CO-OPERATION
A few days after the arrival of the colony of settlers at the fire-cave,
the conservatives of the group who had remained at the old home could no
longer control their curiosity, and so, one afternoon they approached
the vicinity of the new settlement, after cautiously reconnoitering from
the tree-tops. When discovered, they were cordially invited to approach,
for the old selfishness and exclusiveness seemed to melt away under the
influence of fire and the companionship it inculcated, and they were
soon enjoying for the first time roasted carrots and broiled meat. They
soon lost their shyness and fear under the new conditions, and remained
permanent denizens of the settlement.
The men of the group soon observed the flint knives and spear-heads used
by Longhead; they at once appreciated their superior effectiveness as
weapons, and importuned him to supply them with similar ones, or teach
them how to make them for themselves. He was now too shrewd, however, to
risk the loss of any of his prestige by revealing the secret of their
manufacture, but agreed to make them similar weapons for a
consideration, payment of which should be made in the shape of food and
fuel, the only commodities at that time of any value.
Each man now brought him suitable sticks for javelins and spears, and
for each he made a long spear, two javelins and a knife.
When the first supply of flakes was exhausted, Longhead heated another
nodule of flint and poured water on it from a piece of bark, but he was
careful to do this when none of the others were about; and thus
maintained both secrecy and a supply of materials.
The control of fire and the manufacture of these valuable and mysterious
weapons, gave Longhead a standing in the group which none had ever
before attained. Human society had not yet been organized in any form;
there were no laws, no rules and no chiefs. Each did exactly as he
pleased, and if there was any restraint at all upon a man's actions, it
came not from a sense of justice, morals or ethics, but simply the fear
of a beating by the injured party, if any of his supposed rights were
infringed upon.
Soon, however, individuals began to consult Longhead in regard to
ordinary affairs. One would ask him if there would be rain during the
day; another, the direction he should take for a prosperous hunt, and,
as he was always careful to make replies which were somewhat vague and
mysterious, except where he had certain knowledge, he soon acquired a
reputation for superior wisdom.
Longhead, now relieved, to some extent, from the daily exertion
necessary to procure food for himself and Broken Tooth, by the
contributions of many who, through indolence or ignorance, permitted
their fires to become extinguished, had much time for thought, and, as
he sat making weapons, the manufacture of which brought him additional
supplies, it one day occurred to him that if a number of the men armed
with the new weapons could be employed at the same time against larger
animals theretofore always avoided, the people might combat with them
successfully and thus the food supply might be largely increased. This
was the first suggestion of coöperation, and the idea but slowly took
form in his mind, though it recurred to him almost daily. Up to this
time each man had hunted alone, and if two or more happened to be in
company, it was by the merest accident; but, as Longhead worked out the
problem, he concluded that if a number could be directed by an
intelligent leader, their efforts might be successful, and he determined
to make the experiment at the earliest opportunity.
About this time a hunter returned one afternoon in great excitement, and
reported that a large rhinoceros had partly mired in a swamp near the
settlement. He said the huge animal was able to make but little progress
and might be approached quite near without grave danger. This was
Longhead's opportunity to try his experiment of coöperation.
