to twirl it rapidly, at the same time
exerting all possible downward pressure. As his hands moved towards
the lower end of the spindle he dexterously shifted them back to the
top, without lifting it or allowing air to get under its lower end.

With the continuation of the twirling process a tiny stream of wood
meal, ground off by friction, poured through the slot at the side of
the hearth, and accumulated in a little pile, that all at once began to
smoke. In two seconds more it was a glowing coal of fire. Then Yim
dropped his spindle, covered the coal with a bit of tinder previously
made ready, and blew it into a flame, which he deftly transferred to
the wick of his lamp.

At sight of the first spiral of smoke our lads had been filled with
amazement. As the coal began to glow they uttered exclamations of
delight, and when the actual flame appeared they broke into such
enthusiastic cheering as set all the dogs to barking in sympathy.

"It is one of the most wonderful things I ever saw," cried Cabot.
"I've often read of fire being produced by wood friction, and I have
tried it lots of times myself, but as I never could raise even a smoke,
and never before met any one who could, I decided that it was all a
fake got up by story writers."

"I was rather doubtful about it myself," admitted White. "But, I say!
Isn't that a great lamp, and doesn't it make things look cheery?"

White's approval of "Yim's cook stove," as Cabot called it, was well
merited, for its five inches of blazing wick yielded as much light and
twice the heat of a first-class kerosene lamp. Over it Yim had already
suspended a kettle full of snow, and now he laid a slab of frozen pork
close beside it to be thawed out.

While waiting for these he fed the dogs, who had been watching him with
wistful eyes and impatient yelpings. To each he threw a two-pound
chunk of frozen walrus meat, and each devoured his portion with such
ravenous rapidity that Cabot declared they swallowed them whole.

Half an hour after the lamp was lighted it had converted enough snow
into boiling water to provide three steaming cups of tea, and while our
lads sipped at these Yim cut slices of thawed pork, laid them in the
fry-pan, and holding this over his lamp soon had them sizzling and
browning in the most appetising manner. This, with tea and ship
biscuit, constituted their supper.

When Yim no longer needed his lamp for cooking he removed two-thirds of
its wick and al