picture, or at the real tool you have made, and find the
plain face that can be used as a file.
Find the two edges which can be used as knives. Find the edge which
has a crest of teeth, and which can be used as a saw.
Draw one of these pictures : —
The women chopping prongs from the beam of the antler.
Flaker sawing the prongs off tJie antler.
XXIX
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
Can you think why the females and the young males of the reindeer
herd could drive the old stags away during the winter ? Could they do
it in the summer ?
Why can the reindeer walk easily in the snow or on slippery places ?
What is it that makes the clicking sound when reindeer walk or run ?
Why were the Cave-men careful to make no mistake in the dance ?
The Reindeer Dance
Fleetfoot did not hunt with the men, but he learned
many things from them. In early winter, he heard
them tell stories of dangerous encounters with ugly
stags. When the old stags shed their antlers, he saw
the men dance the reindeer dance.
Fleetfoot mimicked the reindeer's movements and
the grunting sounds they made But he was not
allowed to join with the 'men in dancing the reindeer
dance. Only brave men were allowed to join in
the dance. Only the bravest men were allowed to lead.
The Reindeer Dance 125
But Fleetfoot stood near and saw
everything that was done. Some of
the men put on headdresses made of
the antlers of the reindeer. Others
put on reindeer suits without the
headdress of antlers. Those that
were to be the Cave-men painted their
faces and carried trophies.
Fleetfoot Wished that he COUld A Ca»*ma»'s mortar
have a headdress and take part in the stone for grinding
dance. He wondered how long he would
have to wait before he could dance with the men. He
wondered how many brave things he must do before he
would rank as a man.
And when Fleetfoot saw the men standing in silence
while Greybeard made offerings to the gods, he looked
at the brave old man and wondered how a man could
be so wise. Then he thought of Chew-chew's stories of
brave men of olden times.
At length Fleetfoot saw Flaker, who was sitting all
alone. He went and sat beside him and they watched
the men dance.
The men had finished dressing, and the women
were seated on the ground. They had rolls of skin,
and rude drums, and rattles of reindeer hoofs.
At a signal from Bighorn, a group of men came
dancing to the music of the rattles. They moved about
and made low grunting sounds as though they were a
reindeer herd.
Then the music changed. The women drummed
126 The Later Cave-men
upon skins and hummed in a weird way. They tried
to show by the sound of the music the coming of a storm.
At the first sound of the weird
music, the reindeer pricked up
their ears. Then the larger
reindeer that had lost their
antlers started off to make-
believe higher lands. There
they made believe paw the
snow until they found the moss.
As the music of the storm grew
louder, the herd followed to the
A drum. higher lands. And with many an angry
threat they drove the old stags away.
Then the drumming and humming became fainter,
and at last the sounds died away. But still the faint
clicking of the rattles marked each step of the men in
the dance.
Another signal from Bighorn marked the change to
a new scene. Trails were marked upon the ground
and sticks placed for hills and streams.
While the reindeer pretended to feed, a group of
Cave-men appeared. Bighorn, who was still the leader,
sent Little-bear to watch where the trail crossed the
hills. Chipper was sent to lie in wait at the spot where
the trail crossed the river. And Bighorn, himself, took
his stand at the point where the trails crossed.
When the men took their places, others crept back
of the herd. Only the light music of the rattles
sounded as the reindeer moved about.
The Reindeer Dance 127
As the men came nearer the reindeer herd, the sen-
tinels showed signs of fear. The clicking of the rattles
was quicker. The herd became thoroughly alarmed
and the women shook the rattles and made a loud din.
Then the reindeer started on their old trails and
came near the spots where the men were hid. The
clicking of the rattles marked the time for the running,
and the beating of the drum showed when javelins
were hurled. Soon the shouts of the men and the
rattles and drums made a loud noise.
All the Cave-men enjoyed the dance. They danced
it without a mistake. And so they felt sure that the
god of the reindeer would give them success in the
chase.
THINGS TO DO
Model in your sand-box tJic spot where the reindeer dance was danced.
Model the trails where the Cave-men thought the reindeer would
run when alarmed.
Make rattles of something which you can find, and show how to mark
time wifh them.
If you can get a skin, see if you can stretch it over something so as to
make a drum. Try different ways, and tell which is best.
Dramatize tJiis lesson.
Draw a picture to illustrate it.
XXX
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
Can you think why hunters frequently have famines? At what
season of the year would they be most likely to have a famine ?
Can you think why they did not preserve and save food in times of
plenty ?
128 The Later Cave-men
If game should be scarce on a hunting ground, do you think all of
the people could stay at home ? What do you think would happen at
such a time ?
Have you ever heard that the Indians used to be afraid of having
their pictures taken ? Why were they afraid of it ?
Fleet foot Prepares for His Final Test
Toward the close of winter rumors of famine came
to the Bison clan. Several times people came from
neighboring clans and asked Antler for food. There
was plenty of meat in the cave, so she gave to those
who asked. The strangers soon went away, and the
Bison clan forgot about them.
The next summer game was scarce on several of the
old hunting grounds. There was not enough food for
all. People began to wander away from their old homes.
Small groups of men, women, and children, set out in
different directions. ,
Game was still plenty on the lands of the Bison clan.
When the neighbors knew this, they came to hunt on
these lands. The day Fleetfoot went away to fast,
strange people came and camped.
The next day the Bison clan drove them away. A
few days later other strangers came, and they, too,
were driven away. Bighorn was angry when the
strangers first came, but soon he became alarmed.
Just as the men and women were holding a council
to consider what to do, the strangers disappeared. Not
until Fleetfoot returned did the Bison clan know who
they were or why they came.
"•People began to wander away from their old homes.'
130 The Later Cave-men
Before Fleetfoot went away to fast, he had been
curious about the Big Bear. He had heard many stories
about the Big Bear ever since he was a child. He had
heard that the Big Bear guarded the game and kept the
animals in the rocky cavern. He had wondered if he
could climb the mountains and find the cave of the
Big Bear.
Before Flaker was hurt, the boys had planned to go
to the mountains. They had planned to make friends
with the Big Bear and learn where he kept the game.
They had planned to climb the highest peaks and see
what there was beyond.
Once, when the boys asked Greybeard if they might
go to the mountains, Greybeard said, "No, no, my
children ! Wait a while. You are not yet old enough
to go."
And so the boys waited, but they still talked about
going to the cavern of the Big Bear. After Flaker was
hurt they still planned, but they planned for Fleetfoot
to go alone.
One day when the boys were talking together, Grey-
beard came to Fleetfoot and said, ' ' The time you have
waited for has come. Prepare for your final test."
Thi-s was glad news for Fleetfoot. At last he was
to have a chance to prove himself worthy to rank with
the men. Flaker rejoiced with Fleetfoot, yet he could
not help feeling sad.
The Bison clan had decided that Fleetfoot should go
to a quiet spot. There he was to fast and pray until he
received a sign from the gods. And when he had done
Fleetfoot Prepares for His Final Test 131
their bidding, he was to return for his final test. This
test once passed, Fleetfoot would be counted one of
the men.
Before Fleetfoot went, Greybeard instructed him in
the use of prayers and charms. Antler gave him a
magic powder and showed him how to prepare it from
herbs. And the men told him of their tests, and the
signs they received from the gods.
Flaker had listened to every word that Greybeard
had said. He had thought of all the dangers which
Fleetfoot might encounter. And he wondered if there
was not a way to protect Fleetfoot from harm.
Flaker knew that the reindeer dance was a prayer of
the Cave-men to their gods. He knew each movement
in the dance was to help the gods understand. He felt
sure that the gods would help Fleetfoot if he could
make them understand. And so he determined to
make a prayer which Fleetfoot could carry with him.
Perhaps you will think that the prayer Flaker made
was a very strange prayer. But
many people in all parts of
the world have made such
prayers. It was a prayer to
the Big Bear of the moun-
tains. Flaker scratched it
upon a smooth pebble with
a flint point. It was a picture
Of the Big Bear, and Flaker The engraving of a cave-bear
made it so that Fleetfoot could °»
control the actions of the Bio: Bear.
132 The Later Cave-men
When Flaker gave the prayer to Fleetfoot he told
him to guard it with great care. Fleetfoot took the
prayer and promised to keep it near his side. Then
the boys made an offering to the Big Bear and asked
him to guide the way.
When at length Fleetfoot was ready to start, Grey-
beard spoke these parting words: " Forget not the
offerings to the gods, and remember they must be made
with true words and a faithful heart."
THINGS TO DO
Show in your sand-box where you think the mountains were. Model
them and show that they were almost covered with snow. Show good
places for neighboring hunting grounds.
Tell why game might be scarce in some hunting grounds and plenty in
others.
Dramatize this story. Draw pictures which will show what hap-
pened. See if you can engrave some animal upon wood or soft stone.
XXXI
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
Where do you think Fleetfoot will go while he is away from home ?
Find a picture of a glacier, and see if you can tell how a glacier is
made. In what places does the snow stay all the year round ? If a
great deal of snow falls each year, what do you think will become of it ?
Find out whether there have ever been glaciers near where you
live. If there have, see if you can find any traces of them.
Fleetfoot Fasts and Prays
None of the Gave-men knew where Fleetfoot would
go to fast and pray. He scarcely knew himself, but all
Fleetfoot Fasts and Prays 133
the time he kept thinking of the Big Bear of the
Mountains. And so he turned his steps toward the
high mountain peaks.
He followed the bison trail, for that was a sure guide.
It led up the river a long way, and then skirted a dark
forest. He crossed the river and went to the forest.
There he sought out a lonely spot where he stayed
several da}^s.
As soon as he had made a fire, Fleetfoot made offer-
ings to the gods. His offerings were fish he caught in
the river and birds he caught in snares.
Although Fleetfoot offered meat to the gods, he did
not taste it himself. When he was ready to sleep, he
rubbed a pinch of wood-ashes upon his breast and
prayed thus to the fire god : ' ' O fire god, hover near me
while I sleep. Hear my prayer. Grant good dreams to
me this night. Grant me a sign that thou wilt aid me.
Lead my feet in the right way."
The first night Fleetfoot had no dreams. The second
night he dreamed he was a child again and that he
lived in his old home. The third night he dreamed of
the Big Bear of the Mountains. He thought that he
climbed the mountain crags and went to the Big Bear's
cave. He dreamed that the Big Bear spoke to him and
asked him whence he came. Then strange people
seemed to come out of the cave and wave their weapons
in a threatening way. After that Fleetfoot remembered
nothing except that the Big Bear seemed like a friend.
At daybreak Fleetfoot awoke, and at once he thought
of his dream. He took the pebble from a little bag.
134 The Later Cave-men
Then he made an offering to the bear as he spoke these
words: "O Big Bear! O mighty hunter! Show me the
way to thy caverns. Show me where thou keepest the
game. Give me strength to meet all dangers. Fill my
enemies with fear."
Then, remembering what Greybeard had said, Fleet-
foot gave offerings to all the animals he hoped to kill.
In this way he thought the gods would help him when
he went out to hunt.
As soon as the offerings were made, Fleetfoot looked
for a sign from the gods. The winds began to blow.
Dark clouds began to climb the sky. Then the thun-
ders pealed through the heavens.
Fleetfoot, faint from his long fast, took courage from
these signs. The winds seemed to be messengers
bearing his prayer to the gods. The dark
clouds seemed to be the enemies he would
meet on the way. The peals of thunder
sounded to him like promises of strength.