Fortunately, there were quite a number of the men about that day, and he
at once called them together, told them to bring their weapons and
accompany him to the swamp. He assumed the leadership of the party, and
when they approached the swamp, each was directed to gather a bundle of
dry grass, reeds and brush. These he had thrown down as they progressed,
to give them footing in the soft ooze, and soon they had a tolerably
firm path from the solid ground to a place near the great beast. On
their approach the rhinoceros made no further attempt at progress, but
he turned his head with its long sharp horn toward his foes and, with
loud snorts of rage, seemed to dare them to come nearer. Their ancient
fear of this formidable animal made the men hesitate, but under the
peremptory orders of Longhead, they ventured forward and threw their
javelins into the body of the huge animal. It must be confessed that
for some time the attack seemed only to increase his rage, he made
vigorous efforts to reach his tormentors and snorted loudly. But while,
for the most part, the javelins did not penetrate beyond the thick layer
of fat which surrounded the animal's body, a few had reached some of the
larger blood-vessels, and when these were broken off or torn out in the
desperate struggles of the beast, the blood poured forth in torrents and
he soon began to weaken; his snorting was no longer so loud and he would
lie down occasionally as if to rest, closing his eyes and breathing
loudly but with evident difficulty. During one of these resting spells,
Longhead came close to him and thrust his long spear with all his might
into the animal's body just back of his shoulder. When it was
withdrawn, the blood spouted from the wound and also from the mouth of
the beast, and soon its eyes grew dim, its struggles grew less frequent
and violent, and finally ceased entirely, for the great rhinoceros was
dead.
[Illustration: "SOON THEY HAD A TOLERABLY FIRM PATH FROM THE SOLID
GROUND TO A PLACE NEAR THE GREAT BEAST."]
Longhead now, for a while, lost control of the situation. The men went
simply wild. Their shouts filled the air, and to these were joined the
shrill cries of the women and children who had approached the swamp and
had been interested witnesses of the battle and its result. The great
animal--an abundance of food for several days--was theirs. They had
occasionally before this happened upon the body of one of these animals,
killed in one of the fights which frequently occurred between the males
of the species, but, without knives, they had been unable to tear the
thick hide, and even when it had been torn by wolves or bears, the meat
was so tough they were able to obtain but a few small pieces. Their
present hilarity might certainly be excused.
Soon Longhead began issuing orders and enforcing them by punches with
the blunt end of his spear or sound blows with the pole, and some
semblance of order was obtained. By his direction, men, women and
children joined in bringing more brush and grass. This was piled close
to the carcass and the men with their flint knives proceeded to cut up
the huge body. The women and children carried loads of meat to the
settlement, and soon most of the flesh was removed. The head was
dragged by the men to Longhead's cave and set upon a stick on the
platform as his trophy, while all stood around and roused the echoes of
the ravine with their yells and acclamations,--the first time a public
acknowledgement was ever given a leader.
Such feasting the group had never known. At each fire, large pieces of
rhinoceros steak were roasted on coals or sticks, and for several days,
every man, woman and child was literally too full for utterance.
After this experience, Longhead, as the organizer and leader of the
coöperative attack on the rhinoceros and the final slayer of the animal,
was, by common consent, regarded as the head of the group; his advice
was sought on all occasions, and his word was law. He gradually assumed
the direction of everything that was done.
Having demonstrated the strength of coöperative hunting, he organized
easily a squad of the bravest and most active of the men as special
hunters of large game. Each was armed with a long spear, two javelins
and a knife, and he required them to practice javelin throwing until
each became expert. On a hunt these men always kept within hearing or
sight of each other, and they soon originated a code of rude signals by
which the whole party might be informed of the appearance of any large
animal.
This band of hunters, on their first expedition, led by Longhead in
person, encountered a drove of wild hogs. When each man had hunted
alone with stones and clubs as his only weapons, these savage creatures
were almost as much dreaded as the cave lion or the saber-tooth tiger,
and now when they appeared, nearly every hunter, mindful of his old
fear, scrambled into a tree; but at Longhead's command they descended,
and he organized them into a compact body, back to back. When the hogs
charged in their usual manner, the slaughter wrought by the spears and
javelins was so great that not an animal escaped, for, in accordance
with their habit, the hogs knew nothing of retreat, and the last
survivor charged as bravely as if at the head of the herd.
Again coöperation had triumphed, and the settlement feasted for many
days.
The genius for leadership shown by Longhead, together with the
superiority of the weapons he had invented, and, above all, his
mysterious control of the fire, had now firmly established him as leader
or chief, and none thought of questioning his authority in anything.
There had been no election to the office, nor, indeed, any consultation
on the subject; he simply assumed the leadership and the group
acquiesced by compliance with his commands.
