If you have ever seen a cat hunt, tell how she does it. Can you
think why cats do not hunt together?
Do dogs hunt alone, or with one another? How do wolves hunt?
In what ways can animals help one another in hunting? What animals
do wolves hunt to-day? What animals did the wolves hunt in the time
of the Cave-men?
_What Happened when Fleetfoot and Flaker Hunted the Bison_
When summer came, Fleetfoot and Flaker watched the bison from day to
day. The wolves, too, watched the bison. One day the boys saw two
wolves hunt a bison that had strayed from the herd.
The wolves walked boldly up toward the bison until they were only a
few paces away. Then they went cautiously.
The bison paid no attention at first; but when the wolves came closer,
he stamped his foot and shook his horns. Any animal could know that
the bison meant, "It is dangerous here. Keep away!"
But the wolves had a plan and they carried it out. The smaller wolf
kept the bison's attention by making believe attack from the front.
This gave the big wolf a chance; and he cut the large muscles of the
bison's knees with his sharp teeth. The bison was thus crippled so
badly that the wolves were more than a match for him.
"I wonder if we could get a bison," said Flaker as the boys watched
the wolves at their feast.
"Let's try," said Fleetfoot.
"But how can we get close up," said Flaker, "without frightening the
bison away?"
"Let's dress in wolf-skins," said Fleetfoot, "and make believe we are
wolves."
And the boys dressed in wolf-skins and took their best hunting knives.
They watched the herd until they saw a large bison stray away. Then
the boys approached the bison, and they looked so much like wolves
that they got very close before the bison threatened with his horns.
Then the boys made the attack. Flaker took the part of the little wolf
and attacked the bison's head. Fleetfoot took the part of the big wolf
and tried to cripple the bison.
But the boys had not counted upon the bison's tough skin. They had not
counted upon his muscles, which were as hard as boards. Flaker's
dagger glanced off at one side and merely scratched the bison. But it
made the creature so angry that he charged upon Flaker.
Meanwhile Fleetfoot was doing his best to cut the hard muscles of the
bison's knee. He forgot about everything else until he had lamed one
of the forelegs. It was then that the bison charged and that Flaker
called for help. And then Fleetfoot tried to rescue Flaker by drawing
the bison's attention away.
Fleetfoot did this just in time to save Flaker's life. He struck at
the Bison's head, then dodged in time to escape his horns. He dodged
again and again until he was almost exhausted. The bison limped, but
he seemed as strong and as furious as ever. Once again the bison
charged, and again Fleetfoot dodged. Then a spear whizzed past
Fleetfoot's head and a voice called, "Climb a tree."
[Illustration: "_They looked so much like wolves that they got very
close before the bison threatened._"]
Fleetfoot never remembered running to the tree. He never remembered
climbing it. But for many days he seemed to see himself in the tree
and the bison just beneath. For many days he seemed to hear
Greybeard's welcome voice.
[Illustration: _A Cave-man's carving of a "hamstrung" animal._]
Greybeard and Fleetfoot stayed in the trees until the bison started up
the ravine. Then they climbed down from one of the trees and hurried
to see what had happened to Flaker.
#THINGS TO DO#
_Tell something that you have learned from watching an animal._
_Mention as many things as you can that you think the Cave-men
learned from animals._
_Straighten and bend your elbow or knee so as to find where the
strong muscles are._
_Tell why the Cave-men tried to cut the strong muscles of the
bison's knee. We say when we cut these large muscles that we have
"hamstrung" the animal._
_Look at the picture of a Cave-man's carving of an animal which has
been "hamstrung." Can you tell what animal it is?_
_Think of the two wolves coming up toward the bison. Model one of
them in clay. See if the children can guess which one it is._