The bright lightning in the sky flashed a
message of hope. A flock of swallows circling
near seemed to point the way. And so Fleet-
foot refreshed himself and started toward
the mountains.
It would take too long to tell all the things
that happened to Fleetfoot before he returned.
One of the first things he did was to kill a
cave-bear and take the trophies.
A stone borer, When Fleetfoot started out again, he wore
a necklace of bear's teeth. He wore them
Fleetfoot Fasts and Prays 135
partly because they were trophies and partly because
they were charms.
Fleetfoot followed the trail along the edge of the
forest until he reached a ridge of hills. Behind him
lay the River of Stones and all the places he had known.
Before him lay a pretty valley about a day's journey
across. To his left the snow-covered mountain peaks
shone with a dazzling light.
He stopped only to sleep and to make offerings to
the gods. Fleetfoot was full of courage, and yet he
was weak from his fast. He longed to be strong against
all foes. He longed to be a great hunter. He longed
to strengthen his people and to meet the dangers which
threatened his clan.
At midday he reached the river, where he sat down
to rest. Then he went up the little river, which flowed
over a rocky bed.
Fleetfoot followed the river until he came to a spot
where it seemed to end. Great masses of snow and ice
covered the river bed. Farther up they reached the
top of the cliffs and stretched out into the valley.
It was the melting of this glacier which fed the little
stream.
Fleetfoot stood and gazed at the glacier with its
rough billows of snow and ice. He looked at the green
forests which stretched to its very edge. He looked at
the great ice sheets which covered the mountain peaks.
He looked at the bare crags which jutted out from the
rocks. And he wondered if the Big Bear's cave was in
one of these rocks.
" // was the melting of this glacier which fed the little stream.'
Fleetfoot Fasts and Prays 137
Then He crossed the stream and approached the cliff
on the opposite side. There he found a cave, and he
looked about, but he found no one at home.
As Fleetfoot was looking about, he began to think
of Chew-chew. Everything upon which his eyes rested
seemed to speak of her. And yet he could not remem-
ber seeing the place before.
Night came again and Fleetfoot slept. Again he
saw the Big Bear in his dreams. Again he saw the
enemies of his clan, and again he dreamed of his old
home.
For several days Fleetfoot explored the country
near the mountains. He found several good hunting
grounds, but he did not find the Big Bear.
As the days passed it seemed to Fleetfoot that he
was no longer alone. He heard no steps, and he saw
no tracks ; yet he felt sure that some one was near.
One morning, when he awoke, there was some one
watching him through the thick leaves. He grasped
his spear and was ready to throw, when he heard a
merry laugh.
Then a lovely maiden appeared with dark and glossy
hair. Her eyes shone with the morning light and her
breath was as fresh as the dew.
Fleetfoot dropped his spear and stepped forward to
greet the girl. A moment they gazed in each other's
eyes, and then they knew no fear.
They sat on a mossy bank where they talked for a
long, long time. And Fleetfoot learned that she was
called Willow-grouse and that her people were away.
138 The Later Cave-men
Before he could ask her more, she inquired from
whence he came. And then she asked him what had
brought him so far away from his home.
While Fleetfoot was telling his story, Willow-grouse
listened with sparkling eyes. When he had finished,
her eyes fell, and she seemed to be buried in thought.
Willow-grouse knew that her own people were plotting
against the Bison clan. She wanted Fleetfoot to stay
with her; and she feared that if she told him what her
people were doing, he would go away.
For a few minutes Willow-grouse kept silent; but,
at length, she decided to speak. She told Fleetfoot of
the famine of the springtime and of the scarcity of
game. She told how the people separated and traveled
far and wide. Many of her own people had been to the
grounds of the Bison clan. Now the clans were at the
rapids. But as soon as the salmon season was over,
they were going to attack the Bison clan.
When Fleetfoot heard what Willow-grouse said, he
gave up his search for the Big Bear. He decided to go
to the salmon feast and learn what the clans were doing.
He hoped he could do this and still have time to warn
the Bison clan.
THINGS TO DO
See if you can find a way of making a glacier in your sand-box.
Model a river valley whose upper part is filled with a glacier. Show
where the bed and banks are covered with snow and ice. Show where
the cliffs are covered. Show where the ice-sheets are Show on the
sand-map Fleetfoot 's journey to the place where he fasted. Show the
remainder of his journey.
The Meeting of the Clans 139
Draw pictures of the following : —
Fleet foot prays to the fire-god.
Fleet foot receives signs from the gods.
Fleet foot standing on the ridge of hills.
Fleetfoofs meeting ^vith Willow-grouse.
XXXII
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
Can you think why the salmon feast was at the rapids of the river ?
Show in your sand-map a place where rapids might be. If there is
a river near you which has rapids, go to the spot and see if you can
tell what it is that makes the rapids.
Show in your map the hunting grounds of the clans which met at
the rapids. Find the trails they would follow in going to the rapids.
Find out all you can about the habits of the salmon.
A necklace of fossil shells.
The Meeting of the Clans
At his parting from Willow-grouse, Fleetfoot gave
her a necklace of fossil shells. Then saying, "We
shall meet when the new moon comes," he started on
his way.
140 The Later Cave-men
He followed Sweet Brier River on his way to the
meeting of the clans. At sunset he knew he was near-
ing the place where Willow-grouse said they had met.
He could hear the roaring of the rapids, and above this
sound, the shouts of the clans.
Fleetfoot waited for the cover of darkness, for he did
not wish to be seen. Then he approached cautiously
toward the spot where the camp fire crackled and
blazed. In the light of the flames dark trunks of oaks
and fir trees stood out of the blackness. Then moving
forms appeared on the banks and lighted the clans
seated around the fire. At first Fleetfoot did not go
near enough to see the faces distinctly. But he could
tell from the various movements that they were pre-
paring for a dance.
All eyes seemed fixed on an old woman who was
offering gifts to the gods. She lifted hot stones from
the fire and dropped them into a basket of water.
Then she took a piece of salmon and dropped it into
the water.
As Fleetfoot watched the old woman, he thought
of Chew-chew and his old home. Then he wondered
if all women would look like Chew-chew when they
grew old.
When the offerings were made, the men began a war
dance. Some were dressed in masks of horses, and
others wore masks of reindeer and cattle.
When the men took off their masks, Fleetfoot looked
as if in a dream. For among the strangers moving
about there appeared familiar forms.
The Meeting of the Clans 141
For a few minutes Fleetfoot could not tell whether
he was awake or asleep. What he saw seemed very
real, and yet it seemed like a dream. He had almost
forgotten his own people. He had not seen them since
the day he was lost. And now, only a few paces away,
stood Scarface and Straightshaft. Then other familiar
forms appeared moving near the fire. And among the
women who had beaten the drums were Chew-chew
and Eagle-eye.
When Fleetfoot saw his mother and Chew-chew, he
almost shouted for joy. He wanted to go and speak to
them, but something seemed to hold him back.
Then his heart began to beat so loud and so fast
that Fleetfoot was afraid he would be discovered ; so he
hurried away from the spot to a hollow tree where
he spent the night.
For a long time he lay awake thinking about what
to do. He could not go back to Willow-grouse and
leave his work undone. He could not make himself
known to Cave-men who were planning to attack the
Bison clan. He could not return to the Bison clan
without learning the enemies' plans.
And so Fleetfoot took the pebble from its bag and
asked the Big Bear for aid. Then he fell asleep and
did not awake until the break of day.
All through the day he watched the clans. He saw
them fish at the rapids and feast and play around the
fire. He saw them go to a smooth spot near the bank
where they played games. When night came he said
to himself, ' ' I'll watch the dance and learn their plans."
142 The Later Cave-men
Scarface offered gifts to the gods before the dance
began. As he performed the magic rites, all the people
were still. Every eye was turned toward the old man.
No one suspected danger.
Fleetfoot, watching from a safe retreat, had heard
a rustling sound. And, looking in the direction from
which the sound came, he saw a big tiger in a neigh-
boring tree.
The tiger had crept out on a strong branch and was
watching for his prey. The eyes of the big cat snapped
fire as they followed each movement that Scarface
made.
There was not a moment to be lost. The tiger was
about to spring. Fleetfoot's spear whizzed through
the air and dealt a powerful blow. Another followed,
but with less force although Fleetfoot hurled it with
all his might.
With a cry of rage the tiger turned, and leaving
Scarface upon the ground, he sprang toward Fleetfoot.
And the Cave-men grasped their weapons and rushed
to the spot.
They found the tiger dying from the effect of the
first blow. They watched his death struggles. Then
they looked for the man who had hurled a spear that
struck a death blow.
If Fleetfoot had not been struck senseless, he might
have made his escape. But as it happened, the Cave-
men found him lying on the ground, and they raised
him up and carried him to a spot near the bright
camp-fire.
What Happened when the Clans Found Fleetfoot 143
THINGS TO DO
Show on your sand-map where the clans had camped. Show where you
think Fleetfoot watched. Shoiv where the ceremonies were performed.
Draw one of these pictures :—
Fleetfoot bids farewell to Willow-grouse.
The clans seated around the camp-fire.
Fleetfoot watching the dance.
Fleetfoot saves Scarf ace's life.
Watch a cat as it springs upon a mouse, and then think of the tiger
as he sprang upon Scarf ace. Model it in bas-relief.
XXXIII
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
What do you think the people will do with Fleetfoot ?
Can you think of any way that Fleetfoot might prevent them from
attacking1 the Bison clan ?
IV hat Happened when the Clans Found
Fleetfoot
While Chew-chew and Eagle-eye were attending to
Scarface, others took care of Fleetfoot. They knew
nothing about him except that he had saved Scarface's
life. Everybody wanted to see him; and so a great
crowd gathered around.
People looked at the strange young man as he lay
pale and still on the ground. They looked and looked
again, then said, "How like he is to Scarface."
Eagle-eye had not forgotten Fleetfoot. She never
spoke of him, but she still hoped that he was alive and
144 The Later Cave-men
that she would see him again. When strangers came
she always inquired for tidings of the lost boy.
And so when Eagle-eye heard what the people said,
she pushed her way through the crowd. The moment
she saw him, she cried, "Fleetfoot!" and then bent over
his lifeless form.
Chew-chew, hearing Eagle-eye's cry, hurried to the
spot. She knelt by his side and murmured his name,
and thought of Scarface when he was young.
Those who stood near turned and asked, "Who is
Fleetfoot?" Many of the people had never heard of
him. Others had heard of Eagle-eye's boy. All were
curious to know more about the strange young man.
All were anxious to know if he was dead or alive.
Fleetfoot was not dead. He was only stunned by
the tiger's blow When Eagle-eye bathed him with
cold water, he began to show signs of life. When at
length he opened his eyes, he knew that he was recog-
nized.
When those who stood near found out who the
young man was, they shouted the tidings to those who
were farther away. Then the people rejoiced and
thanked the gods for thus befriending them.
Before Fleetfoot slept that night, he wondered how
the meeting would end. He wondered if he could find
a way to prevent an attack upon the Bison clan. And,
turning once more to the Big Bear, he soon fell asleep.
Next morning the people caught salmon just below the
rapids. They feasted a while and then played games
in which Fleetfoot took part.
What Happened when the Clans Found Fleetfoot 145
When the games were over, the young men crowded
around him. They asked him how he could throw a
spear so as to strike a deadly blow. Fleetfoot told all
he knew about the use of spears and harpoons, but he
scarcely knew himself how he had thrown with such
force.
