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What a wonderful thing that was to those poor women, to see the Great
Chief take such notice of their work.

He went into the cottages, and examined every room, and suggested many
changes, and offered advice in the manner of keeping the houses clean,
and in taking care of the children. This work of beautifying their homes
was, of course, crude, but it had a remarkable stimulus to the others.
On every hand this was taken up. It was a spirit of emulation that was
worth encouraging.

When John left with the forces, the Professor consulted Blakely, and
ordered the erection of three larger and more pretentious cottages. Each
of these had five rooms, all plain, but arranged in good taste, and the
furniture was also being made, and the large number employed enabled
them to complete the buildings ready for furnishing before John's party
returned.

The working force was now ready to put up a still larger building. "Do
you know what this is for?" asked Ralph, as the timber was being taken
to the new location.

"I suppose this is to be the Town Hall," replied Will.

"No, indeed; it is the schoolhouse." And the boys laughed at the idea.
But it was an idea that was well considered and determined on, long
before John left on the expedition.

But the town was growing beyond all comprehension. Daily new families
arrived, and Blakely was the busiest man in the place, in his efforts to
find work for them, while the Professor and the boys were often at their
wits' end to know how and where they would house them. The Saboros were
the most numerous, followed by the Berees and Osagas. But now the
Kurabus were coming in--the families of the warriors with John.

The Chief Oroto saw and marveled at the sights. During the entire time
he had been there, he had never suggested the idea of returning. The
Kurabu medicine men who had been brought down with him, were still
under the charge of the Professor, and one day one of them accosted
Ralph in broken English.

He looked up in surprise. It was the first inkling that the so-called
wise men were being taught the language. Ralph had quite a conversation
with him, and reported the information to the boys.

How was this change brought about? The first step of the Professor was
to show the wise (?) men some of the mysterious things which the white
men could do. The battery, which the boys had made at Cataract, was one
of the instruments. Then he showed them the simple experiments in
chemi