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.
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 Fleetfoot had lived when
he was a child. There the frightened 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.
[Illustration: _A Cave-man's engraving of a tent showing the interior
structure._]
The people listened as Scarface spoke 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!"
[Illustration: _A Cave-man's engraving of a tent showing the
exterior._]
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.
[Illustration: _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._]
Fleetfoot and Blackcloud led the way and at midday caught sight of the
herds. At once, Fleetfoot 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 ones. A
grassy plain stretched all around for a long, long way. And so the
women built their tents out of slender saplings.
[Illustration: _Framework showing the best kind of a tent made by the
Cave-men._]
Most of the women made a framework by leaning poles against the 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.
[Illustration: _A tent pin._]
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 eager 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 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 to
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 Fleetfoot and Flaker._