Part 7

While the men were going to the pass, the reindeer were gathering at the ford. Several herds of two or three hundred each were already there. Other herds were coming. The flat sandy banks on one side of the river were already covered with reindeer. Soon the ford was filled, and the reindeer began to press up the narrow river valley.

When at last all the herds from the wooded hills were gathered at the ford, the handsomest leader of all stepped forth to lead the way. After looking around to see if an enemy was near, he started up the well-trodden trail through the narrow river valley.

Slowly the great herd began to move. To those watching from the cliff, it looked like a moving forest. Those in advance were soon out of sight, and were going toward the pass.

Meanwhile the men had reached the pass where the bravest ones hid at the farther end. There they waited to spear the reindeer, while others hid behind rocks near the entrance to drive the reindeer on.

While the women and children watched from the cliff a signal came from the men. It was a call for the women to come and carry the reindeer to the cave. The younger women went, but Chew-chew stayed and watched with the children.

At length the Cave-men returned. The men brought trophies and the women brought heavy loads of meat. They found Chew-chew and the children still watching from the cliff. There they all watched for a long, long time; for not until the sun was low down in the sky had the last of the reindeer left the ford.

#THINGS TO DO#

Model a large river valley with many little valleys in it. Show where the small herds were. Model the cliffs along the river and show the flat sandy banks on one side, and the narrow valley with steep sides on the other.

Find rocks and make the reindeer pass. Make the trail from the ford through the narrow valley to the pass.

Play the story this lesson tells.

Draw one of these pictures:-- The reindeer stretched their slender necks and ate moss from the trees. The reindeer sniffed the warm wind and knew it was time to go. Fleetfoot pulled his grandmother's hand and started up the cliff. The cave-bears and hyenas hide in the thickets. Hunting at the reindeer pass.

Show how Eagle-eye loaded a reindeer upon her back. Model Eagle-eye in clay so as to show how she carried the reindeer.

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

If you have read the story of "The Early Cave-men," tell how the cave that was flooded was made.

Can you think of any other way in which a cave might be made?

If you have ever seen a shallow hole in a cliff, see if you can find out how it was made. If such a hole was made in a very soft rock what would happen to it? What would happen to a hole made in a hard rock?

See if you can find a piece of limestone. What do we use limestone for?

If we wanted a house of limestone, what would we do to get it? When the Cave-men wanted a limestone house, what did they do?

Chew-chew

Chew-chew was the oldest woman in the cave at the Fork of the River. She was not as strong as she once had been; but she was still able to lead the women in their work. Her sons' wives carried the heaviest burdens, but Chew-chew still carried heavy loads.

Chew-chew was the wisest woman in the cave. When the other women did not know what to do, they always asked Chew-chew. The bravest men were always glad to get Chew-chew's advice. The children thought nobody could tell such stories as Chew-chew told.

Chew-chew and all of her children belonged to the Horse clan. All the children in those days took the clan name of their mother. Chew-chew's sons had captured wives from the Reindeer clan. And so the children in Chew-chew's cave belonged to the Reindeer clan. It thus happened that in every cave there were people of different clans. But since Chew-chew was the oldest woman in the cave, we shall call the people at the Fork of the River by the name of the Horse clan.

Chew-chew often told the children about her first home. She told them about the cave near the River of Snow, which was much like the cave which sheltered them. She told them about the wide shelving rocks which were like the ones above their cave. And she told how frightened her people were the day a rock fell near the mouth of their cave.

No one knew at the time what made the rock fall. No one knew there was no need of being afraid. Some one said that the god of the cliff was angry and that he had pushed the rock down. Everybody believed the story. So nobody dared go near the cave.

But the Cave-men needed a shelter. So they offered gifts to the god of the cliffs. When they thought he was satisfied, they all went back to the cave. And after a while they used the big rock as a table for their work.

Chew-chew wanted the children to grow to be brave and wise. So she told them stories of the bravest and wisest people of her clan. She told them stories about their grandfathers who were the heroes of the olden times. And Fleetfoot never grew tired of hearing about the wonderful things which his grandfathers did.

And so Chew-chew taught the children all she thought they ought to know. And they looked into her eyes and listened to all that she said.

#THINGS TO DO#