During the years perhaps we had become soft, our women weak and pampered-But, I reflected, looking at Vicki, it was only an atavistic stone's toss to our pioneer fathers' times, when tyrants had thought that force could intimidate us, that dignity was a thing of powerful government or ruthless dictatorship ...
"Backlash"
Winston Marks
The reason, I think, must be atavistic.
"The Gray Phantom's Return"
Herman Landon
He had caught the snap in my atavistic eye.
"A Fool and His Money"
George Barr McCutcheon