“How did they know they were near？” Opee-Kwan，unable to contain himself longer， demanded. “There wasno land to see.”
Nam-Bok glowered on him wrathfully. “Did I not saythe head man brought the sun down out of the sky？”
Koogah interposed， and Nam-Bok went on.
“As I say， when we were near to that village a great stormblew up， and in the night we were helpless and knew notwhere we were—”
“Thou hast just said the head man knew—”
“Oh， peace， Opee-Kwan！ Thou art a fool and cannotunderstand. As I say， we were helpless in the night， whenI heard， above the roar of the storm， the sound of the seaon the beach. And next we struck with a mighty crash andI was in the water， swimming. It was a rock-bound coast，with one patch of beach in many miles， and the law wasthat I should dig my hands into the sand and draw myselfclear of the surf. The other men must have poundedagainst the rocks， for none of them came ashore but thehead man， and him I knew only by the ring on his finger.
“When day came， there being nothing of the schooner，I turned my face to the land and journeyed into it that Imight get food and look upon the faces of the people. Andwhen I came to a house I was taken in and given to eat，for I had learned their speech， and the white men are everkindly. And it was a house bigger than all the houses builtby us and our fathers before us.”
“It was a mighty house，” Koogah said， masking hisunbelief with wonder.
“And many trees went into the making of such a house，”
Opee-Kwan added， taking the cue.
“That is nothing.” Nam-Bok shrugged his shoulders inbelittling fashion. “As our houses are to that house， so thathouse was to the houses I was yet to see.”
“And they are not big men？”
“Nay； mere men like you and me，” Nam-Bok answered.
“I had cut a stick that I might walk in comfort， andremembering that I was to bring report to you， mybrothers， I cut a notch in the stick for each person wholived in that house. And I stayed there many days， andworked， for which they gave me money—a thing of whichyou know nothing， but which is very good.
“And one day I departed from that place to go fartherinto the land. And as I walked I met many people， and Icut smaller notches in the stick， that there might be roomfor all. Then I came upon a strange thing. On the groundbefore me was a bar of iron， as big in thickness as my arm，and a long step away was another bar of iron—”
“Then wert thou a rich man，” Opee-Kwan asserted； “foriron be worth more than anything else in the world. Itwould have made many knives.”
“Nay， it was not mine.”
“It was a find， and a find be lawful.”
“Not so； the white men had placed it there And further，these bars were so long that no man could carry themaway—so long that as far as I could see there was no endto them.”
“Nam-Bok， that is very much iron，” Opee-Kwan cautioned.
“Ay， it was hard to believe with my own eyes upon it； butI could not gainsay my eyes. And as I looked I heard....”
He turned abruptly upon the head man. “Opee-Kwan，thou hast heard the sea-lion bellow in his anger. Make itplain in thy mind of as many sea-lions as there be waves tothe sea， and make it plain that all these sea-lions be madeinto one sea-lion， and as that one sea-lion would bellow sobellowed the thing I heard.”
The fisherfolk cried aloud in astonishment， and Opee-Kwan’s jaw lowered and remained lowered.
“And in the distance I saw a monster like unto athousand whales. It was one-eyed， and vomited smoke，and it snorted with exceeding loudness. I was afraid andran with shaking legs along the path between the bars. Butit came with the speed of the wind， this monster， and Ileaped the iron bars with its breath hot on my face....”
Opee-Kwan gained control of his jaw again. “And—andthen， O Nam-Bok？”
“Then it came by on the bars， and harmed me not； andwhen my legs could hold me up again it was gone fromsight. And it is a very common thing in that country. Eventhe women and children are not afraid. Men make them todo work， these monsters.”
“As we make our dogs do work？” Koogah asked， withsceptic twinkle in his eye.
“Ay， as we make our dogs do work.”
“And how do they breed these—these things？” Opee-Kwan questioned.
“They breed not at all. Men fashion them cunningly ofiron， and feed them with stone， and give them water todrink. The stone becomes fire， and the water becomessteam， and the steam of the water is the breath of theirnostrils， and—”
“There， there， O Nam-Bok，” Opee-Kwan interrupted.
“Tell us of other wonders. We grow tired of this which wemay not understand.”
“You do not understand？” Nam-Bok asked despairingly.
“Nay， we do not understand，” the men and womenwailed back. “We cannot understand.”
Nam-Bok thought of a combined harvester， and of themachines wherein visions of living men were to be seen，and of the machines from which came the voices of men，and he knew his people could never understand.
“Dare I say I rode this iron monster through the land？”
he asked bitterly.
Opee-Kwan threw up his hands， palms outward， in openincredulity. “Say on； say anything. We listen.”
“Then did I ride the iron monster， for which I gavemoney—”
“Thou saidst it was fed with stone.”
“And likewise， thou fool， I said money was a thing ofwhich you know nothing. As I say， I rode the monsterthrough the land， and through many villages， until I cameto a big village on a salt arm of the sea. And the housesshoved their roofs among the stars in the sky， and theclouds drifted by them， and everywhere was much smoke.
And the roar of that village was like the roar of the sea instorm， and the people were so many that I flung away mystick and no longer remembered the notches upon it.”
“Hadst thou made small notches，” Koogah reproved，“thou mightst have brought report.”