But he took two spearheads in his hand, just as ne
had held them when he saw the tiger. He threw one at
a mark and the spear went with such force that the
young men shouted for joy. Then they all practiced
throwing until they could throw in the same way. It
was in this way that people learned to hurl weapons
A throivtng-stzck. ..+ . * . . . -
with a throwmg-stick.
Instead of hurling one spear by resting
the butt against the barb of another, as
Fleetfoot had done when he threw at the tiger, they
learned to shape sticks for throwing spears, and they
called them "thro wing-sticks."
The older men watched as Fleetfoot showed the
young men how he threw spears and harpoons. And
soon they all agreed to ask Fleetfoot to lead in the
dance that night.
Scarface invited him to lead, and Fleetfoot ac-
cepted. He was glad to lead in a real hunting dance,
but he was still more glad to have a chance to prevent
an attack upon the Bison clan. And so he resolved to
plan a dance which would make them forget their plan.
When the time came to begin the dance, Fleetfoot
10
146
The Later Cave-men
was ready to lead. He knew that the men all wanted
to find good hunting grounds. So he showed them
where to find such grounds and what trails to follow.
A few days later he went with the people to these
very grounds. There they hunted the bison herds and
the Irish deer And when each of the clans had chosen
place to camp, Fleetfoot bade
them farewell. Then it was that
the bravest young men came
forward and said that they would
follow him. And so the young
men agreed to be brothers and
to help one another in times of
need. They agreed upon signs
which they should use when
they wanted to meet. And
when Fleetfoot started
homeward, the young men
escorted him.
Of the adventures on the
way to the Bison clan's cave
there is little time to tell.
All the young men where faithful. And as they
journeyed on their wa}^ they recalled Fleetfoot's brave
deeds in a victory song.
An Irish deer.
THINGS TO DO
Show how the people acted from the time Fleetfoot threw .his spear
until tJicy knew who he was. Draw pictures which will illustrate
the story.
Fleetfoot's Return 147
V.
Make such a hunting dance as you think Fleet foot led. Show in your
sand-map the places where the hunting grounds were.
Name all the running games you know. Tell how you play one of
them. Draw a picture of tJie Cave-men playing games.
Make a tJirowing-stick.
Look at the picture of the Irish deer and tell hoiv it appears to differ
from other deer you know. For what do you think it uses its large and
heavy antlers?
XXXIV
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
What do you think Flaker will do while Fleetfoot is gone ? What
do you think the Bison clan will do when Fleetfoot returns ?
Which do you think will be the greater man — Fleetfoot or Flaker?
What things do you think Fleetfoot will do ? What do you think
Flaker will do ?
Fleetfoofs Return
Flaker missed Fleetfoot more than he could tell,
Awake, he thought
of his dangerous
journey. Asleep, he
Was With him in his A fragment of 'a Cave-man's baton, engraved
dreams. Many, many
times each day he prayed for Fleetfoot's safe return.
Ever since the strangers had camped on their lands,
the Bison clan had been anxious. When questioned
about it, Greybeard was sad and Bighorn shook his
head. So the women were trying to arouse their
courage, and Flaker was carving prayers.
When Fleetfoot announced his return, it was Flaker
148 The Later Cave-men
who heard his whistle. It was he who shouted the
glad tidings to all the Cave-men. And though he was
lame, he was the first who ran ahead to greet him.
Fleetfoot and his companions had halted on a
hillside not far from the cave. It was from this hill
that Fleetfoot whistled so as to announce his return.
Here his companions waited, while Fleetfoot advanced
alone.
While Fleetfoot greeted his friends and showed them
his wonderful necklace, his companions chanted his
brave deeds in a victory song. It was thus that the
Bison clan learned of Fleetfoot's brave deeds. It was
thus that they learned of his courage which came from
fasting and prayer.
When the song was ended, Bighorn advanced with
Fleetfoot, and together they escorted the brave young
men to the cave of the Bison clan. There they feasted,
and rested, and played games until it was time for
Fleetfoot's last test.
Meanwhile the young men became acquainted with
Flaker. Fleetfoot had told them about him. He had
shown them the dagger Flaker made and the engrav-
ing of the Big Bear. And so the young men were glad
to see him and make him one of their brotherhood.
When the time came for Fleetfoot's last test, he
asked permission to speak. And when Bighorn nodded
his head, Fleetfoot told the people the story of how
he and Flaker had worked and played together. He
told of Flaker' s bravery the day he was hurt by the
bison. He told of Flaker's poniard which he used to
Fleetfoot's Return 149
kill the cave-bear. He told of the tools which Flaker
had made for working bone and horn.
Then he said that the people of the Bison clan
had taught them to worship the gods. He said that
Flaker had the favor
of the gods and
that his pravers _
r A Cave-mans nose ornament.
would bring success.
And he urged the Cave-men, on account of these
things, to forget that Flaker was lame, and to admit
him into the ranks of the full-grown men.
The Cave-men listened to what Fleetfoot said and
they all gave assent. And when they made ready to
receive Fleetfoot, Flaker was -brought forward. The
nose of each of the boys was pierced and they were
given nose ornaments. On account of his bravery
Fleetfoot was given a baton which showed that he
might lead the men. And Flaker, too, received a baton,
but his was to show that he could lead in the worship
of the gods.
And so every one knew that Fleetfoot and Flaker
were brave young men. They had passed the tests that
had been given for courage, and patience, and self-
control. Fleetfoot's companions stayed at the cave
until the ceremonies were ended. Then they
renewed their vows to help one another and
took leave of the Bison clan. And Fleet-
foot, having done his duty,
was free to return
to Willow-grouse.
•^^
A Cave-man's baton engraved
with wild horses.
150 The Later Cave-men
THINGS TO DO
See if you can make such a victory song as you think the young men
sang. See if you can make the speech which Fleetfoot made for Flaker
Dramatize this lesson, and then draw a picture of the part you like
the best.
See if you can make a baton.
XXXV
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
Why do you think people began to live in places where there were
no caves ? Can you think what kind of a shelter they might find ?
Find out all you can about the difference between the winter and
summer coat of some animal you know.
Which skins do you think would be used for curtains and beds?
Which skins would be used for clothing ? Which for the heavy winter
coats ?
Willow-grouse
Soon after the salmon feast, Willow-grouse saw her
people again. When they went away, no one knew
why she stayed behind. When they returned, no one
noticed how eager she was to hear all that was said.
So Willow-grouse kept her secret from every one in
the clan.
Many days the people hunted; but, at length, there
were signs of the coming cold. It was then that the
wise men gave an order to prepare for the journey to
the winter home.
All but Willow-grouse obeyed; but she heeded not
what was said. It was not because she did not hear the
Willow-grouse 151
command. It was not because she did not care to live
with her own people. It was simply because she
remembered Fleetfoot and was waiting for his return.
And so, when the women chided her for being a
thoughtless girl, they little thought that Willow-grouse
was making plans of her own. In the confusion of pack-
ing, nobody noticed that she stayed behind, and many
moons passed before they learned what Willow-grouse
did.
As soon as her people were out of sight Willow-
grouse began to make ready for Fleetfoot. There was
no cave near at hand, but there were high overhanging
rocks. Under one of these the people had camped.
They found the roof and back wall of a dwelling ready-
made. So they simply camped at the foot of the rock
and built their camp-fire.
Willow-grouse knew that the bare rock was a good
shelter in summer But she also knew that it would
soon be too cold to live in such an open space. So she
cut long poles and braced them under the roof so as to
make a framework for front and side walls. Then she
covered the framework with plaited branches, and left
a narrow doorway which she closed with a skin.
It was hard work to make the rock shelter, but
Willow-grouse did not mind it. She kept thinking of
Fleetfoot all the time, and she hoped the rock
shelter would be their
new home.
An Eskimo drawing of reindeer caught in snares
152
The Later Cave-men
A piece of sandstone for
flattening seams."
When Willow-grouse looked at her dress, she saw it
was much the worse for wear. So she
set snares in the reindeer trails and
caught two beautiful reindeer.
The soft summer skins of
the reindeer had short, fine
hair. Willow-grouse scraped
and pounded them and then
polished them with sandstone.
Willow-grouse took great pains in making her new
garments. She flattened the seams with a piece of
sandstone until they were nice and smooth. Then she
gathered fossil shells from the rocks and trimmed the
neck and sleeves. And she made
a beautiful headband and belt, and
pretty moccasins for her feet.
And when the time drew near
for Fleetfoot's return, Willow-
grouse dressed in her new gar-
ments. She put on the necklace of
fossil shells and thought of Fleet-
foot's last words.
Fleetfoot kept his promise.
When the new moon came he
appeared Then Willow-grouse
became his wife and he lived with
her in their new home.
THINGS TO DO
Look at the picture of a rock shelter on page i/f..
Find some large rocks and put them in your sand-box so as to show a
How Fleetfoot and Willow-grouse Spent the Winter 153
natural rock shelter. Make a framework for front and side walls, and
see if you can make it into a warm hut. Model the upper valley.
Find a piece of sandstone which you can use in polishing skins,
Dress a doll the way you think Willow-grouse dressed. Dress a doll
the way you think Fleetfoot dressed.
Find pretty seeds and shells which you can use in trimming belts and
headbands. Before sewing the seeds or shells on the band, lay them so as
to make a pretty pattern. After you have made your pattern draw it on
paper, so that you can look at it while you are trimming the band.
XXXVI
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
Look at what you have modeled in your sand-box and see if you
can tell in what parts of the valley the snow will be deepest.
When the snow is very deep, what do the wild animals do ? What
do the people do ?
Can you think how people learned to use poison in hunting ?
Does the poisoned weapon poison any part of the animal's flesh ?
Why do people try to be careful not to leave poison around ?
How Fleetfoot and Willow-grouse Spent
the Winter
When Willow-grouse was living alone, she had to
hunt for her own food. Sometimes she caught animals
in traps, and sometimes she hunted with spears and
harpoons. When the wounded animal escaped, Wil-
low-grouse was disappointed. So she tried all sorts of
ways to make sure of the game.
One day she happened to use a harpoon which had
been thrust into a piece of decayed liver. She wounded
a reindeer with the harpoon and the animal soon died.
154 The Later Cave-men
And so Willow-grouse soon learned to mix and to
use poisons. When Fleetfoot made simple spearheads
Ij^ i of antler, she helped him make grooves
m, /! to hold the poison. When they used
11 poison on their weapons, they were
sure of the game without a long chase.
They lived happily in the rock
\4 shelter until the middle of winter.
f f Then heavy snowstorms came and
Three views of a Cave- the wild animals went away. Fleet-
f oot and Willow-grouse were left with-
out food. They ate a piece of sun-
dried meat which Willow-grouse had left in a tree; and
when that was gone, they put on their snowshoes and
started toward the south.
Before many days had passed, they arrived at the
cave of the Bison clan. There they were made so wel-
come that they stayed for two moons.
It was during this time that the Bison clan learned
to use the throwing-stick. While Fleetfoot taught the
use of the throwing-stick, Flaker made wonderful har-
poons. And as fast as Fleetfoot found new ways of
using weapons in hunting, Flaker invented new
weapons for the men to use.
Ever since Fleetfoot had been away, Flaker had
been working at harpoons. He had made harpoon
heads with two or three barbs, and now he was trying
to make a harpoon with four or five barbs on each side.
It took a long while to make a harpoon with many
beautiful barbs. It took more patience to make it than
How Fleetfoot and Willow-grouse Spent the Winter 155
most of the Cave-men had. For when Flaker traced a
regular outline of the <harpoon on one side of the antler,
he traced the same outline upon the other side. Then he
cut upon these lines, and he shaped the barbs one by one,
until he had made them all of the same shape and size.
