,,camp-,,lore ,,and ,,woodcraft ,,the ,,book ,,of ,,camp-,,lore ,,and ,,woodcraft ,,by ,,dan ,,beard ,,founder ,,of ,,the ,,first ,,boy ,,scouts ,,society ,,with #cgg ,,illustrations ,,by ,,the ,,author ,illustration ,,garden ,,city ,,publishing ,,co41 ,,inc4 ,,garden ,,city ,,new ,,york ,,copyright1 #aibj1 ,,by ,,beatrice ,,alice ,,beard ,,the ,,rights ,,of ,,translation ,,are ,,reserved ,,printed ,,in ,,the ,,united ,,states ,,of ,,america ,,to ,,george ,,du ,,pont ,,pratt ,,commissioner ,,of ,,conservation1 ,,state ,,of ,,new ,,york ,,scout1 ,,sportsman ,,and ,,outdoor ,,man ,,foreword ,,to ,,the ,,second ,,edition ,,boys1 if this foreword is too highbrow for your taste1 skip it1 but the author don't believe you will1 and even if he has used some dictionary words he feels that you will forgive him after he tells you that he did so only because of the lack of time to think up more simple terms4 ,what he wants to say is that4444 ,boyhood is a wonderful and invaluable asset to the nation1 for in the breast of every boy there is a divine spark1 materialists call it the urge of youth1 others call it the ,christ in man1 the ,quakers call it the inner light1 but all view it with interest and anxiety1 the ignorant with fear and the wise with understanding sympathy1 but also with a feeling akin to awe4 ,those of us who think we know boys1 feel that this inner light illuminating their wonderful powers of imagination1 is the compelling force culminating in the vigorous accomplishments of manhood4 ,it is the force which sent ,columbus voyaging over the unknown seas1 which sent ,captain ,cook on his voyage around the world1 the same force which carried ,lindbergh in his frail airship across the ,atlantic4 ,yes1 it is the sublime force which has inspired physicians and laymen to cheerfully risk and sacrifice their lives in search of the cause of ,yellow ,fever1 ,anthrax1 ,hydrophobia and other communicable diseases 444 no1 not for science but for ,,humanity6 ,as a boy1 the author dreamed of wonderful municipal playgrounds1 of organizations giving the boys opportunity to camp in the open1 of zoological and botanical gardens planned and adapted to the understanding of youth4 ,his busy life as a civil engineer1 surveyor1 and work in the open gave him no opportunity to develop his dreams1 but at the end of a five year tour of the ,united ,states and ,canada1 made over fifty years ago1 he drifted into ,new ,york ,city and was shocked beyond expression by the almost total lack of breathing spaces for our boys1 in the greatest of ,american cities4 ,true1 it then had ,central ,park2 but fifty years ago ,central ,park was out among the goats1 only to be reached by a long and tiresome horse car journey4 ,this lamentable state of affairs caused the writer so much real pain and concern that he then and there inaugurated a personal crusade for the benefit of the boys1 a crusade with the avowed object of winning for them the peoples' interest in the big outdoors4 ,the most difficult part of his task was to convince the men of the swivel chairs that boys' leisure should be spent in the open2 that the blue sky is the only proper roof for a normal boy's playground2 also that the open spaces are the places where ,god intended young people to live1 work and play4 ,no great crusade1 no great movement of any kind is one man's work1 nevertheless1 every successful movement must have one enthusiast in the front rank1 one who knows the trail and comprehensively envisions the objective--objectum quod complexum4 ,others may and will join him1 and occasionally spurt ahead of the leader1 like the hare in the fable1 but the enthusiast keeps right on just the same4 ,pray do not understand by this that the writer claims that he alone is responsible for this bloodless revolution4 ,no1 no1 his propaganda work did however win for him the moral support of the editorial staff of ,st4 ,nicholas1 ,youth's ,companion and ,harpers4 ,later he was openly backed and encouraged by such distinguished sportsmen as ,president ,roosevelt1 his chief forester ,governor ,pinchot1 and his ,chief of ,staff ,major ,general ,bell4 ,while the stalwart men of the ,camp ,fire ,club of ,america worked hand and glove with him1 all similar organizations failed not in voicing their approval4 ,furthermore he was always helped by his loyal friends of the daily press4 ,many famous writers lent their influence1 all working consciously or unconsciously to help the great cause of boyhood4 ,the author only claims that1 in all these fifty long years1 he has never ceased to work for the boys1 never wavered in his purpose1 and now8--well1 when he marched at the head of fifty thousand ,scouts in the great muddy outdoor ,scout camp at ,birkenhead1 ,england1 he realized that his ephemeral air castles had settled down to a firm foundation upon ,mother ,earth4 ,yes1 boys we have won a great victory for boyhood6 ,we have won it by iteration and reiteration1 in other words1 by shouting outdoors1 talking outdoors1 picturing outdoors1 singing outdoors and above all by writing about the outdoors1 and constantly hammering on one subject and keeping one purpose always in view4 ,by