Katharine Elizabeth Dopp

How do you think the fire clan will spend the first evening in the cave?

Who will be apt to keep watch that night?

At sunset the children were nodding their heads and soon were fast asleep.

The women tended the fire while the men sat around and talked.

All the beasts of prey were out for the night.

Sometimes the fire clan could see their shadows in the open spaces near the cave.

Then they were glad that they had fire.

But they knew that they would have trouble as long as Sabre-tooth was near.

So they began to plan ways of getting rid of him.

They did not dare risk an open fight with such weapons as they had, so they tried to invent a new way.

They planned a long time, but they could not decide what to do.

At length all but Firekeeper crept into the cave, where they were soon asleep upon the rough floor.

Firekeeper stayed beside the fire and kept watch all alone.

She was the oldest woman of the clan, and people said that she was the daughter of the fire.

She always kept it burning.

As she tended the fire through the long night she heard all sorts of sounds.

Once a big cave-bear passed close to the cave, but he sniffed and ran when he saw the fire.

Then a pack of hyenas crept up toward the cave.

They seemed to be looking for a safe place to rest.

But as soon as they saw the fire they ran.

Other animals, too, ran when they saw the fire.

Firekeeper was not afraid when she was near the fire, but it seemed that the long night would never end.

When at last the sky became red in the east, she knew that morning was coming again.

At the break of day all the people awoke.

It was only a few minutes before they were ready to take up the work of another day.

THINGS TO DO