st
a huge boulder on the slope. The stone rocked but did not fall. Again
the lad exerted himself until his muscles cracked under the strain. The
boulder tottered for a moment and then rolled down the slope, gathering
momentum as it rolled. It was deflected from the direct line of the
female's attack, but a smaller stone it dislodged struck her on the
shoulder and knocked her from her feet.

"More stones, Invar!" cried Anak.

* * * * *

The two exerted themselves and an avalanche of rocks thundered down the
slope. The female strove to rise, but she was overwhelmed. Down the
slope rushed the two hunters, intent on finishing her with their
smiting-stones and knives. She lay in a twisted heap, whimpering
plaintively. Invar's knife found her heart, and she sank back dead.

"Well struck, Invar!" cried Anak. "Would that we had spears. Others of
the cousins of Gumor are coming."

Bellowing roars came from higher up the ravine. The two hunters bounded
back up the slope. Down the ravine came another female, followed by a
fourteen-year-old boy. Contemptuous of their assailants, the hunters
betrayed their whereabouts with shouts. The female accepted the
challenge and climbed heavily up the slope toward them, the boy trailing
her and aping her cries with shrill shouts.

The hunters allowed her to approach to within a few yards before they
threw their combined weight on a huge mass of rock. The boulder gave and
thundered down the slope. It brushed past the female but did not strike
her.

"Higher up and try again, Invar!" cried the Chief Hunter.

They bounded up the slope. Anak paused and hurled a flint throwing-stone
with deadly aim. It struck the female a glancing blow on the face,
tearing the flesh from one of the prominent brow ridges. She stopped,
momentarily blinded. Invar raised a rock high above his head with both
hands and cast it at her. It struck her on the chest and she fell
backwards. Again Anak's strategy was successful and an avalanche of
rolled rocks overwhelmed her. The boy turned to fly, but the
fleet-footed Invar overtook him and the knives of the two hunters
quickly put an end to his career.

As they bent over his dead body, a shrill scream rose on the air. It was
not the voice of an apeman, or an apewoman, but held a human quality.
The hunters straightened up and sought the source of it. Again came the
scream. From the mouth of a cave above them bounded a girl. She won
mo