FIELD SPORTS IN ART. 24t 
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nature, and not from science. His life was occupied 
with the hunt, and he represented that which filled his 
thoughts. Those who understand wild sports will not 
for a moment doubt that the mammoth was taken in 
pits or otherwise destroyed despite its huge strength ; 
no matter if it had been twice as large, the cunning of 
man would have been equal to the difficulty. The mind 
is the arrow that slays the monster. The greater the 
danger the greater the interest, and consequently the 
more the imagination would dwell upon the circum- 
stances of the chase. Afterwards resting in the cave 
round about the fire and thinking of the mighty work of 
sport which had been accomplished, the finger of the 
savage would involuntarily describe the outline of the 
creature so laboriously captured. His finger might 
describe it upon the scattered ashes whitening the 
ground beside him. Or it might describe the outline 
simply in the air. Spcech in its inception was as much 
expressed by the finger as the tongue; perhaps the 
fingers talked before the mouth, and in a sense writing 
preceded language. Uttering the unpolished sound 
which in their primitive society indicated the mammoth, 
the savage drew rapidly a figure with his finger, and his 
companions read his meaning written in the air. To 
this day it is common for the Italian peasantry to talk 
with their fingers ; a few syllables suffice, illustrated and 
emphasised by those dexterous hands. A more subtle 
meaning is thus conveyed than could be put in words. 
Some of the most ancient languages seem bald and in- 
complete, too rigid ; they need intonation, as it were, to 
‘express passion or changes of emotion, and when written 
the letters are too far apart to indicate what is meant. 
Not too far apart upon the page, but far apart in their 
sensc, which has to be supplied as you supply the vowels, 
R 
