Longhead: The Story of the First FireRobinson, C. H. (Charles Henry)
Science
Longhead: The Story of the First Fire
Robinson, C. H. (Charles Henry)
Industries, Primitive; Prehistoric peoples
The visitors remained awake most of the night, one or two sleeping while
the others kept the fire supplied with fuel. It happened, also, that a
couple of tigers approached the light near enough to be seen by them,
but sneaked off, afraid of the strange sight.
This time they all remained until the man and woman arose in the
morning, and then insisted that Longhead should tell them where the fire
came from and how they could procure it for the benefit of the group. He
answered as mysteriously as before, and pointed to the sky as the place
from whence it came; but he gave them to understand that he controlled
the mysterious agent; that there were plenty of caves in the ravine
near-by, and if the group would take these for their habitations, he
would not object to supplying them with the fire; and he showed them how
it might be conveyed to a considerable distance by means of torches. He
was careful, however, not to say anything about its preservation by
means of the punk, and he declined to give any explanation in regard to
the flint knives with which the meat had been cut.
Since he had become acquainted with the use of fire, Longhead's
intellect had expanded rapidly, and he now began to have a vague idea
that he could make use of these secrets to his own personal advantage.
On their return to the group, the party reported that all the first two
had said about the fire was true and the half had not been told. They
enlarged upon the appetizing method of preparing food by roasting, and
the warmth and comfort of the heat, to say nothing of the terror in
which the fire was held by the ferocious animals.
They told of the caves in the vicinity of the fire-man's habitation and
his offer to supply them all with fire, and proposed an immigration to
the locality, that all might enjoy this new agent for man's comfort.
Most of the group agreed to the proposition, and the next day removed
with their few belongings and located themselves in the caves of the
ravine; but a few conservative old fellows said they would have nothing
to do with such unnatural and mysterious business; and as to roasting
meat, it was surely intended that it should be eaten raw, else why were
they furnished with hands to tear and teeth to chew, and besides, had
not their fathers always eaten their meat raw? For their part, they
would remain at the old locality and follow the old and tried methods,
at least, until they should see if any harm befell the immigrants on
account of the innovation.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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