MAN COMES UPON THE EARTH 253 



bark, nuts and berries, while they defended them- 

 selves from the dangerous animals with stones. 

 Soon they learned to eat the flesh and wear the fur 

 of those they killed in self-defense, and then, after 

 they had succeeded in making weapons for them- 

 selves, they went upon the chase to find those animals, 

 the meat and skin of which they liked the best. 

 With the chipped and sharpened rock fastened to a 

 stick of wood as an arrow or a spear or a hatchet, 

 they could be quite brave, hunting down the wild 

 creatures they wanted; not just huddling together 

 and protecting themselves. 



So they learned to make many implements. Some 

 were of chipped stone, with bone or wooden handles, 

 some of sharpened bone and some of sharpened wood. 

 They learned also, that if they were brave and watch- 

 ful they could overcome even the most dreaded of the 

 animals. It would not take them very long to see 

 that the animals always went about their hunting in 

 the same way, each according to his kind, and never 

 changing it, while they could always do things in a 

 different way. They saw, also, that the braver and 

 more courageous among them were the more sure of 

 outwitting the dull beasts. 



In some way they learned the use of fire. How 

 surprised they must have been when they found what 

 a useful friend it could be to them! It would cook 

 their food; it would keep them warm; and, best of 

 all, it would \eep away the prowling animals. 



At first these cave men must have saved the fire, 

 probably from the embers of a forest fire; for nature's 

 book tells us that there were some forest fires long 



