few minutes gathering driftwood
and getting a fire started. The girls had decided to cook dinner
down on the beach in order to show the visitors their skill in
cooking in the most primitive way. A big kettle of clams was hung
over a fire all its own, while another fire was kindled between
two long logs, and the pots and pans set along on it in a row.
Migwan tended the clams, Sahwah put on a kettle of potatoes and
then began making toast, Nakwisi made cocoa, Medmangi fried
bacon, and Hinpoha flew about concocting a delicious compound
which was her own invention and with which no one dared to
meddle. The two men watched with interest every move of the
girls as they went about preparing dinner.

"Look at that!" said Professor Bentley to his friend. "That"
happened to be Hinpoha, who was momentarily left alone with the
fire. The cocoa kettle started to sag as the wood burned away
and at the same time the mixture in the other kettle began to
boil over. Bracing the cocoa kettle with one foot, she snatched
the other kettle from the fire, and stood there on one foot
holding the steaming pot. Professor Wheeler sprang to her
assistance and propped up the cocoa kettle.

Dinner was the merriest meal imaginable, and "food just faded
away," as Sahwah declared. Hinpoha won much praise for her
concoction, which she called "Slumgullion." It was a sort of
glorified tomato soup, made with a thick white sauce, containing
chopped-up pimentoes and hard-boiled eggs, the mixture being
served over toast. The clams of course were the main dainty, and
when dipped in butter slid down with amazing rapidity. After
dinner the girls threw themselves down in the sand in various
attitudes of relaxation, while Professor Wheeler, his eyes
straying again and again toward Hinpoha, told stories of camping
in the Canadian Rockies.

When he had finished the girls rose and stretched themselves, and
then began to clamor for "more celebration." Nyoda suggested a
fire-building contest. Each girl was to have three minutes in
which to collect material and get a fire started. No paper was
allowed and only three matches. What a scramble there was to
find small dry twigs! There was a smart breeze blowing, and most
of the matches went out as soon as lighted, putting their owners
out of the contest. Sahwah was wise and piled her twigs where a
huge stump sheltered them from the wind; Hinpoha sat between hers
and the wind. Even then it was difficult to