ne on the head and
neck. Their foreheads were low and receding, an impression which was
heightened by the enormously developed brow ridges, although the cranial
capacity of the creatures was not small, as was evidenced by enormous
bulges at the back of their heads. They walked on two legs but with a
peculiar slouch, the torso inclined forward from the hips, and their
eyes bent perpetually on the ground. Their arms were long and at times
they bent forward so much that it appeared almost as though they were
going on all fours. A close examination of their hands would have shown
that it was impossible for them to hold a needle between the thumb and
forefinger.

"Gumor, the gray ape!" cried one of the hunters.

"It is not Gumor," replied Anak, "although they are like his cousins.
See what they eat!"

As the hunters of the Cro-Magnon tribe of Ugar saw the meat which the
Neanderthalers were tearing, a cry of wrath broke from them. Uglik
stepped forward and raised the war cry of the tribe. The Neanderthalers
looked stupidly down at him for a moment. The huge male dropped the meat
he was eating and rose, his mane and beard bristling with rage. With a
roar, he charged down the slope, a huge flint smiting-stone in either
hand.

* * * * *

The hunters closed up on Uglik. As the attacker came within range, he
was saluted with a shower of stones which sprang harmlessly from his
huge rounded chest. Uglik hurled his spear. It pierced the apeman's
shoulder but did not make him pause. Other spears were hurled and struck
their mark, but without a pause the Neanderthaler came on with howls of
rage and pain, bloody froth flying from his lips.

Anak had not thrown his spear, and Invar, who stood beside his hero, had
likewise retained his weapon. The apeman came on with a rush. Uglik
sprang forward to meet him, but another hunter was directly in the path
of the attack. He swung his flint smiting-stone with a will, but his
blow was futile. He went down before a sweep of the apeman's arm, his
skull crushed to fragments.

Uglik struck at the attacker. The Neanderthaler turned toward him, but
as he did so, Anak hurled his spear. At close range, the stone-tipped
weapon passed nearly through the apeman. He stopped his rush and began
to cough up blood from a pierced lung. Anak seized Invar's spear and
sprang to the attack. An unfledged youth who craved distinction, rushed
ahead of the Chief Hunter, but his ac