the carpenter's cabin. Unlike
most of the other cabins, the door of this one was locked, and the key
gone, though if it had been there no one would have guessed its use.
Peeping in through a crack, however, Cheenbuk saw so many desirable
things that he made short work of the obstruction by plunging his weight
against it. The door went down with a crash, and the Eskimo on the top
of it. The sight that met his gaze amply repaid him, however, for there
were collected in symmetrical array on the walls, saws, chisels,
gimlets, gouges, bradawls, etcetera, while on a shelf lay planes,
mallets, hammers, nails, augers--in short, every variety of boring,
hammering, and cutting implement that can be imagined.

An hour after the discovery of that cabin, there was not a man or boy in
the tribe who was not going about with cut fingers, more or less.
Experience, however, very soon taught them caution.

And here again the superior knowledge of Nazinred came in usefully.
Like most Indians, he was a man of observation. He had seen the
fur-traders in their workshops, and had noted their tools. Taking up a
hand-saw he seized a piece of stick, and, although not an expert, sawed
a lump off the end of it in a few seconds. As this would probably have
cost an Eskimo full half an hour to accomplish with his blunt knives,
they were suitably impressed, and Cheenbuk, seizing the saw, forthwith
attempted to cut off the end of a rod of iron--with what effect it is
scarcely necessary to explain.

In the course of a few days the quantity of material brought on shore
was so great that it was found necessary to begin a second storehouse.
While most of the natives were engaged on this, Cheenbuk and the Indian
continued their researches in the ship, for a vast part of its deep hold
still remained unexplored, owing partly to the slowness of the
investigation in consequence of the frequent bursts of amazement and
admiration, as well as the numerous discussions that ensued--all of
which required time.

While going more minutely into the contents of the cabin, they came,
among other things, on a variety of charts and books.

"Have you ever seen things like these?" asked Cheenbuk in a tone of
veneration, based on the belief that the Indian had seen nearly
everything the world contained.

"Never--except that," he replied, pointing to a log-book; "the traders
use things like that. They open them and make marks in them."

Cheenbuk immediately opene