Page:Tudor Jenks--Imaginotions.djvu/230

212 I could not deny that he was right. I began to think over some of our modern improvements, and luckily thought of a candle. So I explained to him how candles were made of tallow, by dipping a string into the melted tallow. Nothing would satisfy him but an immediate trial. To my great triumph I succeeded in making a tolerable candle out of some animal fat. The chief was delighted.

"That," said he, "is a great invention. You indeed are fortunate people. We have only torches."

"But we don't use candles," I said; "we have gas, and kerosene-lamps, and the electric light. But I can't make any of those for you. I don't know where to find coal or oil, or how to make electricity, or an electric light." "No matter," he said cheerfully; "this is quite enough. I see there is some truth in your story. Tell me more of your marvels."

"Well," I said, "we use the steam-engine for traveling. We heat water over the fire, and a vapor or steam comes from it, and we let the steam go into a box, and it pushes a wheel around, and that pushes other wheels. That's the way we travel."

"Can you make a steam-engine?"

"No-o," I said. "I'm afraid I don't quite understand it."

"Well, what else?" the chief asked patiently.

"How do you tell time?" I inquired.

"By the sun," he replied. "Have you a better way?"

"We have machines to tell time for us."

"Indeed!" he said wonderingly.

"Yes," I said. "There is a piece of metal coiled up, and that pushes around some wheels, and they push other wheels that move two flat pieces and make them point to marks that mean the hours."

"Do you know how they work?"

"Not exactly," I said; "though I have a general idea."

"We might find these hard substances you call metals," said the