s lifted to one side, the fire beaten out, the keg
of ice flung outside and the keg of hooch set on the table in the center
of the room.

Everybody now bent eagerly forward as if for a spring. Every hand held a
cup. But at this instant there came the shuffle of footsteps outside.
Instantly every cup disappeared. The kettle was lifted to a dark corner.
The room was silent when Johnny stepped inside.

"Hello," he shouted.

"Hello! Hello!" came from every corner.

"Where you come from?" asked the former tender of the still.

"East Cape."

"Where you go?"

"Cape Prince of Wales."

"Puck-mum-ie?" (Now?) The man betrayed his anxiety.

"Canak-ti-ma-na" (I don't know), said Johnny seating himself on the
table and allowing his glance to sweep the place from corner to corner.
"I don't know," he repeated, slowly. "How are you all anyway?"

"Ti-ma-na" (Not so bad), answered the spokesman.

Johnny was enjoying himself. He was exactly in the position of some good
motherly soul who held a pumpkin pie before the eyes of several hungry
boys. The only difference was that the pie Johnny was thinking of was
raw, so exceeding raw that it would turn these natives into wild men. So
Johnny decided that, like as not, he wouldn't let them have it at all.

Johnny enjoyed the situation nevertheless. He was mighty unpopular at
that moment, he knew, but his unpopularity now was nothing to what it
would be in a very short time. Thinking of this, he measured the
distance to the door very carefully with his eye.

At last, when it became evident that if he didn't move someone else
would, he turned to the still manager and said:

"Well, guess I'll be going. Got a match?"

He produced the borrowed cigaret. A sigh of hope escaped from the group
of natives and a match was thrust upon him.

"Thanks."

The match was of the sulphur kind, the sort that never blow out.

Nonchalantly Johnny lighted the cigaret, then, all too carelessly, he
flipped the match. Though it seemed a careless act, it was deftly done.

There came a sudden cry of alarm. But too late; the match dropped
squarely into the keg of alcohol. The next instant the place was all
alight with the blaze of the liquor, which flamed up like oil.

"This way out," exclaimed Johnny leading the procession for the door.
Lightly he bounded down the hill. He caught one glimpse of the young
woman as he passed, but this was no time for lingering farewells. The
owner of the still was on h