With a roar, the apemen charged.B. C. 30,000
By Capt. S. P. Meek
A scream of rage split thedarkness. From the sideof the fire where the womensat darted Esle, theHigh Priestess, a bloody bit ofliver in her hand. Following her,and snarling likean enraged cat,came one of themaidens of thetribe. The agedhag, Esle, whoseduty it was to declare to the tribethe will of Degar Astok, the mightyone who dwelt in the heavens andsent the storms to enforce his will,came to a pause before Uglik, theChief and tribal Father.
"Una was eatingof the man'spiece," sheshrilled as sheheld the fragmentaloft.
Uglik dropped the thigh bonefrom which he had been rippingthe meat in huge chunks. He tookthe liver from Esle and examinedit.
"Bring me my spear!" he roaredas he lunged forward and graspedUna by the hair. "Una has stolenthat which is tabu to her and Iwill punish her."
Una moaned with fright but attemptedno resistance. Uglikgrasped his spear and raised it overhis head.
"Hold, Father!" came a clearvoice from the group of hunterswho sat near the chief.
Uglik paused in amazement atthe interruption. Anak, the ChiefHunter, rose to his feet and madea step forward.
"She stole it not," he said."Anak, the Chief Hunter, gave itto her."
Uglik released the girl and staredat the hunter in surprise. Anak returnedthe stare coolly and Uglikraised his throwing-spear threateningly.Anak did not let his gazewander from the Father's, but hisgrasp tightened ever so slightly onthe sharp flint smiting-stone whichhe had taken from the skin pouchwhich dangled from his leatherwaist belt before he had made hisannouncement.
"Anak, the Chief Hunter, gaveit to her," he repeated slowly."Anak killed the buck, and half ofthe liver is, by the law of thetribe, his to dispose of. Does theFather deny the right?"
Uglik lowered the point of hisspear and thought rapidly.Anak's act constituted unheard-ofrebellion against his authority. Onthe other hand, the Chief Hunterwas the cleverest tracker of thetribe and a mighty warrior in battle.The tribe of Ugar had lostmost of its warriors in their longsix-month march north from thefertile valley where the MediterraneanSea now rolls. Uglik wastoo wise a leader to waste men ona trivial quarrel, able though hefelt himself to kill Anak, shouldthe latter cry the rannag, the duelto the death by which the Fathermust at any time prove to any challenger,his right to rule.
"It is the right of the killer todispose of half of the liver of thekill," he conceded. "It is also theright of the stronger to take whathe wills from the weaker. To Eslebelongs the liver. The girl will notbe punished. Anak will join me atmeat."
Anak's face flushed momentarilyat the arrogant tone of the Father'sruling. He realized, as well asUglik, what had caused the Fatherto condone his semi-rebellion. Heshrugged his shoulders and satdown beside Uglik.
Uglik ate slowly, looking meditativelyat Una as she tore offchunks of the meat with her strongteeth and swallowed them. The girlwas about eighteen and in the firstflush of womanhood. Her tawnybrown skin gleamed like satin inthe firelight, which was reflectedfrom her slightly curling massesof black hair. She stood eightinches over five feet and her