[Illustration: Broken hunting club]
With his stone ax he hacked off the top and roots of the tree; then he stripped the bark from the small end, and rubbed it with sandstone.
"It must be smooth or it will hurt my hand," he said to the boys who stood watching him.
"In the old days," he said, rubbing away, "the cave men had nothing to fight with but a club. Before they had even that," he went on, grinning, "they fought with nails and teeth, or with a stick or a stone snatched from the ground." Then laughing loud, he added, "No wonder that in the old days people lived in trees, and ran if they saw a wildcat."
"I should be sorry if you had nothing to hunt with but a club, father," said Pineknot, making a long face. "We should go hungry oftener than we do now."
After they had gone into the cave, the boys began to play with the baby. In fun they pushed her into the room behind the one they lived in. She cried out, because she was scared at the darkness.
"How loud her voice sounds in there," said Thorn.
"What is the rest of the cave like, father?" asked Pineknot. "Is it very big?"
"Yes, it goes far back into the hill," said Strongarm. "I have never been to the end of it, myself."