s.
I had no idea that the little village could hold so many. They thronged
about us, smiling and nodding and waving their hands; and as the details
of what we had done were recited by Long Arrow they kept shouting
strange singing noises, which we supposed were words of gratitude or
praise.

We were next escorted to a brand-new grass house, clean and
sweet-smelling within, and informed that it was ours. Six strong Indian
boys were told off to be our servants.

On our way through the village we noticed a house, larger than the rest,
standing at the end of the main street. Long Arrow pointed to it and
told us it was the Chief's house, but that it was now empty--no new
chief having yet been elected to take the place of the old one who had
died.

Inside our new home a feast of fish and fruit had been prepared. Most of
the more important men of the tribe were already seating themselves at
the long dining-table when we got there. Long Arrow invited us to sit
down and eat.

This we were glad enough to do, as we were all hungry. But we were both
surprised and disappointed when we found that the fish had not been
cooked. The Indians did not seem to think this extraordinary in the
least, but went ahead gobbling the fish with much relish the way it was,
raw.

With many apologies, the Doctor explained to Long Arrow that if they had
no objection we would prefer our fish cooked.

Imagine our astonishment when we found that the great Long Arrow, so
learned in the natural sciences, did not know what the word COOKED
meant!

Polynesia who was sitting on the bench between John Dolittle and myself
pulled the Doctor by the sleeve.

"I'll tell you what's wrong, Doctor," she whispered as he leant down to
listen to her: "THESE PEOPLE HAVE NO FIRES! They don't know how to make
a fire. Look outside: It's almost dark, and there isn't a light showing
ii the whole village. This is a fireless people."

THE THIRD CHAPTER. FIRE

THEN the Doctor asked Long Arrow if he knew what fire was, explaining it
to him by pictures drawn on the buckskin table-cloth. Long Arrow said
he had seen such a thing--coming out of the tops of volcanoes; but that
neither he nor any of the Popsipetels knew how it was made.

"Poor perishing heathens!" muttered Bumpo. "No wonder the old chief died
of cold!"

At that moment we heard a crying sound at the door. And turning round,
we saw a weeping Indian mother with a baby in her arms. She said
something to