He finished the base of the head with a large ridge
near the end so as to make it easy to attach it to the
shaft. Then he traced Fleetfoot's property -mark upon
it, and thought that it was done.
But Willow-grouse, who
had been watch-
ing him, spoke
up and said, "No,
there is one thing more.
You must put a groove
in each of the barbs to
carry the magic poison.1
And so, although Wil-
low-grouse learned a
great deal from watching
Flaker use his tools, she
taught him something he
did not know.
When the harpoon was
really fin-
ished, Flaker
gave it to Fleet-
foot. And all the
Cave-men gathered around
" // 'was during this time that the Bison
tO See the new harpOOn. clan learned to use the throwing-stick"
156
The Later Cave-men
When everybody had seen it, Fleetfoot placed the
harpoon upon his throwing-stick and hurled it again
and again. To the people who stood near, the barbs
carried the harpoon through the air like the wings of a
bird. The deep grooves which held the poison carried
sure death with each wound. And the throwing-stick
with which it
was hurled
helped in get-
ting a firm
hold and a sure
am.
Harpoons with several barbs.
THINGS TO DO
Find a piece of soft wood and trace the outline of a harpoon upon
it. See if you can whittle a harpoon with barbs.
Experiment until you can tell whether you like to have a ridge on
the base of the harpoon head.
Draw one of these pictures : —
"Heavy snowstorms came and the wild animals went away."
Fleetfoot and Willow-grouse find some dried meat in a tree.
Fleetfoot and Willow-grouse arrive at the cave of the Bison clan.
Flaker working at the barbed harpoon.
" The barbs carried the harpoon through the air like the wings of
a birdr
XXXVII
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
How did people sew before they had needles ? What bones do you
think the Cave-men would use first in making needles and awls ? Why
would people want the hardest bones for needles ?
How Willow-grouse Learned to Make Needles
See if you can find out where the hardest bones are found.
See if you can think of all the things that would have to be
done in making a needle out of a piece of ivory or a large bone.
Why do we sometimes wax thread ? What do you think
the Cave-men would use instead of wax ?
Why did the Cave men make holes in their awls ? What
were the first holes which they made in their needles used for ?
How do you think they would think of carrying the thread
through the needle's eye ?
Why do we use thimbles when we sew? When do you
think people began to use thimbles ? What do you think the
first thimbles were like ?
How Willow-grouse Learned to Make
Needles
Willow-grouse soon made friends
with the women. They admired the clothing
she wore, and they wanted to learn how to
polish skins and to make beautiful clothing.
So Willow-grouse showed the women how to
polish skins and to make them into beautiful
garments.
While the women sewed with bone awls,
Willow-grouse watched Flaker, who was
sawing a bone with a flint saw.
It was soon after this that Willow-grouse learned to
make needles of large hard bones. The first ones she
made were not very beautiful needles. They were not
so smooth nor so round as the awls she had made of
bird's bones. But she made a beginning and after a
while all the women learned to make fine needles.
A large
bone
needle.
A bone awl.
158
The Later Cave-men
A bone
from which the
Cave-men have
sawed out
slender rods for
needles.
A piece of
sandstone used
by the Cave-
men in making
needles.
They made the needles
of a hard bone which
they took from the leg
: ./'. of a horse. They traced
out the lines they wished
to cut just as Flaker traced
the harpoon. Then they
sawed out slender rods and
whittled one end to a point. The
other end they made thin and flat,
for this was the end where the
hole was made.
They made the rods round
and smooth by drawing them
back and forth on a piece of
soft sandstone. This made long grooves in the sand-
stone, which became deeper and deeper every time
the sandstone was used. Then they polished the rods
by drawing them back
and forth between the
teeth Of a flint COmb. A flint comb used in rounding and
The first needles had polishing needles.
no eyes. They were more like awls and pins, than
needles. Perhaps the first eyes were made in needles
to keep them from getting lost.
It was hard work to saw the bone rods and to round
and polish them.
No wonder the
A flint saw used in making needles of bone taken WOmen did HOt
from the leg of a horse. Want to lose
How Willow-grouse Learned to Make Needles 159
them. No wonder they bored little holes in the
thin flat end and hung them about their necks
It may have been Willow-grouse who first dis-
covered that the eye of the needle could carry the
thread. She may have discovered it when she
was playing with a needle she carried on a cord.
At any rate, the women soon learned to sew with
the thread through the needle's eye. And then
they began to make finer needles with very
„ A short
Small eyes. needle of
These fine needles were used at first in sew- bone'
ing the softest skins. They were used, too, in sewing
trimming on beautiful garments. But when the women
_,,. ~ sewed the hard skins, instead of a needle
Mfe**,- they used a bone awl.
At the meeting of the clans in the
A#nnfhr™d£gd salmon season, the Cave-men wore
fibers. their most beautiful garments. And
soon the clans began to vie with one another in
wearing the most beautiful skins. And the women
hunted for the choicest sands to use in polishing
their needles. They still gave the first polish with
a piece of sandstone or a gritty pebble. But when
they gave the last polish the women used a powder
of the finest sand.
Instead of beeswax, the women used marrow
which they kept in little bags. Instead of a thim-
ble, they used a small piece of leather. And instead
of pressing the seams with a hot iron, they A l n
made them smooth with a rounded stone. needle of
done.
160 The Later Cave-men
From the tough sinews of the large animals, every
Cave-man made his own thread. All the children
learned to prepare sinew and to shred the fibers with
a jagged flint comb.
THINGS TO DO
Find bones which you can make into needles. See if you can find a
piece of flint for a saw.
Find a piece of sandstone with which you can polish yo2ir needle.
Make a collection of the different kinds of sand in your neigJiborhood
and tell what they can be used for.
Make a collection of needles and find out Jiow they were made.
XXXVIII
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
If the animals went away in search of shelter from the storms,
do you think the Cave-men would know where they went ? What do
you think they would say when they
noticed that the animals had
gone ?
How did the Cave-men
learn what they knew ? Why
did they make more mistakes
Two views of a curved bone tool used by than people do to-day ?
the Cave-men in polishing skins. TTT1 , *•••*.,.-*•
What changes did the
Cave-men see take place in the buds ? in seeds ? in eggs ?
When they found shells in the hard rocks instead of in the water,
what do you suppose they would think ?
Have you ever heard any one say " It rained angleworms ?"
Have you ever heard any one say that cheese or meat had "changed
to maggots ?"
Can you tell what really happened in each of these cases ?
Can you see how stories of animals that turned into men could be
started ? Is there anything that we can learn from these stories ?
How Flaker Became a Priest and a Medicine Man 161
How Flaker Became a Priest and a
Medicine Man
The winter was long and stormy Wild animals
found little food. Herds of horses and reindeer went to
the lowland forests. Game was scarce on the wooded
hills. Few horses or reindeer were seen near the
caves. The trails were filled with snow and every-
thing seemed to tell of the coming of a famine.
The people ate the frozen meat that was left neai
the caves, and when they found they could get no more
they began to pray to their gods. "O, Big Bear," they
prayed, "send us thine aid. Help us now or we die.
Drive the horses and reindeer out of thy caverns. Send
them back to our hunting grounds/'
When the first rumor of famine came, Fleetfoot took
down his drum. And he set out over the hills to call a
meeting of the brotherhood.
At the first sound of the drumbeat, the people knew
what it meant. Everybody felt a gleam of hope. The
young men passed the signal along and fresh courage
came to the hearts of the people in the neighboring
clans.
Buckling their hunger-straps around them, the
young men started at Fleetfoot's call. They met near
the Bison clan's cave. There they told of the heavy
snowstorms and the disappearance of the herds. They
told of the beginnings of famine and considered ways
of finding food.
11
162 The Later Cave-men
Some said, ' ' Let us leave the old hunting grounds for
our elders. Let us take wives and go to far away lands. "
Others said, "No, let us dwell together and let each
clan keep its own hunting ground."
"But how can we dwell together," said one, "when
there is not food enough for all?"
The silence which followed the young man's question
showed that no one could reply. It was then that
Fleetfoot turned to Flaker and asked him to speak
what was in his mind. And Flaker arose, and turning
his eyes toward the heavens, he
raised his baton, whereupon all
the young men were silent.
Then he turned to the young
men and said, "The gods will
surely provide food for the hun-
A Cave-man's engraving A »
of two herds of wild horses, gry Cave-men.
"But the people need food
and game is scarce," said one of the brave young men.
"How can we prevent the famine? How can we make
the gods understand?"
' ' Remember the Big Bear, " said Flaker. ' ' He heard
our prayer when we made his likeness on stone. Let
us make likenesses of the animals. The gods will then
understand our prayers and send many herds to our
hunting grounds."
Saying this, Flaker picked up a flint point and a flat
piece of stone and quickly engraved two herds of wild
horses. The young men believed in the power of
magic. And when they saw Flaker engraving the
How Flaker Became a Priest and a Medicine Man 163
A Cave-man's
herds, they believed the wild horses would come.
And so they all tried to make the likeness of
an animal they wished to hunt.
When they had made offerings to the
gods, the young men were ready to go out
to hunt. Flaker stayed at the cave, but it
was he who directed them in the right way.
He remembered all that the Cave-men had
said about the reindeer and the wild
horses. And so when they started Flaker of w
said, "Follow the trail to the dense forests."
It so happened that just as the young men were
starting to hunt, the herds were coming back from the
forests. And so the young men had great success, and
soon all the Cave-men had plenty of food.
When the young men returned to
their homes, they had strange stories to
tell. They said that Flaker had brought
back the herds by his wonderful magic.
They showed the engravings they had
made and told of their magical power.
And so wherever stories of Fleetf oot's
bravery went, stories of Flaker' s magic
were told. And just as Fleetf oot worked
to learn all the arts of the hunter, so
Flaker worked to learn the arts which
made him both a priest and a medicine
man.
A Cave-man's Flaker listened to all the stories that
engr™ndeger°f * were told by the best hunters. He ques-
164 The Later Cave-men
tioned them eagerly and learned many things which
the hunters themselves soon forgot. He learned the
haunts of the wild animals in the various seasons. He
knew where to look for the best feeding grounds and
the places of shelter from storms.
And so when the fame of Flaker was noised about
among all the clans, people came from near and from
far to make gifts and to get his advice.
THINGS TO DO
Find soft wood or stone and see if you can engrave some animal on it.
Find a stick with branches and carve the head of some animal upon
the end of the short branches.
Dramatize this story.
Draw one of these pictures : —
Fleetfoot starting out with his drum.
Flaker speaking to the young men of the brotherhood.
Flaker inquiring of returning hunters about the game and the
feeding grounds.
Strangers coming with gifts to get Flaker s advice.
XXXIX
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
Think of as many simple ways of catching fish as you can. How
do you think the Cave-men fished ?
What do you think people mean when they say that some one is
living a " hand-to-mouth " life ?
How do you think people learned to dry meat, fish, or fruit ?
Why would the people honor the one who taught them to preserve
food by drying it ?
Can you think of anything which could be used as food when it
was boiled, that would not be a good food eaten raw ?
How the Cave-men Learned to Boil and to Dry Foods 165
Name a bitter vegetable. What happens to the water in which a
bitter vegetable is boiled ?
Name a sweet vegetable. What happens to the water in which a
sweet vegetable is boiled ?
What do you mean by " parboiling ?"
Do you think the Cave-men will learn how to boil food ?
