to the cave people, dreams were chief among the great mysteries. none of the strange occurrences of the world about them, so filled them with wonder and awe, as the deeds they performed and the adventures they encountered while their bodies lay wrapped in sleep. often it was difficult for them to separate the dream world from the world of reality. this may account for the reports of those anthropologists who charge savage tribes with being the most amazing liars in the world. it may be that some of these primitive men and women have merely related the remarkable exploits of their dreams which they were not always able to distinguish clearly from their actual experiences.
70often a cave man might go forth alone in the night, and after traveling a journey of many suns, slay fearlessly all the members of a hostile tribe, while he slept securely in his cave. but when he reported his dream adventures to his wife, she refused often to believe them. whenever she stirred during the night, she had found him at her side. or perhaps she had groaned through the long darkness, with the colic that comes from too much eating of the early fruit. this she made known to the dreamer. indeed he had slumbered peacefully through all her trouble!
again, when a cave dweller fell asleep beside his brothers and dreamed of dispatching the sabre-toothed tiger with a single blow, the whole tribe was ready to assure him, in the language of the cave people, that he had not moved from his resting place, but had slept continually. this was all very strange.
when the fire dashed through the sky, during a storm, or the waters of the river climbed up over the banks and flooded the woods, they were not so wonderful as these dream things.
many men and women of the tribe had closed their eyes in the long sleep, but when the cave people slumbered, the dead came back again, to journey and hunt the forests with their brothers and sisters. and so, in time, the cave people came to believe that their friends, who had deserted the body, still lived. that they had, themselves, 71fought and hunted while their bodies slept, the cave people well knew, and that the dead come back again, they knew also, for they had seen and spoken with them in their dream journeyings.
this was the origin of the idea of spirit, at first only dim and confused but gathering strength as the years rolled away. the seed of the idea of immortality sprang also from the dreams of primitive man. though the sabre-toothed tiger devoured a brother he would surely return again. they had seen these things with their own eyes, in dreams.
the cave people saw also their shadows that followed where they went, moving slowly when they walked, and swiftly when they ran, keeping ever at their sides.
when a cave man gazed into the river, always a face looked back at him, and the other members of the tribe told him he saw his own image. this also was very strange. if he journeyed as far as the great canyon, and sent his voice echoing among the big rocks, a call came bounding back to him, although there was no other man there. gradually he came to believe the cry was the voice of a spirit and that the face he had seen in the waters of the river was the face of a spirit also.
to all things the cave people attributed animation. to them everything was alive. young trees were the children of big trees and great 72stones were the fathers of small stones. little they spoke of these things, for their words were few and it is impossible to tell many things in a gesture language. danger and confusion they saw everywhere, for the whole world was filled with happenings they could not understand.
many seasons had passed since they had found the fire beast eating up the trees in the woods. the small blaze they had kept alive in the hollow had died long before, when quack quack forgot to feed it. in these days the fire flashed only through the heavens during a storm. strong arm had been able to call it by striking a sharp stone against the rock before his cave. when the darkness came on and he struck the rock swiftly, a small spark fell. again and again the cave people saw these sparks. but so quickly were they gone that no man or woman was able to catch them, or to feed them the dead leaves they had brought.
at this time big nose made a great discovery. he had chased a fat lizard over the rocks and had seen it disappear into the hollow of a tree that lay prone on the river bank. immediately he poked violently with a long rod of bamboo, in order to drive the lizard out. to him the fresh flesh of the lizard was sweeter than any other meat.
on removing the rod, big nose found the end of it warm. from one side to the other, big nose 73tipped his brown head, like a great monkey, in an effort to understand this new experience. then he trotted off to make known these things to the tribe.
soon all the cave people gathered around the dead tree, chattering curiously. big nose thrust the bamboo rod into the hollow trunk and pulled it out again. but this time it was not warm. the friction of the bamboo rubbed violently against the dry wood of the tree had caused the heat before, but big nose did not know this.
for a long time the cave people chattered and gesticulated about the tree while big nose continually made the fire sign, waving his fingers upward, like smoke arising. one by one all the cave people threw themselves upon their bellies and gazed into the hollow trunk. but they saw nothing.
at last big nose again thrust the bamboo into the tree, this time angrily, jamming it in and out with all the strength of his great arms. and the end of the rod came forth warm again. then every member of the tribe must have his turn in thrusting. each one sought to outdo his fellows in the frenzy of his movements.
meanwhile the end of the rod had worn away, leaving a soft inflammable saw-dust in the old tree. and when light foot sent the rod in and out sharply with her strong, brown arms, the end of the bamboo came forth smoking.
