How he cherished that spark!  He wrapped it in swaddling clothes of dry bamboo scrapings with as much care as if it had been the essence of his life.  He blew upon it tenderly as though to fan its delicate brow with the soft zephyrs of a father’s affection.  Again he blew more vigorously, and his enormous pouting lips came dimly into view.  Another blow and his flat nose and fat cheeks emerged from darkness.  Still another—­with growing confidence—­and his huge eyes were revealed glowing with hope.  At last the handful of combustible burst into a flame, and was thrust into a prepared nest of twigs.  This, communicating with a heap of logs, kindled a sudden blaze which scattered darkness out of being, and converted thirty yards of the primeval forest into a chamber of glorious light, round which the human beings crowded with joy enhanced by the unexpectedness of the event, and before which the wild things of the wilderness fled away.

When daylight came at last, they found that the village for which they had been searching was only two miles beyond the spot where they had encamped.

Here, being thoroughly exhausted, it was resolved that they should spend that day and night, and, we need scarcely add, they spent a considerable portion of both in sleep—­at least such parts of both as were not devoted to food.  And here the professor distinguished himself in a way that raised him greatly in the estimation of his companions and caused the natives of the place to regard him as something of a demi-god.  Of course we do not vouch for the truth of the details of the incident, for no one save himself was there to see, and although we entertained the utmost regard for himself, we were not sufficiently acquainted with his moral character to answer for his strict truthfulness.  As to the main event, there was no denying that.  The thing happened thus:—­

Towards the afternoon of that same day the travellers began to wake up, stretch themselves, and think about supper.  In the course of conversation it transpired that a tiger had been prowling about the village for some days, and had hitherto successfully eluded all attempts to trap or spear it.  They had tethered a goat several times near a small pond and watched the spot from safe positions among the trees, with spears, bows and arrows, and blow-pipes ready, but when they watched, the tiger did not come, and when they failed to watch, the tiger did come and carried off the goat.  Thus they had been baffled.

“Mine frond,” said the professor to the hermit on hearing this.  “I vill shot zat tiger!  I am resolved.  Vill you ask zee chief to show me zee place ant zen tell his people, on pain of def, not to go near it all night, for if zey do I vill certainly shot zem—­by accident of course!”

The hermit did as he was bid, but advised his sanguine friend against exposing himself recklessly.  The chief willingly fell in with his wishes.

“Won’t you tell us what you intend to do, professor?” asked Nigel, “and let us help you.”