the alligator on to
boil?"

"I was just going to say--" began the Cave-man.

"_Going_ to say! Yes, I don't doubt you were going to say. You'd go on
saying all day if I'd let you. What I'm asking you is, is the alligator
on to boil for dinner or is it not--My gracious!" She broke off all of
a sudden, as she caught sight of me. "Why didn't you say there was
company? Land sakes! And you sit there and never say there was a
gentleman here!"

She had hustled across the cave and was busily arranging her hair with a
pool of water as a mirror.

"Gracious!" she said, "I'm a perfect fright! You must excuse me," she
added, looking round toward me, "for being in this state. I'd just
slipped on this old fur blouse and run around to a neighbour's and I'd
no idea that he was going to bring in company. Just like him! I'm afraid
we've nothing but a plain alligator stew to offer you, but I'm sure if
you'll stay to dinner--"

She was hustling about already, good primitive housewife that she was,
making the stone-plates rattle on the mud table.

"Why, really--" I began. But I was interrupted by a sudden exclamation
from both the Cave-man and the Cave-woman together:

"Willie! where's Willie!"

"Gracious!" cried the woman. "He's wandered out alone--oh, hurry, look
for him! Something might get him! He may have fallen in the water! Oh,
hurry!"

They were off in a moment, shouting into the dark passages of the outer
cave: "Willie! Willie!" There was agonized anxiety in their voices.

And then in a moment, as it seemed, they were back again, with Willie in
their arms, blubbering, his rabbit-skin all wet.

"Goodness gracious!" said the Cave-woman. "He'd fallen right in, the
poor little man. Hurry, dear, and get something dry to wrap him in!
Goodness, what a fright! Quick, darling, give me something to rub him
with."

Anxiously the Cave-parents moved about beside the child, all quarrel
vanished.

"But surely," I said, as they calmed down a little, "just there where
Willie fell in, beside the passage that I came through, there is only
three inches of water."

"So there is," they said, both together, "but just suppose it had been
three feet!"

Later on, when Willie was restored, they both renewed their invitation
to me to stay to dinner.

"Didn't you say," said the Cave-man, "that you wanted to make some notes
on the difference between Cave-people and the people of your world of
to-day?"

"I thank you," I answered, "I have