The Dickinson press., 1913-07-19

AI in the greatest danger. A
wild beast, hungry and fierce,
~ was about to attack him.
Escape was impossible. Retreat was cut
Oh. he must fight for his LIE, but how:
Should he bite, scratch or kick?
Should he strike with his fist? These
were the natural d~efenses Of his body.
but what were they against the teeth.
the claws and the tremendous muscles
of his enemy?. Should he wrench a
dead branch from a tree and use it
for a club? That would bring him
within striking distance, to be torn to
pieces before he could deal a second
rhlow.
"a There was but q moment In which
to act. Swiftly he seized a jagged frag-
iment Of rock from the ground and
hurled it with all his force at the blaz-
ing eyes before him, then another and
another until the beast, dased and
bleeding from the unexpected blows,
Tell back and gave him a chance to e%
cape. He knew that he had saved his
life, but there was something else
which. his dull brain failed to realize.
HE HAD INVENTED ARMS AND
AMMUNITION!
In other words, he had needed to
strike a harder blow than the. blow of
his fist at a greater distance .lap the
length Of his arm, and his brain show
cd him how to do It After all, what
- a modern rife but a device which
man has made with his brain. permit
ding him to STRIFE an enormously hnrd
blow az q. wonderful distance7 Fire
arms are really a more perfect
form Of stone thrO yang, and this early
cave man took the first step that has
led down the ages to present day arms
and ammunition.
This strange story Of a development
that has been taking place slowly
through thousands and thousands Of
years. 20 that today you are able to
take a swift shot at distant game in
stead Of merely throwing stones this
story we shall briefly tell.
The Earliest Huntsrs.
The cave man and his descendants
learned the valuable lesson Of stone
throwing, and It made hunters Of. them
!, not biz game .hunters-that was far toe
risky. But once IN awhile a lucky
throw might bring down q bird or q
rabbit for food. And 20 1t went or
for centuries perhaps. Early mankind
was rather slow Of thought.
At last. however, there appeared {
great inventor-the Edison Of his day
He added the second link-the sling.
The Use Of elinss.
The new weapon worked with great
success, and a little practice made ex
pert marksmen. We know that mos
Of the early races used it FOL. hunting
and in wal. We find It shown in pic
lures made many thousands Of year
ago In ancient Egypt; and Assyria. w
find It In the Roman army. where thu
slingman was called a .'funditor."
We find 1t in the Bible, where it II
written Of the tribe OF Benjamin
Among ! these people there wert
seven hundred chosen men left handed
EVERY ONE COULD SLING 1
"a ~ A4N-AA<AAx
AND NOT MISS" Surely. too. you re
member the storysof David and Goliatl
when the young shepherd prevailed
over the Philistine WITH5A SLING
AND WITH a STONE" :
Something Better.
Yet they had their drawbacks. 4
stone slung might kill q bird or even
man, but it was not very effectiv'
against big game.
What was wanted was q missile t
pierce a thick hide. So through lon
years Of cropping for Something bet
ter the bow and arrow was evolve,
and played a most important part Il
the development Of arms and ammunl
ton In many lands.
a Shooting Maohins.
But the age OF machinery was com
Ing on Once nsawhilea&sthere wer''
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