At last Bolo thought again of his mother and little Antelope. How he hoped they had not been trampled to death by these dreadful beasts. He had almost given up finding them now, for he was sure that even if they had not been drowned or killed by wild beasts they must have starved. So, sad at heart, he started on the long journey back to the Valley of Caves.
Weary and heartsick, he came in sight of the caves. But who was that running up the slope to meet him? Surely it could not be—yes, it was! It was dear little Antelope, holding up her baby hands and shouting his name. Down the hill he ran, forgetting his aching limbs and heavy heart, and how both laughed and shouted for joy as he caught his lost sister up and put her on his shoulder. Together thus, they came to the cave where Stitcher sat, her brown hands for once idle as she leaned wearily against the side of a great rock. She looked very worn and thin, but smiled gladly when Bolo came up and put his arm about her shoulders.
“We looked everywhere,” he said. “Where have you been all this time? And how did you live?”
“I will tell you another time,” said Stitcher. “I do not like to talk about it now.”
How excited Bolo was as he told One Eye and the other cave men about the strange herd he had seen in the distant valley. The whole Clan was at once in a turmoil. One Eye gave it as his opinion that the great animals were mammoths, which rarely came into that region, and were very valuable for their meat, their skins, and the ivory in the long tusks. One mammoth would make meat for all the Clan for many days, and they were all eager to start at once on a great hunt for them.
“We must take spears and harpoons,” said one.
“No, we must take bows and arrows,” said another.
“We will go up the river and attack them from the water,” said a third.
“No,” objected a fourth, “that would frighten them back into the hills and we could not get them.”
In short, each man in the Clan seemed to think he knew just what to do, and would not listen to anyone else. For a while it looked as if the great hunt would have to be given up.