thought, "and set it on fire."

But he could not wait for such a thing to happen, and how could he keep
it when once thus obtained? It was clear he must have some way of
producing fire when he wanted it, just as they did at home. He thought
over the ways he had tried and the one most likely to be successful. He
resolved to make a further trial of the method by twirling a stick in
his hands. He selected new wood that was hard and dry. He carefully
sharpened a stick about eighteen inches long and, standing it upright in
a hollow in the block of wood, began to roll it between his hands. By
the time Robinson's hands were well hardened, it seemed that he was
going to succeed at last. But he lacked the skill to be obtained only by
long practice.

"If I could only make it go faster," he said. "There must be some way of
doing this. I believe I can do it. I used to make my top spin round with
a cord; I wonder if I can use the cord here." The only cord he had was
attached to his bow. He was going to take it off when a thought struck
him. He loosened the string a bit and twisted it once about his
spindle. Then he drew the bow back and forth. The spindle was turned at
a great rate. He saw he must hold one end with his left hand while the
other rested in the hollow in the block. With his right, he drew the bow
back and forth. How eagerly he worked! He had twirled but a few minutes
when the dust in the hollow burst into fire from the heat produced by
the rapidly twirling spindle.

[Illustration: ROBINSON'S TOOLS FOR MAKING FIRE]

Robinson was too overjoyed to make any use of it. He danced and capered
about like one gone mad until the fire had gone out. But that was of no
matter now, since he could get fire when he wanted it.

He hastened to make him a rude fireplace and oven of stones. He hollowed
out a place in the ground and lined and covered it with large flat
stones. On one side he built up a chimney to draw up the smoke and make
the fire burn brightly. He brought wood and some dry fungus or
mushroom. This he powdered and soon had fire caught in it. He kindled in
this way the wood in his stove and soon had a hot fire.

The first thing he did in the way of cooking was to roast some rabbit
meat on a spit or forked stick held in his hand over the fire. Nothing
Robinson had ever eaten was to be compared to this.

"I can do many things now," thought Robinson. "My work will not be
nearly so hard. My fire will be my servant and h