The Later Cave-Men Part 29

_Model in your sand-box a good place for the bison drive. Make the drive and show what happened from first to last._

_Draw one of these pictures:_-- _Bison feeding some distance from the cliff._ _Building a bison drive._ _Fleetfoot leading the herd._ _The bison at the edge of the cliff._ _Drying meat._

XLIII

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

Can you think why people make rules and laws? Why do we have them?

What kind of rules and laws do you think the Cave-men made?

What laws do you think they would make about hunting animals?

What laws would they make about the use of plants?

What people did the Cave-men honor most? What must any one do to be honored? What were some of the signs that a man was honored?

When dangerous work needs to be done, what kind of men and women are needed?

[Ill.u.s.tration: _After the bison hunt._]

_How the Cave-men Rewarded and Punished the Clansmen_

Again the clans went to hunt on the fertile plains. Again the women built the tents while the men went out to hunt. But before the tents were finished, the women heard the thunder of the galloping herd.

Angry shouts followed, and the women began to feel alarmed.

All the men were angry with Blackcloud. He had frightened the herd away. Fleetfoot had planned to surround the bison as they were surrounded before. But a stronger and braver young man than Blackcloud, helped Fleetfoot lead the lines.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Handle of a Cave-man's hunting-knife with engraving of a man hunting the bison._]

n.o.body dreamed that Blackcloud would do it. Everybody knew that each one must be careful not to frighten the herd. The men crept quietly through the gra.s.s when they saw a bison browsing near the line. But when Blackcloud saw a young cow, he rushed forward and made an attack.

The loud bellow of the wounded cow gave the alarm to the herd. And before the Cave-men could stop them, the bison were galloping madly away.

And so all the men were angry with Blackcloud. Bighorn wanted to have him flogged. Others wanted to kill him. He dared not come near them for many days. No one would hunt with him, and no one would give him food.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _A hunter's tally._]

Afterward, when he begged to be taken back, the people let him come.

But first they gave him a hard flogging in the presence of the clan.

As years pa.s.sed, the custom grew of making rules for the hunt. And those who broke any of the rules were punished by the clan.

Every day the Cave-men recited the brave deeds of the clan. They watched every one carefully, so as to know who the brave men were.

Those who were found most useful to the clan were given special honors. And when a man did a very brave deed he was given a hole in his baton.

Brave hunters, besides keeping trophies, engraved a record of their brave deeds. Sometimes they kept a hunter's tally, and sometimes they engraved the animal they killed.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Fragment of Cave-man's baton engraved with reindeer._]

Many of the Cave-men engraved these records upon the weapons they used in the chase. They believed that the weapons which had such engravings were of great value for their magical powers. The wise men, who led the people, engraved their records upon their batons. Others engraved them upon their trophies or upon bone hairpins which they used in their hair.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Engraving of a seal upon a bear's tooth._]

The engraving of a seal upon a bear's tooth probably recorded a trip to the sea, while the rude sketch of the mammoth made on the mammoth's tusk, probably recorded a great hunt.

By all these signs of brave deeds, the Cave-men knew who the brave men were. And these same records help to tell the story of THE LATER CAVE-MEN.

#THINGS TO DO#

_Write out some of the rules you have helped make for your games._

_Do you think the rules are good ones?_

_See if you can engrave or carve an ornament on some weapon you have made. Before doing it, think what you would like to have the ornament mean._

_Draw one of these pictures:_-- "_All the Cave-men were angry with Blackcloud._"

_Engraving records upon trophies and batons._

_Tell a story of how bone hairpins came to be used._

_Tell a story of the Cave-men's trip to the sea._

_Tell a story of a mammoth hunt._

[Ill.u.s.tration: _A Cave-man's hairpin engraved with wild horses._]

[Ill.u.s.tration: SUGGESTIONS TO TEACHERS]

"The Industrial and Social History Series," of which this is the third number, emphasizes, first of all, the steps in the development of industrial and social life. But in addition to its use as a series of text-books in history or social science, it has a place as a mode of approach to the different subjects included in the curriculum of the elementary school. Whether the work suggested under "Things to Think About" and "Things to Do" is carried out in the period devoted to the study and recitation known as history (possibly some may prefer to call it reading), or in those periods devoted to geography, nature study, language, constructive work, and art, is largely a question of administration. The point for the teacher to make sure of is that the interests of the child which are aroused through the use of the books be utilized not merely in history, but in geography, nature study, reading, language, constructive work, and art. If this is done, subjects which too long have been isolated from the interests of real life, will become the means of stimulating and enriching all of the activities of the child.

The list of references and the tabulated facts presented in _The Early Cave-men_, pp. 159-165, will be of service to the teacher who wishes to engage in a further study of the subject.

SPECIAL SUGGESTIONS