said made
them sit up and listen with all their ears. Of course neither Hawk-Eye
nor Limberleg thought for a moment that the Twins were awake or
listening. Grown people are often very stupid about such things!
Anyway, they were awake, and they did listen, and this is what they
heard.

Hawk-Eye said, "I am going across the river to-morrow."

"Why are you going?" asked Big Ear.

"I want to see what lies beyond the blue hills that the sun climbs
over," Hawk-Eye answered.

"But no one of our clan has ever gone across the river. Our
hunting-grounds have always been on this side," said Long Arm.

"It's time some one did go, then," said Hawk-Eye. "Game will be
plentiful now everywhere, but after the reindeer go, there is a long
time that we have little food. We need to find new hunting-grounds. I
am going to seek them."

"Then I am going, too." It was Limberleg who spoke. "I can hunt. I
can trap as well as anybody. And I can throw a spear as straight. I am
not afraid. Grannie will look after the children while we are gone."

When he heard that, Firetop poked Firefly in the ribs.

"I am going with them," he whispered.

"They'll never let you," Firefly whispered back.

"I'm going anyway," Firetop answered. "Don't you tell."

"If you go, I'm going," said Firefly. "I can go as well as you can."

"Sh-sh-sh--" said Firetop, for Grannie was speaking.

"The river is wide and dangerous," she said. "The current is swift, and
who knows what monsters may be in it? I myself saw a rhinoceros
wallowing in the mud only a few days ago. Some say they have seen a
serpent as large as the trunk of a tree."

"We can go up the river until we find a shallower place to cross," said
Hawk-Eye. "I have killed a tiger and a rhinoceros and a cave bear in my
time. We can take care of ourselves."

When Limberleg heard him say "We" she knew that she was going, and she
was glad. She was as brave as Hawk-Eye and almost as good a hunter.

When they saw that Hawk-Eye had really made up his mind to go, nobody
else said anything. They knew it would be a waste of words; and in
those days there were fewer words to waste than we have now.

"We must start early," Hawk-Eye said to Limberleg. "We will take one
extra skin apiece and our axes and spears."

Limberleg rose at once and went over to the corner of the cave where the
Twins were. The Twins shut their eyes tight and pretended to be sound
asleep. Firetop even snored a