- Old Mother frees the Doctor and the others on condition they will leave the tribe and not make fire.The group attempt to return to the TARDIS but Za and Hur follow them.
- In the cave of skulls, the time-travelers struggle with their bonds.
In the tribal cave, the tribe sleeps except for Old Mother. She moves stealthily through the cave and steals Za's stone knife. As she goes outside, Hur wakes up and sees her.
The Doctor tells the others that Ian must be freed first. Ian wants to free the girls, but The Doctor points out that he is the strongest and may have to protect them. The rocks in the cave are too soft to cut the the leather cords that bind them, so The Doctor suggests using the sharper edges of the broken skulls. He also tells Barbara to clear her mind of fear and try to remember the way back to the ship. There is a rustling sound, and suddenly Old Mother enters the cave, brandishing Za's knife and saying "You will not make fire."
Hur brings Za outside the cave and tells him she saw Old Mother take his knife and leave. She is certain Old Mother is going to kill the prisoners so they cannot make fire. Za says that Old Mother could not have moved the boulder which blocks the cave of skulls, but when they listen they hear her voice inside the cave. They start trying to move the boulder.
Old Mother tells the time-travelers that she will release them if they promise to leave and not make fire. They agree, and she uses Za's knife to cut the cords and shows them how to get out. They are soon racing through the jungle on their way back to the ship. When Za and Hur enter the cave, they find Old Mother alone. She tells them what she has done, and Hur convinces Za that he must go after them.
In the jungle The Doctor and company stop in a clearing to catch their breath. They hear sounds all around them and Barbara sees what looks like eye watching them, but The Doctor puts it off to nerves. As they start on their way again, Barbara trips over a dead warthog, causing her to scream. Za and Hur hear the scream and race toward the clearing. The others manage to hide just as Za and Hur arrive. While checking out the clearing, Za is attacked by a wild beast. The Doctor wants to get away, but Barbara and Ian insist on helping Za. Using their coats and some branches they start trying to improvise a stretcher so they can carry Za to the ship.
Back at the cave, Kal has found Old Mother in the cave of skulls and kills her after learning what has happened. He then wakes the rest of the tribe, telling them that Za has killed Old Mother and run off with the fire-makers. Kal proclaims himself the new tribe leader and the cavemen follow him to stop the others.
Although they have been slowed down by carrying Za, the time-travelers at last reach the end of the jungle and the TARDIS is in sight. Unfortunately, the tribe has beaten them there and they are once again surrounded.
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