How the Cave-men Learned to Boil and to
Dry Foods
Again the salmon feast came, and again the neigh-
boring clans camped at the rapids. This time they
caught more salmon than they had ever caught before.
And this was the summer that the Cave-men began to
dry salmon and to fish with harpoons.
It was Willow-grouse who thought of drying salmon,
and carrying it to the caves. She remembered the
berries dried on the bushes, and the dried meat she
found in a tree. No doubt all the Cave-men had eaten
dried meat many times before. Often the Cave-men
left strips of meat hanging from the trees.
Anybody could leave meat which he did not care
to eat. Anybody could eat meat which had been dried
in the sun. But not every one was bright enough to
think of drying meat.
Chew-chew had never dried meat, nor had any of
the women. It was enough for them to prepare the
meat which they needed day by day. Few of the
people ever thought of laying up stores for the morrow.
They lived a "hand-to-mouth" life.
But Willow-grouse remembered the famines. She
166 The Later Cave-men
knew food was scarce in the early spring. And when
she saw the river full of salmon, she thought of the
sun-dried meat.
And so Willow-grouse caught some salmon and
cleaned them and hung them on the branches of a tree.
And when they had dried, she took them down and the
Cave-men said that dried salmon were good And so all
the people caught salmon and dried them in the sun.
The first few days the people fished as they had
fished before. They waded in the water and caught
salmon with their hands, or they stunned them with
clubs or with stones. But soon the men began to catch
salmon by spearing them with barbed harpoons.
Afterward the Cave-men fished with har-
poons which had barbs on only one side.
Perhaps they first used a broken harpoon.
Perhaps they found they could throw with
a surer aim when the barbs were on only
one side. At any rate, the Cave-men used
harpoons with barbs on one side for fishing,
while they used harpoons with barbs on
both sides when they went out to hunt.
It was about the time of the salmon feast
that people began to boil food. Pigeon first
boiled food to eat. She remembered the
broth and partly boiled meat which Chew-
chew said the gods had left. And she
boiled meat and gave it to the men, and
they all sounded her praises.
For a while the only boiling pot Pigeon
used for fishing.
How the Cave-men Learned to Boil and to Dry Foods 167
used was a hole in the ground which she lined
with a skin. Then she used a water-tight basket
for boiling little things.
Pigeon always boiled by dropping hot stones
into the water. She had never heard of a boil-
ing-pot which could be hung over the fire.
She had never heard of a stove. The Cave-men
knew nothing about such things as stoves. It
would have done them no good if they had, for
their boiling-pots could not stand the heat. So
instead of putting the boiling-pot over the fire,
the Cave-men brought the fire to the boiling-
pot by means of hot stones.
In times of famine, Pigeon learned to A flint harpoon
wM one barb-
boil all sorts of roots and leaves. Many
bitter plants, when boiled, were changed so that they
tasted very well. Some plants which were poison when
eaten raw were changed to good foods by being boiled.
And so the young women had their share in
procuring food for the clans. While the young
men invented new weapons for hunting, and
tried to control the animals by magic, the young
women learned to preserve foods and to keep
them for times when game was scarce.
When the end of the salmon feast came, the
people had dried many salmon. It was soon
after this that the young men captured wives
and took them to new hunting grounds.
And one of the very bravest young men
was the one who captured Pigeon.
168 The Later Cave-men
THINGS TO DO
Find some kind of raw food which you can dry. Dry it and tell
what happens. What dried foods do we eat ? In what kind of a place
do we keep dried foods ?
Find the best way of boiling bitter vegetables. Tell what happens
when you boil them. Find the best way of boiling sweet vegetables.
Draw one of these pictures: —
Catching salmon just below the rapids.
Drying salmon.
Pigeon boiling meat for the Cave-men.
XL
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
Do you think that any of^the young men and their wives would live
with Fleetf oot and Willow-grouse ? Where do you think Flaker will live ?
Can you think why Willow-grouse would take great pains to em-
broider her baby's clothing ?
Why would Willow-grouse want pretty colors ? Think of new ways
she might find of getting pretty colors. How could she get the color
out of plants into the stuff she wished to color ?
Why was it easier to make pretty dyes after people knew how to boil ?
The New Home
A year or so passed and Fleetf oot and Willow-grouse
were settled with their kinsfolk in a new rock shelter.
Its framework was covered with heavy skins instead
of woven branches. Heavy bone pegs and strong
thongs served to keep the skins in place.
Flaker and other young men with their wives lived
in the rock shelter. There were little children, too, and
tiny babies.
The New Home
169
Willow-grouse had a baby and she
thought he was a wonderful child. She
dressed him in the softest skins which
she embroidered with a prayer. And she
hung a bear's tooth about his neck be-
cause she thought it was a charm. In
winter she put him in a skin cradle and
wrapped him in the warmest furs. In summer
he played in a basket cradle which Willow-
grouse wove on a forked stick,
In all that Willow-grouse did, she always
asked the gods for help. The baskets she
made for boiling food,
were also prayers to the
gods.
She searched for the
choicest grasses and spread
them on a clean spot to dry.
No one knew so well as
Willow-grouse when to
gather the twigs. She knew the sea-
son when they were full-grown and
gathered them before the sap had har-
dened. She gathered them when the
barks peeled easily and when the rich
juices flowed.
When the twigs were gathered the
women soaked them and peeled off the
bark. They left some of the twigs round,
but others they made into flat splints.
" In summer he
played in the
basket cradle
which Willow-
grouse wove
on a forked
stick"
170
The Later Cave-men
First step in
coiled basketry.
Second step in
coiled basketry.
Sometimes they stained
them with the green
rind of nuts, and some-
times they dyed them
with pretty dyes.
Instead of weaving
the baskets, Willow-
grouse sewed them with
an over-and-over stitch.
In this way she made the soft grasses into a firm basket.
She began by taking a wisp of grass in the left hand
and a flat splint in the other. She wound the splint
around the wisp a few times then turned the wrapped
portion upon itself. When she had fastened it with a
firm stitch, again she wound the splint around the wisp
and took another stitch.
Sometimes Willow-grouse made
baskets for boiling food, and some-
times she made them for carrying
water. The baskets she prized most
were the ones into which she put a
prayer. The prayer was a little pat-
tern which she made for a picture of one of
the gods. Sometimes it was a wild animal
and sometimes it was a bird. Sometimes it was
the flowing river and sometimes a mountain
peak. And sometimes it was a flash of light-
ning, and sometimes it was the sun.
All the Cave-men wanted the gods to be
friendly and they wanted them to stay near.
Three rows
of coiled
work.
Greybeard, now old and feeble, walked
all the way to the spot. "
172 The Later Cave-men
That is why they took so much pains in making pictures
of them. That is why that soon after the rock shelter
was made they engraved a reindeer upon the wall.
Greybeard, now old and feeble, walked all the way
to the spot. Fleetfoot and Flaker wanted him to per-
form the magic rites.
Not all the people who lived there were allowed to
take part in the ceremonies. Only the
grown people were allowed to see the
first part. And only the wisest and brav-
est ones went into the dark shelter.
For a moment, those who went in
stood in silence waiting for a sign. Then,
by the light of a torch, Fleetfoot
chiseled a reindeer on the hard rock,
and Greybeard, holding a rein-
deer skull, murmured earnest
prayers.
A feeling of awe came over
them while they worked.
They began to feel that the
god of the reindeer was really
there with them. They asked the
A 'water basket. god t() take gQod care Qf ^Q^ wh()
lived in the rock shelter, and to send many herds
of reindeer to the Cave-men's hunting grounds.
THINGS TO DO
Make a rock shelter with walls of skin instead of plaited branches.
Use bone pegs to keep the curtains drawn tight.
Find a forked stick and several smaller ones and make a framework
How the Clans United to Hunt the Bison 173
for a basket-cradle. If you cannot weave such a cradle as the one shown
in the picture, make one in some other way and fasten it to the frame-
work.
Find grasses and splints and see if you can make a sewed mat or
basket. Make a simple pattern for your mat.
Look at the picture of a water basket. Why do you think it was
made to bulge near the bottom ? Why was the bottom made flat ? Why
was tJie neck made narrow ? Why were handles put on this basket ?
Tell or write a story about this basket.
Turn to the frontispiece and find a picture with this legend: "A feel-
ing of awe came over them while they worked."
XLI
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
What might happen that would lead the Cave-men to work
together ? At what times might the clans help one another ?
Think of as many ways as you can of making tents out of poles
and skins.
How the Clans United to Hunt the Bison
In spite of all the Cave-men did to appease the wrath
of the gods, it seemed to them that a powerful god was
trying to do them harm. Soon after the bison came,
the grass near the caves disappeared. Then the herds
scattered and the Cave-men said, ' ' The god has driven
them away."
As the word passed from cave to cave, all the people
were frightened. Wise men shook their heads and
looked about in despair. Then it was that the younger
men spoke of Fleetfoot and Flaker.
174 The Later Cave-men
Scarface knew of Fleetfoot's courage. And when he
heard of Flaker's magical power, he sent messengers,
bearing gifts, to invite them with their people to a
meeting of the clans.
Fleetfoot and Flaker accepted the gifts and made
ready to go. The women made a stretcher for Flaker.
And when they had buried their household treasures,
all set out to the meeting of the clans.
They arrived at the Fork !of the River where Fleet-
foot had lived when he was a child. There the fright-
ened clans had gathered to seek aid against a common
foe.
When the people saw Flaker upon the stretcher, their
voices were hushed and all was still. And when
Flaker, arising, fixed his eyes upon something that no
one else could see, they scarcely breathed. They
were sure that something was going to happen.
Instead of offering gifts, Flaker threatened the angry
god. He made faces at him; he shook his fists, and he
made a great noise. And the people, becoming excited,
joined Flaker in making threats. They made faces,
they joined hands, they danced about and they made
such a horrible noise that they began to feel that the
god was frightened and that he had gone away.
When the ceremony was ended, the people hoped to
find the herds. Scarface asked for young men to go
ahead and act as scouts. Several young men at once
stepped forward from different parts of the circle of the
clans. And Scarface selected Fleetfoot and Blackcloud
to go in search of the herds.
How the Clans United to Hunt the Bison
175
The people listened as Scarface spok
thus to the young men: "Go follow
the tracks, listen to each sound; find
where the herds are feeding. Do not
frighten them away. Return quickly
and report what you have seen. If
you speak not the truth when you
return, may the fire burn you; may the lightning strike
you; may the Big Bear shut you in his dark cavern!"
The scouts nodded their heads, and looked to Flaker
for a sign. And Flaker, turning to the scouts, said,
"The gods will lead you. Follow where the
green grass is cropped. Follow where
the grass is trampled. These are the
signs which the gods will give to
show that you are on the right way."
The scouts departed. The first
day the clans made ready to move.
The second day the scouts returned and brought
news of the herds. The third day all the clans were
traveling toward the fertile plains.
Fleetfoot and Blackcloud led the way and at midday
caught sight of the herds. At once, Fleet-
foot gave the signal and Scarface
ordered the clans to stop. Then the
men prepared to attack the herds,
while the women built the tents.
There were no large trees in
sight, but there were a few small ' pulled one side so
. 1 . - - - 1 a s to show the ends of the
ones. A grassy plain stretched all poles which support
the roof.
A Cave-man's
engraving of a tent
showing the exterior.
176
The Later Cave-men
Framework showing the best kind of a
tent made by the Cave-men.
around for a long, long way. And
so the women built their tents
out of slender saplings.
