>>   
> You're returning 1, where a Lisp_Object is expected.

Thanks.  I corrected it to return val, but still get the same segfault
upon "make bootstrap".  Attached is the current diff, but it is much
easier to simply read the new function I am trying -- 



DEFUN ("message", Fmessage, Smessage, 1, MANY, 0,
       doc: /* Display a message at the bottom of the screen.
.
.
usage: (message FORMAT-STRING &rest ARGS)  */)
     (nargs, args)
     int nargs;
     Lisp_Object *args;
{
  if (Fequal(args[0],Qt))
  {
    register Lisp_Object val; 
    Lisp_Object argb[2]; 
    argb[0]=build_string ("%s"); 
    argb[1]=args[1]; 
    val = Fformat (2, argb); 
    message3 (val, SBYTES (val), STRING_MULTIBYTE (val)); 
    return val;
  }
  else
    {
      if (NILP (args[0])
	  || (STRINGP (args[0])
	      && SBYTES (args[0]) == 0))
	{
	  message (0);
	  return args[0];
	}
      else
	{
	  register Lisp_Object val;
	  val = Fformat (nargs, args);
	  message3 (val, SBYTES (val), STRING_MULTIBYTE (val));
	  return val;
	}
    }
}


The error remains:
.
Loading loadup.el (source)...
.
Loading emacs-lisp/byte-run...
.
.
Loading format...
Loading bindings...
Loading files...
Loading cus-face...
Loading faces...
Loading button...
Loading startup...
make[3]: *** [emacs] Segmentation fault
make[3]: Leaving directory
..
make[2]: *** [src] Error 2