What Happened?

By

Apache

All rights reserved

Chapter 10

It took almost a week to get everyone settled in the cave. 

Now it seemed as if I were spending most of my time hunting.  With over fifty people to feed, it was getting to be a very big job for me.  I didn't have to do any butchering on the meat that I killed, but I was out of the cave almost all of the time.

One morning I went outside to water the grass, and found two large cardboard boxes sitting next to the cave entrance.  I opened the largest one first.  It was packed to the top with cross bows of different sizes.  The pull weights were marked on them and went from 55Kg down to 15Kg.  The all had a step cocking device on them.  I pulled a 55Kg out and looked it over.  I pulled it up and aimed at a tree.  The sight was a peep and dot type of site.  Look threw the peep and put the dot on your target, and pull the trigger. 

Next I opened the smaller box.  Packed to the top with every kind of bolt you could think of. 

I had to try one of them out.  I picked up a 55Kg and a hand full of wooden bolts.  I cocked the bow and placed a bolt in the ready position.  I pulled it to my shoulder and sighted in on a knot on the side of a tree about 40 meters away.  I eased back on the trigger and TWANG.  CRACK.  The bolt hit within an inch of where I was aiming.  When it hit, it turned into tooth picks, and removed a good chunk of the bark on the tree.  I went and took a good look at the tree.  The head of the bolt was buried a good distance into the knot. 

I know one shot does not prove a weapon but these things were very simple. 

I went into the cave and gathered every one around.  Then I made the announcement that I had a new type of weapon for use in hunting and defense.   They were all interested until I showed them what it was.  I handed it to one of the men and he started swinging it like a pick or something.  Of course I stopped him.  Then it was show and tell time.  I took them all outside and looked around for a target to shoot at. 

I spotted a large cat just crouching down to get a drink on the other side of the stream.  I loaded a metal bolt and aimed at the side of the cat, just behind the shoulder.  TWANG.  THUNK!  The cat screamed, and jumped into the air.  When it came down it didn't even wiggle.  It was as dead as it could get.  We approached the cat with caution.  No one wanted to tangle with a cat that weighed more than a grown man. 

As soon as it was discovered that the cat was dead, the women went to work.  I said, "I don't eat cat".  And one of the women replied, "Fur".

My mates were all over me.  They were saying, that they would be the only ones to have a bed made of cat fur.  They were treating that skin as if it were gold. 
Over the next few days it was show and tell time.  First I taught the leader of the group how to shoot the weapon.  Then both of his seconds.  Then came the rest of the men.  Most of them were good shots.  Then came the women.  If anything they were better than the men. 

I made it a point to tell all of them, that if they were to go outside the cave, they were to have their cross bows with them, and ready for use.   Even the older children were warned to have their bows with them at all times. 
I warned them all about killing other people.  If they try to harm you kill them, if not, then let the be.  Cross bows and bolts made this tribe stronger than any other group of people on this planet.  But I for one did not want to rule the planet, hell, I didn't even want to rule the tribe I had gathered.  What I tried to do and was mostly right, was to suggest things to the chief and then let it alone.  He would think about it for a day or more and then make an anouncement to the tribe.  I know, it was letting the chief be the fall guy, but most of my ideas worked.