or a long way, but found nothing. We were
beginning to think we should come home empty-handed, when far away I
heard bellowing. Then I saw a little black speck moving along the green
valley. Two black specks moved beside it. They were the leader and his
two sentinels, and behind them came the herd."

"We saw the herd, too," cried Firetop. "I saw them first," said
Squaretoes. "I saw them just as quick as you," shouted Blackbird.

"Shut up," said his mother, and Blackbird did. Fathers and mothers in
those days used just such language as that, and if the children didn't
mind at once, they were likely to get something worse than just
language. It wasn't a polite age at all.

"We crept down the bluffs as quietly as snakes," went on Hawk-Eye, when
everybody was still again. "I was in front. When the leader of the
herd got to our hiding-place, I sprang from the bushes and threw my
spear with all my strength. He gave a mighty roar. He stood on his
hind legs and thundered. Then Big Ear sprang forward and threw his
spear. The leader fell. The herd broke and ran. The sentinels could
not control them. Then we ran toward them. We killed two young cows
with our axes. The rest of the herd rushed past. The leader and the
two cows were left behind. The leader was old and tough. We pulled out
our spears and left him to the jackals and hyenas. The two cows were
small. We skinned them and cut them into pieces and started for the
cave. At the foot of the path we met the other people. They were weary
and had caught nothing. When they saw us they laughed for joy."

"We heard them," cried Firefly. "Grannie said you would bring meat.
She said so when we heard the laughing. She said so when the herd
passed by. She saw that they had been frightened. That is why we had
the kettle ready."

"Grannie is a wise old woman," said Hawk-Eye. "Now, get to bed, every
one of you."

The children scuttled away and threw themselves down on heaps of skins
which lay about the cave, and were soon sound asleep. At least the
others were asleep, but for some reason Firetop and Firefly stayed
awake. Maybe they had eaten too much. At any rate they lay in their
corner, on their own heap of skins and watched Hawk-Eye and Limberleg
and Grannie and the others as they sat about in the cheerful glow of the
fire. Nobody had said anything for a long time, and the Twins were
beginning to feel quite sleepy, when Hawk-Eye spoke. What he