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Read Ebook: The Early Cave-Men by Dopp Katharine Elizabeth
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Ebook has 1301 lines and 36499 words, and 27 pages
Others were starting for the south.
The fire clan hoped that in a few days Sabre-tooth would go.
They wanted his cave for the winter, so they kept watch of all that he did.
They knew that he slept in his cave all the day and seldom left it except at night.
One morning Strongarm saw him come out of the cave and start off toward the south.
He believed that Sabre-tooth was going away, so he hurried and told his people.
How glad they were to hear such news!
How excited they were as they took their firebrands and followed Strongarm to the cave!
When they reached the cave they paused a moment, while Strongarm crept in through the mouth.
When he was sure that it was safe for them to follow, he beckoned to them with his hand.
One by one they crept through the mouth of the cave, their firebrands lighting the dark way.
It seemed strange to be in such a dark place, but they knew that it was safe and warm.
They all wanted to keep it for a home, but they knew that wild animals would try to get it.
So the women gathered armfuls of branches and started a fire just outside the mouth.
As the fire began to flame up toward the sky, the men gathered around and watched it blaze.
The children played beside the fire or watched their mothers gather branches.
All the people were near the fire when, suddenly, they were startled by a shriek of terror.
Mothers clasped their children to their breasts, and fathers grasped their knives to be ready to fight.
All eyes were soon fixed upon Firekeeper.
She stood trembling so that she could hardly speak, but she pointed toward a thicket.
The men stepped cautiously toward it, but Firekeeper pulled them back.
Then she told them what she had seen.
It was Sabre-tooth trying to come back to the cave.
When the fire clan heard this, they were filled with terror.
They huddled around the fire.
Nobody knew what to do.
Yet everybody knew that something must be done, for their lives were not safe as long as Sabre-tooth was near.
THINGS TO DO
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
How do you think the fire clan will spend the first evening in the cave?
Who will be apt to keep watch that night?
At sunset the children were nodding their heads and soon were fast asleep.
The women tended the fire while the men sat around and talked.
All the beasts of prey were out for the night.
Sometimes the fire clan could see their shadows in the open spaces near the cave.
Then they were glad that they had fire.
But they knew that they would have trouble as long as Sabre-tooth was near.
So they began to plan ways of getting rid of him.
They did not dare risk an open fight with such weapons as they had, so they tried to invent a new way.
They planned a long time, but they could not decide what to do.
At length all but Firekeeper crept into the cave, where they were soon asleep upon the rough floor.
Firekeeper stayed beside the fire and kept watch all alone.
She was the oldest woman of the clan, and people said that she was the daughter of the fire.
She always kept it burning.
As she tended the fire through the long night she heard all sorts of sounds.
Once a big cave-bear passed close to the cave, but he sniffed and ran when he saw the fire.
Then a pack of hyenas crept up toward the cave.
They seemed to be looking for a safe place to rest.
But as soon as they saw the fire they ran.
Other animals, too, ran when they saw the fire.
Firekeeper was not afraid when she was near the fire, but it seemed that the long night would never end.
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