Longhead: The Story of the First Fire

by C. H. Robinson

Every night the fire blazed merrily upon the platform, fed with dry branches and large sticks, which it was the task of the woman to procure during the day. Frequently they saw wild animals in the forest at night or heard their growls as they prowled in the surrounding thickets, but never after their experience with the tiger the first night of their fire, did one venture within the charmed circle of the light made by the flames.

Sometimes when it rained or the weather was cold, and sufficient food remained over from the night before, Longhead lingered about the cave and platform all day, enjoying the warmth and comfort of the fire, and on these occasions the couple talked much of the benefits of their new acquisition.

One day Broken Tooth said: "What shall we say if some of the people wander this way and find us? What shall we tell them about how we came in possession of this new comfort?" Then they talked about this long and earnestly. They had no desire to benefit their fellows by sharing with them their accidental discovery, for man was yet a purely selfish animal, and there was no organized society of any kind; but they both recognized the fact that when others became acquainted with its benefits, they would soon acquire the fire, by force if necessary, and that their own lives would stand for nothing, should they resist. They felt sure that the matter could not long be concealed from other members of their group, for the first hunter who should wander to that part of the forest would smell the smoke and would investigate. It was finally concluded that, as they did not themselves know how the fire had originated in the heap of logs and brush, they would say Longhead himself had produced it in a mysterious manner, which they dare not reveal for fear it might be taken from them.

That they might not be observed in the mornings kindling the fire with punk and tinder, and their secret be thus exposed, it was agreed that all the punk should be kept in the cave, the fires lighted there, and only brought out on the platform after the sticks were ablaze.

Every night two pieces of punk were ignited and laid carefully up on a small natural projecting shelf in the cave. They used two pieces, fearing that by some accident one might become extinguished. The fact is, this very thing did happen once. The lighted punk had been laid back against the rear wall of the platform when they went to bed, but a violent storm had come on in the night and the rain had been driven in so that the punk was wet and the spark gone in the morning. Their precious fire was only saved by Broken Tooth finding a tiny spark on the under side of a log which the water had not happened to reach. They had been greatly alarmed, and so two pieces had been thereafter lighted and both taken into the cave to avoid such another mishap.

This peaceful enjoyment of their new-found happiness and companionship had continued for some months, when one evening a small animal which they were about to tear to pieces for their evening meal, fell into a large bed of burning coals on the platform. Longhead was about to recover it when Broken Tooth, whose sense of smell may have been more acute, said: "Wait a minute; what is that delicious smell?"

Up to this time they had still continued to eat their food raw, and there had been nothing to suggest to the mind of either that it would be better if exposed to heat. Now they continued for some minutes to inhale the new and agreeable odor, but it had the effect to make Longhead ravenously hungry, and he soon drew the animal from the coals with a long stick. When he began to tear it the hot carcass burned his fingers, which alarmed him at first, but the demands of his appetite must be satisfied, and, tearing it in pieces, he divided with the woman. At first they both tasted gingerly and were a little afraid of the unaccustomed heat, but before either had finished the first morsel their pleasure was evident. They devoured the whole of the animal, and declared it the finest eating they had ever experienced. Two or three other small animals lay beside the fire and they decided to repeat the course. Both had observed that the portions of the first animal which had been most exposed to the heat had been made tender and more appetizing, and, on the suggestion of Broken Tooth, a long slender stick was thrust through an animal, which was by this means held over the hottest part of the bed of coals by Longhead, who turned it from time to time, that all parts might be thoroughly cooked. This was so much better than the first that their appetites returned with renewed vigor, and when the second animal had been eaten, they again repeated the courses until all the food on hand had been devoured. They both declared that roasted meat was far superior to raw, and agreed that this should be the method of preparing meat for the future.

One day when Broken Tooth returned from the swamp with some wild carrots and other roots, she thrust one into a pile of hot ashes and burning coals, merely as an experiment. She left it there while she collected some fuel and replenished the fire, and when she drew it out and tasted it she was pleased to find that roots also were much improved by cooking. When Longhead returned in the evening he was treated to a surprise—supper of two courses, broiled wood-rat and roasted carrot.

Everything to be used for food was thereafter submitted to the cooking test, and, whenever broiling or roasting in the ashes seemed to improve the taste of any article of food, this was adopted.