e asked who had made it.

"I did," answered A-ya, very proud of her achievement now that she
found it taken so seriously by one being to whom her adventurous
spirit really deferred.

"No, _I_ did!" piped the boy, with an injured air.

The mother laughed indulgently. "Yes, he tied one end, and beat me
with it," said she. "Then I took it from him, and bent the stick and
tied the other end."

"It is very good!" said Grom, nodding his approval musingly. He
squatted down a few feet away, and began experimenting.

Picking up a small stone, he held it upon the cord, bent the bow a
little way, and let go. The stone flew up and hit him with amazing
energy in the mouth.

"_Oh!_" murmured A-ya, sympathetically, as the bright blood ran down
his beard. But the child, thinking that his father had done it on
purpose, laughed with hearty appreciation. Somewhat annoyed, Grom got
up, moved a few paces farther away, and sat down again with his back
to the family circle.

As to the force that lurked in this slender little implement he was
now fully satisfied. But he was not satisfied with the direction in
which it exerted itself. He continued his experiments, but was careful
to draw the bow lightly.

For a long time he found it impossible to guess beforehand the
direction which the pebbles, or the bits of stick or bark, would take
in their surprising leaps from the loosed bow-string. But at length a
dim idea of aim occurred to him. He lifted the bow--his left fist
grasping its middle--to the level of his eyes, at arm's length. He got
the cord accurately in the center of the pebble, and drew toward his
nose. This effort was so successful that the stone went perfectly
straight--and caught him fair on the thumb-knuckle.

The blow was so sharp that he dropped the bow with an angry
exclamation. Glancing quickly over his shoulder to see if A-ya had
noticed the incident, he observed that her face was buried between her
knees and quite hidden by her hair. But her shoulders were heaving
spasmodically. He suspected that she was laughing at him; and for a
moment, as his knuckle was aching fiercely, he considered the
advisability of giving her a beating. He had never done such a thing
to her, however, though all the other Cave Men, including Bawr
himself, were wont to beat their women on occasion. In his heart he
hated the idea of hurting her; and it would hardly be worth while to
beat her without hurting her. The idea, therefore, was prom