doorway were darkened. The father had just time to spring to the
entrance with a spear when in came the huge head and shoulders of a
monstrous Cave Bear. The spear bit deep into the vast shaggy chest and
the air was filled with such a shuddering roar that several more
pieces of stone fell from the roof; and after all it was not the
spear, but the sand and sharp bits of stone which Umpl flung in his
eyes that made the animal back out, growling and brushing his head in
a rage. Sptz and her mother lost no time in heaping into the entrance
all the stone blocks that lay around, till it was so small that they
had to take some out in the morning so they themselves could go out,
and the father vowed to be the death of that bear before he was a week
older. But he looked blue as he said it, for he knew very well the
bear would be more likely to be the death of him.

So all the more earnestly they watched the valley below them for some
wreath of smoke aside from the well-known spots where enemies were
cooking their dinners. Sometimes a thunder-storm would sweep across
from peak to peak, and then they would all be out of the cave, looking
eagerly. If a tree was struck by lightning, now, they might get fire
from it. More than once a tree was struck and Umpl and Sptz raced off
through the rain to the spot, regardless of the evil spirits which
every Cave boy knew lived in the storm. But every time they arrived
only to find that the drenching rain had washed out all of the fire
but the smell, and that was not very satisfying; so they had to go
disconsolately back and take the beating which they were sure to get
for disappointing their elders, and had to do a double amount of work
besides.

It was not all playtime with Umpl and Sptz by any means. Sptz had to
help her mother about the cooking, when there was any. She also had to