the men were at home making new weapons. They never
made spears and javelins with sharper and finer points. They never
made straighter and smoother shafts. When they started out to hunt,
they were proud of their new weapons. All the Cave-men expected that
before the day passed, they would have new trophies and fresh meat.

The women, trapping birds on the hillsides, listened from time to
time. They expected to hear Bighorn's whistle when the animals were
ready to be skinned. But the day passed, and no signal came.

At sunset the men returned, but they were gloomy and silent. They
brought no trophies, and they spoke not a word of the chase.

No wonder the men were gloomy and silent. Their precious spears and
javelins had been lost in the chase. It was not because the men were
careless. It was not because they were not skillful in making spears
and javelins. It was because these weapons, when thrown from the hand,
could not strike deadly blows.

The Cave-men had thrown at the wild horses with a sure aim. Their
javelins and spears went right to the mark. When the horses ran, the
Cave-men followed. But in spite of all they could do, the wild horses
were soon out of sight.

Some of the horses received ugly wounds and carried the weapons far
away. Others received slight wounds; they brushed off the spears and
javelins, which fell and were lost in the tall grass.

[Illustration: _A chisel-scraper._]

Time and again, hunted animals had escaped with only a wound. Wounded
animals had often escaped with a spear or javelin. But never before
had so many animals escaped with so many precious weapons.

Of course there was nothing for the Cave-men to do but to make new
weapons. But it took a long time to season the sticks for straight and
smooth shafts. It took patience and skill for the Cave-men to make
delicate flint points. Perhaps this was why the Cave-men learned to
retrieve the weapons they threw.

Ever since the Cave-men had learned to make spears, they had lashed
the head to the shaft. They thought that this was the only way to make
a good spear. Chipper was the first Cave-man who invented a new way.

Chipper was all alone in the workshop. He had finished a spear point
which he held in his hand. Without thinking what he was doing, he
slipped the tang into a hollow reed which he picked up from the
ground. If it had not been for a hungry wolf, he might have thought no
more about it.

But the wolf had smelled the mea