This first social organization for coöperation in hunting--the germ from
which all governments and laws have grown--was not the only one
resulting from the use of fire. The manifest blessings or comforts due
to its use, and the mysterious manner of its production in the
fire-cave hidden from the sight of all, began to give rise to the idea
that Longhead and Broken Tooth must be in communication with some
superior being.
It cannot be said that man at that time had any religion, any conception
of a god, or indeed, any definite idea of supernatural beings, but there
were many mysteries of nature which he could in no wise comprehend.
Incapable of speculative thought, or, indeed, of much continuous thought
of any kind, he was unable to distinguish clearly between the animate
and inanimate; he attributed active life to all surrounding objects and
believed even the trees and plants to put on foliage, blossom and
produce fruit because they desired to do so. When a rock, loosened by
the action of frost and storm, became detached from a cliff and rolled
into the valley below, it did so of its own accord and was regarded with
fear. A man would make a wide circuit to avoid it in passing and none
would voluntarily approach it. They lived in a region of cliffs and
mountains and when one gave a shout, under proper conditions, his words
were repeated, sometimes more than once; and none could find the
mysterious beings who did the mocking; indeed, after vain searches, they
became convinced that the tantalizing mockings came from beings
invisible to man, consequently his superiors and, therefore, dangerous.
They began to avoid the glens and valleys wherein echoes abounded, or,
if compelled to pass through them, did so in silence that their
dangerous neighbors might not be provoked to do them an injury. The
curling mist rolling silently down the mountain side, was to them
another mysterious being of whom they stood in awe, and thunder,
lightning and storm each became to them personified and living
supernatural beings who terrified them. They had yet no belief that man
had a soul or spirit which existed after his death. This thought was to
come ages thereafter.
It was not long until it was suggested that Longhead must have subjected
to his control one or more powerful but invisible beings whom he kept
shut up in his cave under the guardianship of the woman, and who, at his
command, produced the fire and wonderful weapons. That Broken Tooth was
the guardian of these beings, made mystery attach to her as well, and
they began to look upon her with fear and reverence also. The man and
woman encouraged this by becoming more mysterious than ever. When
further questioned in regard to the fire, they boldly asserted that the
whispered stories were true; that their control of fire and the ability
on the part of the man to make superior weapons was due to supernatural
beings who frequented the cave and were subject to them. They asserted
that these beings were so powerful they could strike them all with
instant death, and would have done so but for the intercession of the
fire-man and the woman to whose control they were subject; but the
people were assured that so long as Longhead and Broken Tooth should be
treated with proper respect, their wants satisfied and their commands
obeyed, they would not permit these malevolent beings to molest any of
the group, and the fire should not be taken away.
Soon the people of the group at the fire-cave were informed that the
fire-spirits desired the man to remain most of the time at or near the
cave that they might converse with him at all times and instruct him in
additional methods for promoting the happiness and welfare of the
people, and it would, therefore, be impossible for him to take part in
the daily hunt for game, though he would still lead them in important
expeditions. On this account he directed that each member of the group
should daily bring to the fire-cave contributions of food, sufficient
not only for the wants of the man, but of the woman and spirits also.
The people readily believed this, for they were incapable of conceiving
that such beings as spirits had not need of material food, and,
consequently, each brought his or her offering daily, either of food or
fuel. If by reason of failure in the chase, an unfortunate hunter had no
offering to bring, he was required to come to the cave and, through the
medium of Longhead, ask pardon of the spirits, and bring a double
portion the next time.
To all this the people of the group readily submitted; Longhead and
Broken Tooth lived in comfort, if not in luxury, without any effort upon
their part; the people were educated to ask the forgiveness of superior
and supernatural beings whose existence was shrouded in mystery, through
the medium of a priest whose natural wants they were required to supply;
and thus a religious worship with a dedicated and supported priesthood,
if not a religion itself, was established among men.