bears.

With neither the bears nor the great hyenas did Grom anticipate any
trouble. But he felt it barely possible that the saber-tooth might
dare a rush in. Snatching up a dry branch, and leading the girl with
him by the wrist, he backed slowly nearer the flames. Terrified at
their dancing and the scorching of their breath, the girl sank down on
her naked knees and covered her face with her hair. Smiling at her
terror, Grom thrust the branch into the flames. When it was all ablaze
he raised it above his head, and, carrying his spear in his right
hand, he rushed at the saber-tooth. For a few seconds the monster
faced his approach, but Grom saw the shrinking in his furious eyes,
and came on fearlessly. At last the beast whipped about with a
screeching snarl, and raced back into the woods. Then Grom turned to
the bears, but they had not stayed to receive his attentions. The
sight of the flames bursting, as it seemed, from the man's shaggy head
as he ran, was too much for them, and they had slunk back discreetly
into the shadows.

Grom threw the blazing stick on the ground, laid several more branches
upon it, and presently had a fine fire of his own going. He seized a
small branch and hurled it at the hyenas, sending them off with their
tails between their legs to their hiding-places on the ragged slopes.
Then he fed his fire with more dry wood till the fierce heat of it
drove him back. Returning to the side of the wondering girl, he sat
down, and contemplated his handiwork with swelling pride. When the
flames died down he piled on more branches till they blazed again to
the height of the nearest tree-tops. This he repeated, thoughtfully,
several times, till he had assured himself of his power to make this
bright, devouring god great or little at his pleasure.

This stupendous fact established clearly, Grom brought an armful of
grass and foliage, and made the girl take her sleep. He himself
continued for an hour or two his experiments with the fire, building
small ones in a circle about him, discovering that green branches
would not burn well, and brooding with knit brows over each new center
of light and heat which he created.

Then, seated on his haunches beside the sleeping A-ya, he pondered on
the future of his tribe, on the change in its fortunes which this
mysterious new creature was bound to bring about. At last, when the
night was half worn through, he awakened the girl, bade her keep sharp
watch, and threw