Part 24

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 in the storm. She stayed awake and watched and listened 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 powerless 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.

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 snowshoes 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 day 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.

#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.

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.