Most of the women made
a framework by lean-
-V itig poles against the
|p branch of a tree. The
roof and the walls of
such a tent were one and
the same thing. Willow-
grouse and her companions tried a different way.
It was by trying different ways in the different places
where they camped, that the women at length learned
to make tents with the roof separated from the wall.
The Cave-men made pictures of some of these tents
upon a piece of antler.
When the men parted from the women,
they considered ways of attacking the herd.
It was hard to approach it on the grassy plain
without being seen. And the men knew that if
the herd was alarmed, it would gallop far away.
At length Fleetfoot showed the Cave-men a
plan for surrounding the herd. And he asked
who would volunteer to follow two leaders in
separate lines.
All the bravest men volunteered, for they were
e^ger to make an attack. Fleetfoot placed them
in two lines and told them what each one
was to do.
Fleetfoot led one of the lines through the
A
tent pin
How the Clans United to Hunt the Bison 177
grass to the right, and Blackcloud led the other to the
left. They crept softly through the tall grass until
they had surrounded the herd. Approaching the herd
cautiously, they drew nearer and nearer together.
Fleetfoot gave the signal to attack when they were
about a spear's throw away At once the harpoons
whizzed through the air and struck many a mortal
blow. The bison were taken by surprise and they
attempted to escape. But no sooner had they run from
one side than they were attacked from the other.
Many a bison was killed that day and many others
were wounded. Many of the Cave-men carried away
marks of an ugly bison's horns.
But all of the people had food and all the people
were happy. And to show that they honored both
Fleetfoot and Flaker they bored holes through their
batons.
THINGS TO DO
Make such a stretcher as you think the women made to carry Flaker.
Make tents whose roof and walls are one and the same thing. Make
a tent whose roof and walls are separated. Tell how you think people
learned to make such perfect tents.
Dramatize one of the following scenes and then draw a picture i£
illustrate it : —
The fear of the people at the disappearance of the herds
Bearing gifts to Fleetfoot and Flaker.
Flaker threatening the angry god.
Sending the scouts.
Surrounding the herds.
Showing honors to Fleet fcof and Flaker
178 The Later Cave-men
XLII
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
If there were not men enough to surround a herd can you think of
anything the Cave-men might do to drive them where they wanted
them to go ?
How do we get animals into traps ?
Why do you think people first began to make fences and walls ?
How do you think they used them ?
Why do we have fences ? What do we use them for ?
How Things were Made to Do the Work
of Men
When the clans returned to their own hunting
grounds, they could not surround the large herds.
There were not enough men in one cave to hunt in this
way Sometimes they partly surrounded a herd and
drove the animals over a cliff, but unless the herd was
near the cliff, there were not enough men to drive them.
And so the men tried to coax the animals to the edge
of the cliff. Sometimes they did it by imitating the
cries the animals made. Sometimes they did it by
dressing so as to look like the animals themselves.
But even then they often failed to get the animals into
their trap.
It was when Fleetfoot saw a bison frightened by a
feather that he thought of making things do the work
of live men.
The greater part of the day the bison fed some dis-
tance from the cliff. Fleetfoot wanted to find a way of
How Things were Made to Do the Work of Men 179
driving them up to the very edge. The bison drive
which he invented was the way he succeeded in doing it.
It was shaped like a letter V with the point cut off
The sides were piles of brush, or stones, or vines
stretched from tree to tree. At the edge of the cliff
where they started, the sides were only a short distance
apart. But the farther out they extended, the farther
they were apart.
Men, women, and children joined in making the
bison drive. They piled stones and heaped up brush,
and they hunted for long vines. Then they hunted
for feathers and bits of fur, which they tied along the
lines.
Flaker performed the magical ceremony before the
hunt began. Fleetfoot dressed in a bison's skin so as
to coax the herd along Women and children hid
behind piles of stone and brush. And the men formed
themselves in line far out from the cliffs in the rear of
the herd.
Everybody kept still until Fleetf oot's signal sounded.
Then the men sprang up and with loud shouts they ran
after the herd. The bison saw Fleetfoot in disguise;
and, thinking he was one of the herd, they followed
where he led.
When the bison came near a pile of stones a woman
or child frightened them. When they came near the
fence of vines they were frightened away by the
feathers and fur And so the herd kept on toward
the steep cliff
And with loud shouts and drumbeats, with the clat-
180 The Later Cave men.
ter of weapons and hard hoofs, the bellowing herd
galloped madly on toward the steep cliff. Then Fleet-
foot, throwing off his disguise, slipped under one of the
lines; but the frantic herd rushed headlong to the brink
of the precipice. Then, seeing the danger, the fore-
most ones attempted to escape. But the maddened
herd pressed blindly on and pushed them over the cliff.
After such a hunt as this, there was food enough
for many days. Very likely the women dried meat
during this time.
THINGS TO DO
Model in your sand-box a good place for the bison drive. Make the
drive and show what happened from first to last.
Draw one of these pictures : —
Bison feeding some distance from the cliff.
Building a bison drive.
Fleet foot leading the herd.
The bison at the edge of the cliff.
Drying meat.
XLIII
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
Can you think why people make rules and laws ? Why do we have
them?
What kind of rules and laws do you think the Cave-men made ?
What laws do you think they would make about hunting animals ?
What laws would they make about the use of plants ?
What people did the Cave-men honor most ? What must any one
do to be honored? What were some of the signs that a man was
honored ?
When dangerous work needs to be done, what kind of men and
women are needed ?
After the bison hunt.
182 The Later Cave-men
How the Cave-men Rewarded aivd Punished
the Clansmen
Again the clans went to hunt on the fertile plains.
Again the women built the tents while the men went
out to hunt. But before the tents were finished, the
women heard the thunder of the galloping herd. Angry
shouts followed, and the women began to feel alarmed.
All the men were angry with Blackcloud. He had
frightened the herd away. Fleetfoot had planned to
surround the bison as they were surrounded before.
But a stronger and braver young
man than Blackcloud,
helped Fleetfoot
lead the lines.
Handle of a Cave-man's "^^^^fc Nobody dreamed
hunting-knife with engraving ^^^ t In Q t "R1 n r Vr 1 n 1 1 rl
of a man hunting the bison. inal 3iaCKClOUQ
would do it. Everybody
knew that each one must be careful not to frighten
the herd. The men crept quietly through the grass
when they saw a bison browsing near the line. But
when Blackcloud saw a young cow, he rushed forward
and made an attack.
The loud bellow of the wounded cow gave the alarm
to the herd. And before the Cave-men could stop
them, the bison were galloping madly away.
And so all the men were angry with Blackcloud.
Bighorn wanted to have him flogged. Others wanted
How Cave-men Rewarded and Punished Clansmen 183
A hunter's
tally
to kill him. He dared not come near them
for many days. No. one would hunt with
him, and no one would give him food.
Afterward, when he begged to be taken
back, the people let him come. But first
they gave him a hard flogging in the
presence of the clan.
As years passed, the custom grew of mak-
ing rules for the hunt. And those who broke
any of the rules were punished by the clan.
Every day the Cave-men recited the brave
deeds of the clan. They watched every one
carefully, so as to know who the brave men
were. Those who were found most useful
to the clan were given special honors. And when a man
did a very brave deed he was given a hole in his baton.
Brave hunters, besides keeping trophies, engraved a
record of their brave deeds. Sometimes they kept a
hunter's tally, and sometimes they engraved the animal
they killed.
Many of the Cave-men engraved these records upon
the weapons they used in the chase. They believed
that the weapons which had such engravings were of
great value for
their magical pow-
ers. The wise
men, who led the
people, engraved
their records upon
Fragment of Cave warts baton engraved with
reindeer.
their batons.
184
The Later Cave-men
Others engraved them upon their trophies or upon
bone hairpins which they used in their hair.
The engraving of a seal
upon a bear's tooth
probably recorded
a trip to the sea,
while the rude
'sketch of the mam-
moth made on the
mammoth's tusk, prob-
ably recorded a great hunt.
By all these signs of brave deeds, the Cave-men
knew who the brave men were. And these same
records help to tell the story of THE LATER CAVE-MEN.
Engraving of a seal upon
a bear's tooth.
THINGS TO DO
Write out some of the rules you have helped make for your games.
Do you think the rules are good ones ?
See if you can engrave or carve an ornament on some weapon you
have made. Before doing it, think what you would like to have the
ornament mean.
Draw one of these pictures : —
"All the Cave-men were angry with Blackcloud"
Engraving records upon tropJiics and batons.
Tell a story of how bone hairpins came to be used.
Tell a story of the Cave-men's trip to the sea.
Tell a story of a mammoth hunt.
A Cave-man's hairpin engraved with wild horses.
I ^HE Industrial and Social History Series," of which this is the
I third number, emphasizes, first of all, the steps in the develop-
ment of industrial and social life. But in addition to its use as
a series of text -books in history or social science, it has a place as a
mode of approach to the different subjects included in the curriculum
of the elementary school. Whether the work suggested under "Things
to Think About" and "Things to Do" is carried out in the period
devoted to the study and recitation known as history (possibly some
may prefer to call it reading), or in those periods devoted to geography,
nature study, language, constructive work, and art, is largely a question
of administration. The point for the teacher to make sure of is that
the interests of the child which are aroused through the use of the
books be utilized not merely in history, but in geography, nature study,
reading, language, constructive work, and art. If this is done, subjects
which too long have been isolated from the interests of real life, will
become the means of stimulating and enriching all of the activities of
the child.
The list of references and the tabulated facts presented in The
Early Cave-men, pp. 159-165, will be of service to the teacher who
wishes to engage in a further study of the subject.
SPECIAL SUGGESTIONS
Lesson I. It seems best to let the child read the first story before
asking questions. Afterwards, however, the following questions may
be of service: Did you ever see a reindeer? Where do reindeer live
[185]
186 The Later Cave-men
now? Where were the reindeer at the time of the Tree-dwellers?
Where were they at the time of the early Cave-men? (See The Tree-
dwellers, pp. 125-129, and The Early Cave-men, pp. 163-167.) Why did
the reindeer come to the wooded hills by the caves at the time of the
Cave-men ? Why do reindeer live in herds ? Name other animals that
live in herds. Do you think the reindeer herds would stay near the
caves all the year?
Should any child inquire how we know that it was once very cold
here, tell him of the tracks that the glaciers made, and of the work of
the glaciers in grinding hard rocks so as to make fertile soil. Let the
children turn to the picture of a glacier on page 136, and let them
hunt for a rock which has markings made by glacial action. But
reserve the fine points of this topic for a later period.
The children will be helped to get a conception of the great number
of reindeer in a herd partly through the story, partly through illustra-
tions, and partly through tearing reindeer from paper and mounting
them so as to represent great herds. The child's experiences in seeing
processions or large numbers of people assembled can also be used in
forming a picture of the large number of reindeer that met at the ford.
In this and in succeeding lessons, which refer to the women carry-
ing the fresh meat to the cave, remember that animals no larger than
the reindeer were carried to the cave. Larger animals, such as the
wild horse, the cow, and the bison, were divided on the spot. The
bones having the greater amount of flesh were removed from the carcass
and carried to the cave where the flesh was eaten and the bones left.
Three women could carry the flesh of one bison without the skin. When
the skins were good they were carried to the cave. In addition to the
skin and the flesh the Cave-men prized the head as a trophy and also
as a means of gaining control over the animals by sympathetic magic.
All the skulls were broken, probably for the sake of removing the brains,
which are usually considered a delicacy among primitive peoples.