74a flood of excited chatterings greeted her success and the cave people cried “food! food!” which was the word they used for “eat” also. for they thought the fire (within the tree) had begun to eat the bamboo rod. many of them ran about gathering dry leaves to feed the fire.
when the rod came forth at last, with its end a dull glow, light foot laid it on the rocks in the dead leaves. a soft breeze came from the river and coaxed the embers into a blaze. and the cave people jabbered frantically as they gathered brush and wood.
often they threw themselves on the rocks to gaze in wonder into the hollow tree. but many of them believed light foot had driven the fire from the tree trunk, just as they had often forced out the lizard.
thus for the first time in the memory of the tribe, a fire was kindled. and the hand of the maiden, light foot, had worked the miracle. the cave people laughed and danced and sat in the hollow long into the darkness; for security came with the fire and their forest enemies were afraid.
but a time came when great rains fell and the fire died away with every drop. and strong arm gathered a brand and carried it into his cave. but the smoke from the burning choked him and forced him out. then he carried the fire to the hollow of a tree that towered very high, and he 75fed the fire in this hollow. there it lived for many suns, eating slowly into the tree trunk on one side.
the sun saw many strange mysteries on the day when the cave people first came upon the great canyon. it was during the period of the year that comes before the season of plenty.
keen hunger assailed every living thing and sent them forth, sharp-eyed into the forest. the wild hog grew strong and wary from the struggles of the hard and meagre days. the green snakes hidden away, waited continually for the small forest folk to run into their coils. the lank black bear grew bold and desperate with the hunger passion and the cave people acquired a new skill in hunting.
beside the strength of their forest enemies, they were weak indeed. but armed with their long, sharp bone weapons, and a wonderful cunning, they fought in all their numbers and were able to triumph over the animals of the forest.
with eyes keen and tense hands gripping their weapons, they followed the trail of the black bear which led them through strange ways. at the breaking of a twig, they paused. and no falling leaf escaped them. sounds they made none, as they slipped through the deep woods, one before the other.
76at last they came to an open space, where the trees ceased to grow and where the tracks of the bear were lost in a rocky way. beyond them lay the canyon, which had been once the bed of a river. only the waters of the spring rains lay in the hollows of the rocks that lined its bottom.
here the cave people halted, for they knew not which way the black bear had taken, nor how to follow her. as they separated to seek further for her tracks, no word was spoken. only strong arm gave a low grunt of approval, as his comrades departed.
then, in the silence of the old world, it came, the strange voice echoing down the great canyon, grunting in the tones of strong arm! the whole tribe heard it and they paused, motionless, while their eyes swept the canyon for him who had spoken. but they saw no one.
silently they gathered together, with weapons raised. but the stillness remained unbroken. then strong arm raised his voice in a soft “wough!” and in his own tone, the echo answered him, “wough!”
it was very strange. the cave people could not understand. but they forgot the black bear and sent their voices ringing down the great canyon. came again the echo, in many tones, back to them.
then a great chattering arose among them, 77and even as they spoke, the chatterings of many voices arose from the canyon.
“wough-ee!” said the cave people. and they gave a sign in the gesture language, for they thought the sounds were the voices of their enemies, the hairy folk.
with great caution they departed to the point whence the sounds had come. not boldly, but by varied paths they made their way, slowly, concealing themselves behind the rocks and the trees as they progressed. long they hunted, one and all, but no man they found, nor any signs of man, and they returned at length to the mouth of the great canyon.
again their voices rang down the bed of the old river, this time defiantly. and the echoes replied once more, challenging them. the cave people grew angry and the search was continued, but they found no one. and they were compelled to return to their caves in the hollow with hearts heavy with wrath against the hairy folk.
often they returned to the great canyon, bearing their bone weapons. there they remained long in hiding, awaiting the advent of the enemy, till at last they learned no one was there. then the mystery grew more strange, for no man could tell whence came the voices that replied to them.
but there came a time when the cave people believed that these cries were the voices of the spirits that came to hunt with them, in their dream 78journeyings. no longer were they afraid. only a great awe filled them and much wonder concerning these things.
