ThentheDoctoraskedLongArrowifheknewwhatfirewas,explainingittohimbypicturesdrawnonthebuckskintable-cloth. LongArrowsaidhehadseensuchathing—comingoutofthetopsofvolcanoes;butthatneitherhenoranyofthePopsipetelsknewhowitwasmade. "Poorperishingheathens!"mutteredBumpo."Nowondertheoldchiefdiedofcold!" Atthatmomentweheardacryingsoundatthedoor. Andturninground,wesawaweepingIndianmotherwithababyinherarms. ShesaidsomethingtotheIndianswhichwecouldnotunderstand;andLongArrowtoldusthebabywassickandshewantedthewhitedoctortotryandcureit. "OhLord!"groanedPolynesiainmyear—"JustlikePuddleby:patientsarrivinginthemiddleofdinner.Well,onething:thefood'sraw,sonothingcangetcoldanyway." TheDoctorexaminedthebabyandfoundatoncethatitwasthoroughlychilled. "Fire—FIRE!That'swhatitneeds,"hesaidturningtoLongArrow—"That'swhatyouallneed.Thischildwillhavepneumoniaifitisn'tkeptwarm." "Aye,truly.Buthowtomakeafire,"saidLongArrow—"wheretogetit:thatisthedifficulty.Allthevolcanoesinthislandaredead." Thenwefelltohuntingthroughourpocketstoseeifanymatcheshadsurvivedtheshipwreck.Thebestwecouldmusterweretwowholeonesandahalf—allwiththeheadssoakedoffthembysaltwater. "Hark,LongArrow,"saidtheDoctor:"diverswaystherebeofmakingfirewithouttheaidofmatches. One:withastrongglassandtheraysofthesun. Thathowever,sincethesunhasset,wecannotnowemploy. Anotherisbygrindingahardstickintoasoftlog—Isthedaylightgonewithout?—Alasyes. ThenIfearwemustawaitthemorrow;forbesidesthedifferentwoods,weneedanoldsquirrel'snestforfuel—Andthatwithoutlampsyoucouldnotfindinyourforestsatthishour." "Greatareyourcunningandyourskill,ohWhiteMan,"LongArrowreplied."Butinthisyoudousaninjustice. Knowyounotthatallfirelesspeoplescanseeinthedark? Havingnolampsweareforcedtotrainourselvestotravelthroughtheblackestnight,lightless. Iwilldespatchamessengerandyoushallhaveyoursquirrel'snestwithinthehour." Hegaveanordertotwoofourboy-servantswhopromptlydisappearedrunning. Andsureenough,inaveryshortspaceoftimeasquirrel'snest,togetherwithhardandsoftwoods,wasbroughttoourdoor. Themoonhadnotyetrisenandwithinthehouseitwaspracticallypitch-black. Icouldfeelandhear,however,thattheIndiansweremovingaboutcomfortablyasthoughitweredaylight. ThetaskofmakingfiretheDoctorhadtoperformalmostentirelybythesenseoftouch,askingLongArrowandtheIndianstohandhimhistoolswhenhemislaidtheminthedark. AndthenImadeacuriousdiscovery:nowthatIhadto,IfoundthatIwasbeginningtoseealittleinthedarkmyself. AndforthefirsttimeIrealizedthatofcoursethereisnosuchthingaspitch-dark,solongasyouhaveadooropenoraskyaboveyou. Callingfortheloanofabow,theDoctorloosenedthestring,putthehardstickintoaloopandbegangrindingthisstickintothesoftwoodofthelog.SoonIsmeltthatthelogwassmoking. Thenhekeptfeedingthepartthatwassmokingwiththeinsideliningofthesquirrel'snest,andheaskedmetoblowuponitwithmybreath. Hemadethestickdrillfasterandfaster.Moresmokefilledtheroom. Andatlastthedarknessaboutuswassuddenlylitup. Thesquirrel'snesthadburstintoflame. TheIndiansmurmuredandgruntedwithastonishment. Atfirsttheywereallforfallingontheirkneesandworshipingthefire. Thentheywantedtopickitupwiththeirbarehandsandplaywithit. Wehadtoteachthemhowitwastobeused;andtheywerequitefascinatedwhenwelaidourfishacrossitonsticksandcookedit. Theysniffedtheairwithrelishas,forthefirsttimeinhistory,thesmelloffriedfishpassedthroughthevillageofPopsipetel. Thenwegotthemtobringuspilesandstacksofdrywood;andwemadeanenormousbonfireinthemiddleofthemainstreet. Roundthis,whentheyfeltitswarmth,thewholetribegatheredandsmiledandwondered. Itwasastrikingsight,oneofthepicturesfromourvoyagesthatImostfrequentlyremember:thatroaringjollyblazebeneaththeblacknightsky,andallaboutitavastringofIndians,thefirelightgleamingonbronzecheeks,whiteteethandflashingeyes—awholetowntryingtogetwarm,gigglingandpushinglikeschool-children. Inalittle,whenwehadgotthemmoreusedtothehandlingoffire,theDoctorshowedthemhowitcouldbetakenintotheirhousesifaholewereonlymadeintherooftoletthesmokeout. Andbeforeweturnedinafterthatlong,long,tiringday,wehadfiresgoingineveryhutinthevillage. Thepoorpeopleweresogladtogetreallywarmagainthatwethoughtthey'dnevergotobed. Wellonintotheearlyhoursofthemorningthelittletownfairlybuzzedwithagreatlowmurmur:thePopsipetelssittinguptalkingoftheirwonderfulpale-facedvisitorandthisstrangegoodthinghehadbroughtwithhim—FIRE! 