Lesson II. Help the children to see that when people had no books,
the person who knew most was of great service to the clan. The
older people, because they had more experience, took the place of books.
That is one reason why people were glad to take care of older and wiser
Suggestions to Teachers 187
people than themselves, when the latter were no longer able to do hard
work.
Lesson III. This lesson illustrates one form which education among
primitive peoples takes. Relate what is given regarding the speed of
the wild horse in the lessons on pp. 61-71, in The Tree -dwellers,
which show the influence of such flesh-eating animals as wolves in
developing the speed of the wild horse on the grassy uplands.
Lesson IV, This lesson illustrates the ideas of primitive peoples
regarding sickness and methods of treating the sick, which consisted
largely of ceremonies for driving the "angry god," the "evil spirit,"
away. In dealing with a superstition of primitive peoples always
try to lead the child to discover the mistaken idea which gave rise to it.
Lesson V. Let the children experiment in making straight shafts.
The value of this work is not in the product — the shaft — but in its
power to arouse the inventive spirit, to call forth free activity, and to
yield an experience which lies at the basis of a great variety of subjects.
Reference: Katharine E. Dopp, The Place of Industries in Ele-
mentary Education, pp. 133, 140, 145.
Lesson VI. In most places throughout the United States there is
some one who has a small collection of Indian arrows. If the children
can see some of these arrows or other flint implements, it will add greatly
to their interest in this subject. In places where flint can be found, the
children should collect specimens and experiment in chipping and flaking
off small pieces. Where no flint is to be found, it is possible to get good
specimens by exchanging materials with children in other localities.
References: Katharine E. Dopp, The Place of Industries in Ele-
mentary Education, pp. 72, 138— 140.
Lessons VII and VIII. The habit horses have of pawing the ground
is thought to be a survival of the ancient habit of pawing snow away
from the grass. The horses and reindeer stayed in the neighborhood
of the caves all through the winter, going to protected places only in
times of severe storms. The bison and wild cattle, on the contrary,
went to the lowland plains and forests at the close of summer, and
returned only after the snow had melted.
Since few children now have the opportunity to observe the bison,
188 The Later Cave-men
and no child has the opportunity to see great herds, they must
rely upon books, pictures, and other symbols as sources for the
necessary facts. In bringing the sources of knowledge to the children,
the teacher should remember that the modern European bison, which
is a descendant of the aurochs of Pleistocene times, the species of
bison we are considering, is smaller than the ancient form. The Pleisto-
cene bison of Europe was similar to the American type that lived in
the woodlands.
Although the teacher should make use of available materials in
supplying herself with information regarding the bison, the following
summary is presented, especially for those who do not have access to
public libraries.
The bison are naturally shy, avoiding the presence of man; they
have a keen sense of smell, and hence man has difficulty in approaching
a herd, except from the leeward side. They have little intelligence,
are sluggish and timid, rarely attacking man or beast, except when
wounded or in self-defense. In migrating they travel in large herds, but
when feeding they separate into herds of about two or three hundred each.
The leader maintains his position by superior intelligence and brute force.
If he fails in duty he is punished. Scouts go ahead of the herd in search
of new pastures; and guards, or sentinels surround the herd and guard
it while feeding and during the night. When the guards have been on
duty awhile, they give place to fresh guards. In case of danger, the
guards give a signal of alarm by tossing up the head and bellowing
furiously. At this the leader gives a signal and the herd starts off at
once. Bison run swiftly for a short distance, but are not able to con-
tinue a rapid flight. They can run faster than cattle, however, and when
pursued always run against the wind. When surprised or wounded, they
turn upon their assailants and attack them furiously, fighting with horns
and hoofs. They show their rage by thrusting out the tongue, lashing
the tail, and projecting the eyes. At such times they are fierce and
formidable. The enemies of the bison are the carnivorous animals.
A herd of bison has no cause to be afraid of wolves or bears, but solitary
bison are often killed by these creatures. The cry of a bison resembles
that of a groan or grunt. In case the leader is killed and no bison is
Suggestions to Teachers 189
able to assert his authority, there is great confusion until the question
of leadership is settled.
References: Richard Irving Dodge, The Plains of the Great West, pp.
1 19-147. W. T. Hornaday, The Extermination of the American Bison, in
"The Smithsonian Report of the U. S. National Museum," 1887, pp.
367-548. Poole's Index will supply references to magazines, and the
encyclopedias and natural histories will furnish further facts.
Lessons IX and X. Boiling is such a common process that one
seldom thinks of the importance of the discovery of the art. These
lessons will show the child how people may have learned to boil and the
explanation they would be apt to give of the changes which take place
during the process. Boiling was undoubtedly used as a religious
ceremony long before it was used for cooking food.
Lessons XI and XII. If possible let the children take a field trip
in connection with these lessons. If there are no nuts or wild fruits to
gather, let the children gather fruits from a garden or some of the products
of the farm. The particular conditions in which the children are placed
will determine the form this lesson shall take. At any rate, there will
be an opportunity to observe birds, squirrels, or rabbits.
Lessons XIII and XIV. The shelter described is a very early form
and is important as a step in the evolution of shelter. The remains
found give ample evidence that such a form was adopted by the
Cave-men of France.
Lesson XV. It was a common practice among primitive peoples
to adopt a child or even a grown person into the clan. The custom is
important as revealing one method of introducing new ideas at a time
when means of communication were undeveloped.
The description of the method of softening skins by beating and
treading upon them illustrates the common use of rhythm and song as a
means of holding the attention to what otherwise would be tedious work.
Lessons XVI and XVII. The data for these lessons is taken from
drawings made by the Cave-men and from the results of anthropological
research among primitive peoples. It will be best not to confine the
children to any one mode of clothing, but to allow them to express their
own ideas regarding the first forms used.
190 The Later Cave-men
Lesson XVIIL In connection with this lesson the children will
be interested in observing the signs of a storm, the actions of animals
before and during a storm, methods they adopt to protect themselves,
as well as the animals and birds which migrate from the place where
the children live.
Lesson XIX. Let the children think of ways in which snowshoes
might be invented, and the things the Cave-men would be able to do
after having the snowshoes.
Lesson XX. The invention of traps requires more forethought
than the invention of weapons and was at a later date. The accidental
catching of animals in natural traps, such as vines, pot-holes, soft places
in the marshes and cliffs, offered a suggestion; and the tediousness of
lying in wait, on the one hand, and the danger of a direct conflict with
large animals, on the other, offered a strong motive for the use of nature's
suggestions in the way of traps. Undoubtedly women made a large
use of traps in catching the smaller animals before men gave much
attention to this mode of hunting.
If the children make as many simple traps as they can think of and
arrange them in the order of their complexity, they will be able after a few
months to work out a fairly complete series in the evolution of traps.
Lesson XXI. This lesson illustrates the constant interaction between
man's inventions and the animal's habits. A new invention which
gives man greater power in hunting, makes the animals more timid,
more watchful, more skillful in escaping from man's presence. Hence,
man is constantly stimulated to make new inventions, in order to be
successful in the hunt.
Reference: Katherine E. Dopp. The Place of Industries in Elementary
Education. (See Index under Animals and Traps.}
Lesson XXII No animal was more difficult to hunt than the wild
horse. Herds of horses were organized under a leader and sentinels
which were very alert in detecting the least sign of danger; and as
soon as the alarm was given, the herds would run with great speed until
they were out of sight When unable to escape they would fight furi-
ously with hoofs and teeth. When in need of a new pasture, scouts — the
old, experienced, wise, cautious, and observant members of the herd —
Suggestions to Teachers 191
would be sent out to search for good feeding grounds and to report to
the herd.
Lesson XXIII. Help the children to see that, although the children
of the caves did not go to such schools as we have, they had lessons
to learn and tests to take. Those who lived together had to learn to
work together. Each one must learn to be patient, brave, and self-
controlled. The thoughtless, impatient, and cowardly were apt to
prevent the capture of wild animals in the hunt, and to risk the lives
of their clansmen. Hence, from early childhood the old men and
women gave attention to teaching the children, preparing them for
the tests which must be passed before they ranked with the men and
women.
Lesson XXIV. Instances of stags meeting death by having their
horns interlocked are well known.
Lesson XXV. Encourage the children to notice the difference
between those animals which live in herds and those which lead a solitary
life. Although the dog has changed greatly since it was domesticated,
a study of the dog will be helpful in understanding the habits of
packs of wolves. Jack London's Call of the Wild, and Ernest Thompson
Seton's stories will be helpful in this connection. The cat, having
changed less than the dog, will furnish the child with a good type of
carniverous animals that lead a solitary life.
Lesson XXVI. From an examination of the skeletons which have
been referred to the late Pleistocene period, it is evident that the Cave-
men were able to treat wounds and to set bones. "No one could have
survived such wounds as we have described," writes Mr. Nadaillac,
"but for the care and nursing of those around him, such as the other
members of his tribe. The wounded one must have been fed by the
others for months; nay more, he must have been carried in migrations,
and his food and resting place must have been prepared for him."
Lesson XXVII. There was little difference between weapons and
tools until the period of the later Cave-men. A piece of chipped stone
served as a tool and a weapon. The children learned when they read
The Tree-dwellers how people used the tools in their bodies and how
they supplemented these by the use of natural tools, such as sticks,
192 The Later Cave-men
stones, shells, bones, and horns. In reading The Early Cave-men they
learned how people chipped flint and bound strong handles to heavy
spear points and axes. At this time they can learn how people came
to make use of new materials — materials which require the use of
tools in shaping into weapons. Tools had been used by women from
a very early time. The digging-stick, the hammer-stone, the chopper,
the knife, and the bone awl are tools which every woman used. Men,
on the contrary, were more interested in weapons than in tools, and it
is quite likely that the first steps which led to the differentiation of
tools from weapons was made by a man who had been wounded and
thus disabled for the hunt.
The incident of Bighorn making fun of the bone dagger is introduced
to illustrate the conservative tendency which is still present in society,
a tendency less powerful now than in early times, yet strong enough to
keep many people out of sympathy with the forces which work for
progress.
Let the children examine a real antler, if possible, and notice its
fitness for being made into a variety of tools and weapons. If no antler
can be found let them examine the picture of one, so as to determine
what part of it is used in making a dagger, a hammer, a baton, a tent
peg, and an awl.
Lesson XXV HI. The invention of the flint saw marks an important
step in the evolution of both tools and weapons. Without the saw it
would have been impossible to use such material as bone, horn, and
ivory. It is interesting to notice that the saw was at first not clearly
differentiated from the file and the knife, the three tools being united
in one piece of flint.
Lesson XXIX. In representing the action of a story by means of
pantomime, let the children choose a leader who shall take charge of
the action. Where this has been tried the results have been very satis-
factory. The children, because they feel the responsibility, are stimu-
lated to their best thought. The pleasure they take in the play leads
them to a far more careful study of the book than they would make
without this stimulus. In addition to this, it leads them to be alert in
making use of various sources of knowledge.
Suggestions to Teachers 193
Lesson XXX. Hunting peoples, because they live a hand-to-mouth
life, have either a feast or a famine. Game was so plentiful during the
late Pleistocene period that we may suppose that the Cave-men usually
had plenty of food. The time when a famine was most likely to occur
was early spring, before the grass furnished food for the herds which
came a little later. When food supplies begin to fail, the clan breaks
up into smaller groups, and, in case of great scarcity, each of these
groups subdivides so that food may be found.
The worship of the bear and other large animals can be traced back
to a very ancient period. It undoubtedly originated in the Pleistocene
period when man first stood in fear of these animals and tried to win
their favor by offering gifts.
