hese are soft wood? What do we use soft wood for? Which
are hard? What do we use hard wood for?_

VI.

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

Can you think why the Cave-men used stone for their spear points
and knives before they used bone or horn?

What tools did the Cave-men need in making flint spear points?

Why did the Cave-men have to learn to strike gentle blows in making
their weapons? Can you think of any way of removing little pieces
of flint besides striking them off?

_How the Cave-men made Delicate Spear Points_

Perhaps you have seen very beautiful Indian arrows. Perhaps you have
wished you could make such arrows yourself. The later Cave-men first
made such weapons and no people since have ever been able to make more
beautiful ones.

The early Cave-men did not need such beautiful spear points. Rough
points of flint and heavy stone axes were the weapons they needed
most. It was not until the Age of the Chase that people shaped stone
into beautiful forms.

[Illustration]

Scarface always used flakes of flint for the points of spears and
javelins. But in earlier times, people did not know how to strike off
flakes of flint. They put the flint on a hard rock and struck it with
a heavy blow. They smashed the flint, for the hard rock did not yield.
They had not learned to let the flint break in its own way.

When the Cave-men held the flint in the hand, the hand yielded to the
light blow. The flint broke in its own way. But the sharp edges cut
the men's hands. So they covered the palms of their hands with rawhide
and kept from getting hurt. When they worked in this way, they had no
trouble in striking off flakes for spear points and knives.

When the men worked on their flint points, Fleetfoot liked to play
near the workshop. He liked to watch Straightshaft strike off flakes
with a hammer-stone and punch. He liked to listen to the song that
Scarface and Straightshaft sang.

[Illustration: "_When the Cave-men held the flint in the hand, the
hand yielded to the light blow._"]

Scarface and Straightshaft always sang when they worked with the
hammer-stone and punch. While Scarface placed the punch he sang in low
tones. And when he was ready for Straightshaft to strike, he sang so
as to let him know. Then Straightshaft took up the song and marked the
time for each blow.

[Illustration: "_While Scarface placed the punch he sang in low
tones._"]

The men always sang when t