Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-04-26
nlaceS and things.

places and things.
He took me up the open space "e
tween the caves and the river ana INTO
the forest beyond. where In a grassy
place among the trees we made ihea'
Of stringv rooted carrots. After that
we had a good drink at the river ana
started up the runway to the caves
II was in the runway that we came
upon Red Eye again. The first | knew
Lon Ear had shrunk away TO one SIDE
and was crouching low against the
bank. Naturally and Involuntary
initiated him. Then it was that look
cd 70 see the cause of his fear 1t
was Red Eye. staggering down the
center of the runway and Sowing
fiercely with his in6amed eyes. ! no
ticed that all the youngsters shrank
avav from him as we had done. while
the grownups regarded him with wary
eyes when be drew near and stepped
aside to give him the center of the
path.
As twilight came on the open space
was deserted The folk were seeking
the safety of the caves. I.op Ear lef
the way to bed. High up the bluff we
climbed. higher than all the other
'aves. to tiny crevice that could not
be seen from the ground. Into this
Lop Ear squeezed. l followed with
difficulty, 80 narrow was the entrance.
and found myself in a small rock
chamber. 1t was very low-not more
than a couple of feet in height and
possibly three feet by four in width
and length. Here, cuddled together in
each others arms, we slept out the
night.
While the more courageous Of the
youngsters played in and out Of the
large mouthed caves l early learned
that such caves were unoccupied. No
one slept in them at night. Only the
crevice mouthed caves were used, the
narrower the mouth the better. This
was from fear Of the preying animals
that made life burden to US in those
days and nights.
The first morning after my nights
sleep with Lop Ear learned the adj
vantage of the narrow mouthed caves.
1t was just daylight when old Saber
Tooth, the tiger, walked into the open
space Two of the folk were already
up. They made rush for it. Whether
they were panic stricken or whether he
was too close on their heels for them
to attempt to scramble up the bluff to
the crevices, do not know, but at any
rate they dashed into the wide mouth
ed cave wherein Lop Ear and l had
played the afternoon before.
What happened inside there was no
way of telling, but it is fair to
conclude that the two folk slipped
through the connecting crevice into the
other cave. This crevice was too small
to allow for the passage of Saber
Tooth, and he came out the way he
had gone in, unsatisfied and angry. 1t
was evident that his nights hunting
had been unsuccessful and that he had
expected to make a meal off Of us.
He caught sight of the two folk at the
other cave mouth and sprang for them.
OF course they darted through the
passageway into the first cave. He
emerged angrier than ever and snarl-
ing.
Pandemonium broke loose among the
rest of us. All up and down the great
bluff we crowded the crevices and out
side Lodges. and We We're all chatter
ing and shrieking in a thousand keys.
And We were all making faces-snarl-
ing faces: this was an instinct with us.
We were as angry as Saber Tooth,
though our anger was allied with fear.
! remember that l shrieked and made
faces with the best Of them. Not only
did they set the example, but l felt the
"rge from within me to do the same