Lesson XXXI. In Central France, the region from which the
greater part of the data used in this book is derived, small glaciers
were to be found in the upper portions of the mountain valleys, but
they did not extend far down the river valleys. In other places, how-
ever, glaciers extended far down into the lowlands.
While this is not the place for a thorough study of the glacier, it is
possible for the children of primary grades to understand certain phases
of the subject. The teacher who attempts to make clear the formation
of the glacier may find the following quotation from Prof. Shaler help-
ful: "When a glacial period comes upon a country, the sheets of ice
are first imposed upon the mountain tops, and then the ice creeps down
the torrent and river beds far below the snow line, in a manner now seen
in Switzerland and Norway. As long as the ice streams follow the
torrent -channels, they act in something like the fashions of the flowing
waters — to gouge out the rocks and deepen the valleys; but as the
glacial period advances and the ice sheet spreads beyond the mountains
enveloping the plains as well, when the glacier attains the thickness
of thousands of feet, it disregards the valleys in its movements and
sweeps on in majestic march across the surface of the country. As long
as the continental glaciers remain the tendency is to destroy the river
valleys. The result is to plane down the land and, to a certain extent,
to destroy all preexisting river valleys."
If this subject is studied while snow is on the ground it will be interest-
194 The Later Cave-men
ing to the children to experiment out of doors in making glaciers. If there
are no hills present the children can readily make small hills on their
playground and the falling and partial melting of the snow will do the rest.
Lesson XXXII. Neighboring clans are accustomed to meet at the
rapids of a river during the salmon season. At such places, and in all
places where abundant sources of food are to be found, neighboring
clans participate in feasting, dancing, and general merrymaking. Just
as scarcity of food tends to separate people, so abundance of food tends
to draw them together. At such gatherings people of different clans
exchange ideas, learn new ways of doing things and become accustomed
to act in larger groups for the accomplishment of a common purpose.
Lesson XXXIII. On the side of invention the throwing-stick is
a point to be emphasized in this lesson. On the side of social cooper-
ation, the organization of the brotherhood is the point of interest. Such
organizations are characteristic of primitive peoples, and similar organi-
zations among children are of common occurrence.
Lesson XXXIV. This lesson serves to bring out the contrast
between Fleet foot, the brave, active young man, who is beginning to
develop the arts which require great personal bravery and force, and
Flaker, the crippled young man, whose ability is directed toward the
development of tools and the arts which later make him a priest and
medicine man. Originally, there was no sharp distinction between the
priest and the medicine man. One person performed both functions,
and in many cases this person was a woman. Later, those who made
use of supplication and entreaty constituted the priesthood, while those
who attempted to frighten the gods were known as medicine men.
Lesson XXXV . Overhanging rocks were made use of for natural
shelters from the earliest times. The improvement of the natural shelter
by the addition of front and side walls was a later step and was doubtless
an invention of woman. The motives for such an invention may be
found in the fact that in many places near good hunting grounds there
were not enough caves to shelter the people. Under such circumstances,
as well as in districts where no caves abound, women would not be slow
to take advantage of the overhanging rocks and to use their ingenuity
in converting them into comfortable habitations.
Suggestions to Teachers 195
Let the children compare summer and winter skins, if possible; if
not, let them notice the difference between the horse's coat in winter
and summer.
Lesson XXXVI. To help the children to realize the importance of
the discovery of the use of poison, let the children think of the many
advantages which the Cave-men enjoyed because they could use it.
The dependence of man upon animals for his food supply is shown
here. The disappearance of the herds caused Fleet foot and Willow-
grouse to leave the rock-shelter. This is the beginning of a series of
events which culminates in a famine. With this in mind, the teacher
can emphasize the points which lead up to the famine.
Lesson XXXVII. Let the children bring together from various
sources the materials and tools required to make needles by the pro-
cesses of the Cave-men. Do not require the children to make needles,
but permit them to experiment with the materials so as to understand
the subject. If the children label and arrange the collection they
make in an orderly way, the work itself will be of great value to them,
and the collection will constitute an interesting feature in the children's
industrial museum.
Lesson XXXVIII. Such a lesson as this ought to be helpful in
freeing the child from superstitions without putting him out of sympathy
with people who entertain them. In their origin superstitions are
unsuccessful attempts to explain the phenomena of life. In spite of
the fact that many of the beliefs of mankind have been false, they have
served a useful purpose in the development of the individual and in
uniting individuals into social groups.
The art of the cave-men, as illustrated in this and in other lessons,
shows a belief in sympathetic magic, a belief that is universal among
primitive peoples. The fear formerly entertained by the American
Indians of having their photographs taken was due to a belief in sympa-
thetic magic. The one who possessed the likeness was supposed to have
some mysterious power over the person.
Help the children to distinguish between the things the Cave-men did
which really helped and those which they thought helped. Notice that
Flaker actually learned a great deal about the topography of the coun-
196 The Later Cave-men
try, the location of the best hunting grounds, the movements and habits
of the herds, and, because of this, was often able to give the Cave-men
good advice. The magical ceremonies he practiced were of use to him
in getting the people to believe in his wonderful power. (See, also,
notes under XXXIV.)
Lesson XXXIX. Although there was a great variety and abundance
of fish, not all the Cave-men used fish. From the remains which have
been found, however, we know that different clans used nearly all the
varieties of fish which still may be found in our rivers and lakes; and
we may readily believe that a salmon stream would be held as prop-
erty common to all the neighboring tribes, as it is to-day among hunt-
ing and fishing peoples.
Fishing tackle of the Cave-men was very crude. FisL were suffi-
ciently abundant, however, to be caught with the hands or by means
of stones and clubs. A fish hook made of a bear's tooth, by removing
the enamel and crown and lessening the thickness by rubbing, has been
found. The barbed harpoons, which were originally made for hunting,
were later used in spearing fish. Harpoons with barbs on both sides
were well adapted for throwing through the air, while those with barbs
on one side were better adapted for use in the water. An experiment
with a pencil in a glass of water will show the child that the part in the
water is not where it appears to be, and from this he can readily reach
the conclusion given above.
Lesson XL. If one will notice the clothing and the cradles of
the North American Indians in a museum, he cannot fail to observe
that care was taken in their preparation. They are comfortable and, in
many cases, beautiful. We may well believe from what is known that
among all primitive peoples the beauty, especially that of ornamenta-
tion, was for the sake of some supposed magical power. The repre-
sentation of an animal was supposed to secure the especial protection
of that animal, which was worshiped as a god. The bear's tooth,
which was pierced and strung about the neck of an infant, served a
useful purpose when the child was cutting teeth, and it was supposed
to be a charm which served to protect the child.
Lesson XLI. The strongest motives for cooperation were doubcless
Suggestions to Teachers 197
the common need of protection from dangerous beasts of prey and the
need of adopting methods of hunting wild animals which required the
united efforts of many people. Notice that the different batons and
fragments of batons represented in this book differ in the number of
holes bored through them. It is thought that the number of holes
indicated the rank of the owner. Although many theories are given
regarding the use of batons, the one which seems most tenable to the
author is that which views them as marks of distinction and instruments
used in magical ceremonies and in hunting dances.
Lesson XLIL The method of hunting herds by surrounding them
is a cooperative method suitable to such regions as grassy plains,
and comparatively level tracts which are sparsely wooded. The drive,
on the contrary, is adapted to regions where steep cliffs are to be
found. It is a natural development of the earlier method of hunting
by taking advantage of the proximity of animals to steep cliffs. In
that case man's part was to lie in wait until a favorable opportunity
presented itself for frightening the animals over. The lesson in The
Tree-dwellers on "How the Hyenas Hunted the Big-nosed Rhinoceros,"
and the one in The Early Cave-men on "Hunting the Mammoth,"
illustrate early stages of this method.
Notice that there is a new principle employed in this lesson — that
of the decoy — and that the method of hunting by means of the drive
makes use of various ideas worked out before.
Lesson XLIII. The experience of children in games is sufficient to
enable them to realize the necessity of making laws and rules for regu-
lating the conduct of the members of the group. This lesson should
serve to connect this narrow experience with that of the race.
Many of the representations of the Cave-man's art, as shown in the
illustrations of this book, might well have been made the subjects of
special lessons. The limits of this book, however, forbid further ex-
pansion.
Snbugtrial anb foetal
By KATHARINE ELIZABETH DORP, Ph. D.
Lecturer in Education in the Extension Division of the University of Chicago. Author of
"The Place of Industries in Elementary Education."
WHAT THE BOOKS ARE
Book I. THE TREE-DWELLERS. THE AGE OF PEAR.
Illustrated -with a map, 14 full-page and 46 text drawings in half-tone by Howard V . Brown. Cloth,
square i2mo, 158 pages; 45 cents. For the primary grades.
'"PHIS volume makes clear to the child how people lived before they had fire, how and why they conquered
••• it, and the changes wrought in society by its use. The simple activities of gathering food, of weaving,
building, taming fire, making use of stones for tools and weapons, wearing trophies, and securing coopera-
tiye action by means of rhythmic dances, are here shown to be the simple forms of processes which still
minister to our daily needs.
Book II. THE EARLY CAVE-MEN. THE AGE OF COMBAT.
Illustrated with a map, 16 full-page and 71 text drawings in half-tone by Howard V. Brown. Cloth,
square ismo, 183 pages; 45 cents. For the primary grades.
IN this volume the child is helped to realize that it is necessary not only to know how to use fire, but to
know how to make it. Protection from the cold winters, which characterize the age described, is sought
first in caves; but fire is a necessity in defending the caves. The serious condition to which the cave-men
are reduced by the loss of fire during a flood is shown to be the motive which prompts them to hold a
council; to send men to the fire country; to make improvements in clothing, in devices for carrying, and in
tools and weapons; and, finally, to the discovery of how to make fire.
Book III. THE LATER CAVE-MEN. THE AGE OF THE CHASE.
Illustrated with 27 full-page and 87 text drawings in half-tone by Howard V . Brown. Cloth, square
i2mo, IQ? pages; 45 cents. For the primary grades.
"LTERE is portrayed the influence of man's presence upon wild animals. Man's fear, which with the con-
•^1 quest of fire gave way to courage, has resulted in his mastery of many mechanical appliances and in
the development of social cooperation, which so increases his power as to make him an object of fear to the
wild animals. Since the wild animals now try to escape from man's presence, there is a greater demand
made upon man's ingenuity than ever before in supplying his daily food. The way in which man's cun-
ning finds expression in traps, pitfalls, and in throwing devices, and finally in a remarkable manifestation of
art, is made evident in these pages.
Book IV. THE EARLY SEA PEOPLE. FIRST STEPS IN THE
CONQUEST OF THE WATERS.
Illustrated with 21 full-page and 117 text drawings in half-tone by Howard V. Brown and Kyohei
Inukai. Cloth, square i2mo, 224 pagesj 50 cents. For the intermediate grades.
/"PHE life of fishing people upon the seashore presents a pleasing contrast to the life of the hunters on the
•*• wooded hills depicted in the previous volumes. The resources of the natural environment; the early
steps in the evolution of the various modes of catching fish, of manufacturing fishing tackle, boats, and
other necessary appliances; the invention of devices for capturing birds; the domestication of the dog and
the consequent changes in methods of hunting; and the social cooperation involved in manufacturing and in
expeditions on the deep seas, are subjects included in this volume.
Other volumes, dealing with the early development of pastoral and agricultural life, the
age of metals, travel, trade, and transportation, will follow.
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