"Certainly," replied the paymaster, gravely. "I not only made that
water boil furiously within two seconds, but immediately drank it. You
see I happened to have in a compartment of my tub an effervescing
powder, which I find a wholesome aperient. Making a magic pass with my
hand, I dropped a small quantity of this into the glass undetected.
The effect was instantaneous, and as the liquid boiled above the rim of
the glass so that all could see it, I tossed it off, remarking casually
to Tummas as I did so, that when I called for boiling water I meant
water that was actually boiling, and not merely warm."

"Well, by Jove!" was heard in admiring accents from various corners of
the mess table.

"My guileless savages were evidently impressed, but not yet inclined to
move," continued the little paymaster, without noticing the
interruption, "so I concluded to arouse them by another and more
startling exhibition of my powers. Having hinted that the little fire
devils of the forest, which I fancy every savage has seen, at one time
or another, peering at him from rotten tree trunks, logs, or stumps,
might be attracted by the proximity of the great Fire Demon, I strolled
off a short distance, as though to search for them. From my tub I had
previously taken an old scratch wig and a small box of phosphorus
paste, for which I have a certain use. It was by this time quite dark.
With my paste I drew the rude outline of a face on a bit of bark, that
I stood at the base of a tree. Then rubbing some of the stuff on my
old wig, and clapping it on my head, I ran back to camp, shouting that
I had found one, and that he had attempted to seize me by the hair.
The savages, who had been lying down, sprang to their feet, and uttered
yells of terror at sight of my blazing head. 'There he is now!' I
shouted, pointing back to the phosphorescent face. 'Shoot him quick,
or he will catch us!'

"Without waiting for them to get their guns from the canoe, I picked up
a stone and let it drive with all my might. There was a loud
explosion, the dreadful face disappeared, and at the same moment we all
broke for the canoe, which we shoved off in a hurry. As we pulled out
from the shore I nearly paralyzed my crew by tearing off the old
wig--my scalp, as they thought--and flinging it into the water, where
we could distinguish its phosphorescent glow for some minutes. After
that experience, my slightest wish was law to those savages, nor could
anyth