“He comes here much more than I like,” the Ape Boy replied. “I often leave for food and water—and flints too. I leave my fire burning but sometimes it goes out. Then, like as not, I find the Cave Lion all settled here when I return. If so, I smoke him out again. He goes away growling and waits around for another chance.”
“To step in when you step out,” chuckled the Mammoth who was beginning to understand this novel see-saw arrangement.
“Exactly. You see there are not enough caves for everybody,—that is, men and animals. When a cave-man leaves his home, even for a short time, he is liable to find some animal occupying it when he returns. We have fierce battles sometimes. I cannot fight the Lion with a flint-ax. He is too big and strong; so I use fire.”
“Are you a cave-animal?” the Mammoth asked.
“Not a really true one. I live in a cave half of the time and am half animal so that makes me only half a cave-animal.”
“What is the other half?” inquired Wulli suddenly becoming interested.
“Man, I guess;” the Ape Boy looked thoughtfully at the ground and began twisting a stick with his toes.
“What is a man? Why is he not an animal?” the Mammoth demanded.
“I scarcely know, myself; but man is different. He walks on his hind legs, hunts, lives in a cave and——”