Benjy, who was an amused listener--
for his father translated in a low tone for the benefit of his
companions as the conversation proceeded--"the same here as everywhere--
Do as I tell you and all will be well!"

"Hold your tongue, Ben," whispered Alf.

"Well, what am I to do?" asked the Captain.

"Invite my father to a feast," said Chingatok eagerly, "and me too, and
my mother too; also my wife, and some of the braves with their wives.
And you must give us biskit an'--what do you call that brown stuff?"

"Coffee," suggested the Captain.

"Yes, cuffy, also tee, and shoogre, and seal st- ate--what?"

"Steak--eh?"

"Yes, stik, and cook them all in the strange lamp. You must ask us to
see the feast cooked, and then we will eat it."

It will be observed that when Chingatok interpolated English words in
his discourse his pronunciation was not perfect.

"Well, you are the coolest fellow I've met with for many a day! To
order a feast, invite yourself to it, name the rest of the company, as
well as the victuals, and insist on seeing the cooking of the same,"
said the Captain in English; then, in Eskimo,--"Well, Chingatok, I will
do as you wish. When would you like supper?"

"Now," replied the giant, with decision.

"You hear, Butterface," said the Captain when he had translated, "go to
work and get your pots and pans ready. See that you put your best foot
foremost. It will be a turning-point, this feast, I see."

Need we say that the feast was a great success? The wives, highly
pleased at the attention paid them by the strangers, were won over at
once. The whole party, when assembled in the hut, watched with the most
indescribable astonishment the proceedings of the negro--himself a
living miracle--as he manipulated a machine which, in separate
compartments, cooked steaks and boiled tea, coffee, or anything else, by
means of a spirit lamp in a few minutes. On first tasting the hot
liquids they looked at each other suspiciously; then as the sugar
tickled their palates, they smiled, tilted their pannikins, drained them
to the dregs, and asked for more!

The feast lasted long, and was highly appreciated. When the company
retired--which did not happen until the Captain declared he had nothing
more to give them, and turned the cooking apparatus upside down to prove
what he said--there was not a man or woman among them who did not hold
and even loudly assert that the Kablunets were wise men.

After the feast