FromthattimeontheIndians'treatmentofuswasverydifferent. Wewereinvitedtotheirvillageforafeasttocelebratetherecoveryofthelostfamilies. Andafterwehadmadealitterfromsaplingstocarrythesickwomanin,weallstartedoffdownthemountain. OnthewaytheIndianstoldLongArrowsomethingwhichappearedtobesadnews,foronhearingit,hisfacegrewverygrave.TheDoctoraskedhimwhatwaswrong. AndLongArrowsaidhehadjustbeeninformedthatthechiefofthetribe,anoldmanofeighty,haddiedearlythatmorning. "That,"Polynesiawhisperedinmyear,"musthavebeenwhattheywentbacktothevillagefor,whenthemessengerfetchedthemfromthebeach.—Remember?" "Whatdidhedieof?"askedtheDoctor. "Hediedofcold,"saidLongArrow. Indeed,nowthatthesunwassetting,wewereallshiveringourselves. "Thisisaseriousthing,"saidtheDoctortome. "Theislandisstillinthegripofthatwretchedcurrentflowingsouthward. Wewillhavetolookintothisto-morrow. Ifnothingcanbedoneaboutit,theIndianshadbettertaketocanoesandleavetheisland. Thechanceofbeingwreckedwillbebetterthangettingfrozentodeathintheice-floesoftheAntarctic." Presentlywecameoverasaddleinthehills,andlookingdownwardonthefarsideoftheisland,wesawthevillage—alargeclusterofgrasshutsandgailycoloredtotem-polesclosebytheedgeofthesea. "Howartistic!"saidtheDoctor—"Delightfullysituated.Whatisthenameofthevillage?" "Popsipetel,"saidLongArrow."Thatisthenamealsoofthetribe. ThewordsignifiesinIndiantongue,TheMenofTheMovingLand. TherearetwotribesofIndiansontheisland:thePopsipetelsatthisendandtheBag-jagderagsattheother." "Whichisthelargerofthetwopeoples?" "TheBag-jagderags,byfar.Theircitycoverstwosquareleagues. But,"addedLongArrowaslightfrowndarkeninghishandsomeface,"forme,IwouldratherhaveonePopsipetelthanahundredBag-jagderags." Thenewsoftherescuewehadmadehadevidentlygoneaheadofus. ForaswedrewnearertothevillagewesawcrowdsofIndiansstreamingouttogreetthefriendsandrelativeswhomtheyhadneverthoughttoseeagain. Thesegoodpeople,whentheytooweretoldhowtherescuehadbeentheworkofthestrangewhitevisitortotheirshores,allgatheredroundtheDoctor,shookhimbythehands,pattedhimandhuggedhim. Thentheyliftedhimupupontheirstrongshouldersandcarriedhimdownthehillintothevillage. Therethewelcomewereceivedwasevenmorewonderful. Inspiteofthecoldairofthecomingnight,thevillagers,whohadallbeenshiveringwithintheirhouses,threwopentheirdoorsandcameoutinhundreds. Ihadnoideathatthelittlevillagecouldholdsomany. Theythrongedaboutus,smilingandnoddingandwavingtheirhands;andasthedetailsofwhatwehaddonewererecitedbyLongArrowtheykeptshoutingstrangesingingnoises,whichwesupposedwerewordsofgratitudeorpraise. Wewerenextescortedtoabrand-newgrasshouse,cleanandsweet-smellingwithin,andinformedthatitwasours.SixstrongIndianboysweretoldofftobeourservants. Onourwaythroughthevillagewenoticedahouse,largerthantherest,standingattheendofthemainstreet. LongArrowpointedtoitandtoldusitwastheChief'shouse,butthatitwasnowempty—nonewchiefhavingyetbeenelectedtotaketheplaceoftheoldonewhohaddied. Insideournewhomeafeastoffishandfruithadbeenprepared. Mostofthemoreimportantmenofthetribewerealreadyseatingthemselvesatthelongdining-tablewhenwegotthere. LongArrowinvitedustositdownandeat. Thisweweregladenoughtodo,aswewereallhungry. Butwewerebothsurprisedanddisappointedwhenwefoundthatthefishhadnotbeencooked. TheIndiansdidnotseemtothinkthisextraordinaryintheleast,butwentaheadgobblingthefishwithmuchrelishthewayitwas,raw. Withmanyapologies,theDoctorexplainedtoLongArrowthatiftheyhadnoobjectionwewouldpreferourfishcooked. ImagineourastonishmentwhenwefoundthatthegreatLongArrow,solearnedinthenaturalsciences,didnotknowwhatthewordCOOKEDmeant! PolynesiawhowassittingonthebenchbetweenJohnDolittleandmyselfpulledtheDoctorbythesleeve. "I'lltellyouwhat'swrong,Doctor,"shewhisperedasheleantdowntolistentoher:"THESEPEOPLEHAVENOFIRES!Theydon'tknowhowtomakeafire. Lookoutside:It'salmostdark,andthereisn'talightshowingiithewholevillage.Thisisafirelesspeople." 
