How It Began.
A naked savage found himself in the greatest danger. A wild beast, hungry and fierce, was about to attack him. Escape was impossible.
Retreat was cut off. He must fight for his life--but how?
Should he bite, scratch or kick? Should he strike with his fist? These were the natural defenses 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 blow.
There was but a moment in which to act. Swiftly he seized a jagged fragment of rock from the ground and hurled it with all his force at the blazing eyes before him; then another, and another, until the beast, dazed and bleeding from the unexpected blows, fell back and gave him a chance to escape. 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 than the length of his arm, and his brain showed him how to do it. After all, what is a modern rifle but a device which man has made with his brain permitting him to strike an enormously hard blow at a wonderful distance? Firearms are really but a more perfect form of stone-throwing, and this early Cave Man took the first step that has led down the ages to the present-day arms and ammunition.
This strange story of a development that has been taking place slowly through thousands and thousands of years, so that today you are able to take a swift shot at distant game instead of merely throwing stones.
The Earliest Hunters.
The Cave Man and his descendants learned the valuable lesson of stone-throwing, and it made hunters of them, not big-game hunters--that was far too risky; but once in a while a lucky throw might bring down a bird or a rabbit for food. And so it went on for centuries, perhaps.
Early mankind was rather slow of thought.
At last, however, there appeared a great inventor--the Edison of his day.
He took the second step.
A Nameless Edison.
We do not know his name. Possibly he did not even have a name, but in some way he hit upon a scheme for throwing stones farther, harder and straighter than any of his ancestors.
The men and women in the Cave Colony suddenly found that one bright-eyed young fellow, with a little straighter forehead than the others, was beating them all at hunting. During weeks he had been going away mysteriously, for hours each day. Now, whenever he left the camp he was sure to bring home game, while the other men would straggle back for the most part empty-handed.
Was it witchcraft? They decided to investigate.
[Ill.u.s.tration: THE FIRST MISSILE
The Cave Man of prehistoric times unconsciously invented arms and ammunition.]
What They Saw.
Accordingly, one morning several of them followed at a careful distance as he sought the sh.o.r.e of a stream where water-fowl might be found.
Parting the leaves, they saw him pick up a pebble from the bank and then, to their surprise, take off his girdle of skin and place the stone in its center, holding both ends with his right hand.
Stranger still, he whirled the girdle twice around his head, then released one end so that the leather strip flew out and the stone shot straight at a bird in the water.
The mystery was solved. They had seen the first slingman in action.
The Use of Slings.
The new plan worked with great success, and a little practice made expert marksmen. We know that most of the early races used it for hunting and in war. We find it shown in pictures made many thousands of years ago in ancient Egypt and a.s.syria. We find it in the Roman army where the slingman was called a "funditor."
We find it in the Bible where it is written of the tribe of Benjamin: "Among all these people there were seven hundred chosen men left-handed; _every one could sling a stone at an hair breadth and not miss_."
Surely, too, you remember the story of David and Goliath when the young shepherd "prevailed over the Philistine _with a sling and with a stone_."
Today shepherds tending their flocks upon these same hills of Syria may be seen practicing with slings like those of David. Yes, and slings were used in European armies until nearly a hundred years after America was discovered.
Something Better.
Yet they had their drawbacks. A stone slung might kill a bird or even a man, but it was not very effective against big game.
What was wanted was a missile to pierce a thick hide.
Man had begun to make spears for use in a pinch, but would you like to tackle a husky bear or a well-horned stag with only a spear for a weapon?
No more did our undressed ancestors. The invention of the greatly desired arm probably came about in a most curious way.
Long ages ago man had learned to make fire by patiently rubbing two sticks together, or by twirling a round one between his hands with its point resting upon a flat piece of wood.
In this way it could be made to smoke, and finally set fire to a tuft of dried moss, from which he might get a flame for cooking. This was such hard work that he bethought him to twist a string of sinew about the upright spindle and cause it to twirl by pulling alternately at the two string ends, as some savage races still do. From this it was a simple step to fasten the ends of the two strings to a bent piece of wood, another great advantage, since now but one hand was needed to twirl the spindle, and the other could hold it in place. This was the "bow-drill"
which also is used to this day.
A Fortunate Accident.
But bent wood is apt to be springy. Suppose that while one were bearing on pretty hard with a well-tightened string, in order to bring fire quickly, the point of the spindle should slip from its block. Naturally, it would fly away with some force if the position were just right.
This must have happened many times, and each time _but once_ the fire-maker may have muttered something under his breath, gone after his spindle, and then settled down stupidly to his work. He had had a golden chance to make a great discovery, but didn"t realize it.
[Ill.u.s.tration: THE SLING MAN IN ACTION
Practice developed some wonderful marksmen among the users of this primitive weapon.]
But, so it has been suggested, there was one man who stopped short when he lost his spindle, for a red-hot idea shot suddenly through his brain.
He forgot all about his fire-blocks while he sat stock still and thought.
Once or twice he chuckled to himself softly. Thereupon he arose and began to experiment.
He chose a longer, springier piece of wood, bent it into a bow, and strung it with a longer thong. He placed the end of a straight stick against the thong, drew it strongly back and released it.
The shaft whizzed away with force enough to delight him, and, lo, there was the first bow-and-arrow!
What Came of It.