The women sent the children into the cave and grasped their weapons to help the men. The bear turned and went away. But the Cave-men were afraid that he would come back. They could defend themselves at the mouth of the cave, but they had to go out to get something to eat. They were afraid to leave the children alone for fear the cave-bear might get them. At last they thought of shutting them up in the cave. They had never seen nor heard of a door, but they knew how to heap up piles of stones. So they rolled up large stones and piled them up until part of the entrance was blocked. They did not want to wall up the whole mouth, for the stones were too heavy to move every day. But they wanted to close the mouth of the cave so as to keep the cave-bear out. Everybody tried to find a way to do it, and at last Firekeeper got an idea for a door. Perhaps you would not call what she made a door, but it was a good door for that time. [Illustration: “_They rushed upon him with their knives and spears_”] Firekeeper made it of tough branches. She stuck several large branches into the ground and wove smaller ones among them. When the door was finished, the women pulled up the large branches and carried the wicker-work door to the cave. They set it between the stones so as to close the mouth. After that they shut the children in the cave when they went out to hunt. But the cave-bear still prowled around. When the women came home from the woods one day, the cave-bear was at the door. They rushed upon him with their knives and spears. They were torn and bruised by the cave-bear, but he never troubled them any more. THINGS TO DO _If you have a playhouse, try to make a wicker-work door for it._ _Tell a story of what the children did when they saw the cave-bear through the holes in the door._ _Model a cave-bear in clay._ XXI THINGS TO THINK ABOUT Can you think what kind of a place the fire country is? Can you tell where we get oil and gas to burn? If a natural oil well should take fire, what would happen? Have you ever seen a volcano? _The Stranger That Came Toward the Cave_ Many days passed, and each day the Cave-men missed the fire more and more. They missed the old man and Sharpeyes. They hoped they would soon come home. But as the days went by and they did not come, the Cave-men feared they would never return. One day about sunset they went into the cave. As Firekeeper was fastening the door of the cave, she saw a stranger coming. She called the others to look. They hoped they would see their friends, but this man seemed a stranger. He was hardly able to walk. His garments were torn and tattered. His limbs were bruised and bleeding. As the Cave-men looked in silence, he sank exhausted to the ground. Then the Cave-men gathered around him. They raised him up and looked into his face. They could scarcely believe what they saw. It was Sharpeyes.