such means we have at last1 not only interested the people of the ,united ,states in the open1 but stampeded the whole world to the forests and the fields4 ,so let us all join in singing the old ,methodist hymn3-- ,shout1 shout1 we are gaining ground1 ,glory1 ,hallelujah6 ,the ,devil's kingdom we'll put down1 ,glory1 ,hallelujah6 ,the ,devil's kingdom in this case is the ill-ventilated school rooms1 offices and courts4 ,it is well to note that the work in this book was not done in the library1 but either in the open itself or from notes and sketches made in the open4 ,when telling how to build a cooking fire1 for instance1 the author preferred to make his diagrams from the fires built by himself or by his wilderness friends1 than to trust to information derived from some other man's books4 ,it is much easier to make pictures of impractical fires than to build them4 ,the paste pot and scissors occupy no place of honor in our woodcraft series4 ,so1 ,boys of the ,open1 throw aside your new rackets1 your croquet mallets1 and your boiled shirts--pull on your buckskin leggings1 give a war whoop and be what ,god intended you should be2 healthy wholesome boys4 ,this great ,republic belongs to you and so does this ,,book ,,of ,,camp-,,lore ,,and ,,woodcraft4 ,,dan ,,beard ,suffern1 ,new ,york1 ,december first1 #aicj4 ,,foreword ,,hidden in a drawer in the antique highboy1 back of the moose head in my studio1 there are specimens of ,indian bead work1 bits of buckskin1 necklaces made of the teeth of animals1 a stone calumet1 my old hunting knife with its rawhide sheath and--carefully folded in oiled paper--is the jerked tenderloin of a grizzly bear6 ,but that is not all2 for more important still is a mysterious wooden flask containing the castor or the scentgland of a beaver1 which is carefully rolled up in a bit of buckskin embroidered with mystic ,indian signs4 ,the flask was given to me as big medicine by ,bow-arrow1 the ,chief of the ,montinais ,indians4 ,bow-arrow said--and ,i believe him--that when one inhales the odor of the castor from this medicine flask one's soul and body are then and forever afterwards permeated with a great and abiding love of the big outdoors4 ,also1 when one eats of the mystic grizzly bear's flesh1 one's body acquires the strength and courage of this great animal4 ,during the initiation of the members of a ,spartan band of my boys1 known as the ,buckskin ,men1 each candidate is given a thin slice of the grizzly bear meat and a whiff of the beaver castor4 ,of course1 we know that people with unromantic and unimaginative minds will call this sentimentalism4 ,we people of the outdoor tribes plead guilty to being sentimentalists2 but we know from experience that old ,bow-arrow was right1 because we have ourselves eaten of the grizzly bear and smelled the castor of the beaver6 ,while the writer cannot give each of his readers a taste of this coveted bear meat in material form1 or a whiff of the beaver medicine1 direct from the wooden flask made by the late ,bow-arrow's own hands1 still the author hopes that the magical qualities of this great medicine will enter into and form a part of the subject matter of this book1 and through that medium inoculate the souls and bodies of his readers1 purify them and rejuvenate them with a love of the ,,world ,,as ,,god ,,made ,,it4 ,,dan ,,beard ,june1 #aibj ,,contents ,,chapter ,,page ,i4 ,,fire ,,making ,,by ,,friction #a ,,how ,,to ,,make ,a ,,fire-,,board1 ,,bow1 ,,drill ,,and ,,thimble4 ,,indian ,,legend ,,of ,,the ,,source ,,of ,,fire4 ,,record ,,fire-,,makers4 ,,rubbing-,,stick ,,outfit4 ,,eskimo ,,thimble4 ,,bow1 ,,bow-,,string1 ,,thimble1 ,,fire-,,board1 ,,fire-,,pan4 ,,tinder1 ,,charred ,,rags1 ,,puff ,,balls4 ,,fire-,,makers ,,of ,,the ,,balkan4 ,,fire ,,without ,a ,,bow1 ,,co-,,li-,,li1 ,,the ,,fire ,,saw4 ,,fire ,,pumping ,,of ,,the ,,iroquois4 ,,pyropneumatic ,,apparatus ,,ii4 ,,fire ,,making ,,by ,,percussion #ba ,,the ,,white ,,man',s ,,method1 ,,how ,,to ,,use ,,flint ,,and ,,steel4 ,,where ,,to ,,obtain ,,the ,,flint ,,and ,,steel4 ,,chucknucks1 ,,punk ,,boxes1 ,,spunks ,,and ,,matches4 ,,real ,,lucifer ,,matches4 ,,slow ,,match4 ,,how ,,to ,,catch ,,the ,,spark4 ,,substitutes ,,for ,,flint ,,and ,,steel ,,iii4 ,,how ,,to ,,build ,a ,,fire #cc ,,how ,,to ,,lay ,,and ,,light ,a ,,fire4 ,,an ,,experience ,,with ,,tenderfeet4 ,,modern ,,fear ,,of ,,doing ,,manual ,,labor4 ,,matches4 ,,fire-,,makers ,,and ,,babylonians4 ,,the ,,palpitating ,,heart ,,of ,,the ,,camp4 ,,gummy ,,fagots ,,of ,,the ,,pine4 ,,how ,,to ,,make ,a ,,fire ,,in ,,wet ,,weather4 ,,backwoodsmen',s ,,fire4 ,,the ,,necessity ,,of ,,small ,,kindling ,,wood4 ,,good ,,firewood4 ,,advantage ,,of ,,split ,,wood4 ,,fire-,,dogs4 ,,how ,,to ,,open ,a ,,knife4 ,,how ,,to ,,whittle1 ,,how ,,to ,,split ,a ,,stick ,,with ,a ,,knife4 ,,bonfires ,,and ,,council ,,fires4 ,,camp ,,meeting ,,torch ,,fires4 ,,exploding ,,stones4 ,,character ,,in ,,fire4 ,,slow ,,fires1 ,,signal ,,fires ,,and ,,smudges ,,iv4 ,,how ,,to ,,lay ,a ,,good ,,cooking ,,fire #ec ,a ,,personal ,,experience ,,on ,,short ,,rations4 ,,the ,,most ,,primitive ,,of ,,cooking ,,outfits4 ,,camp ,,pot-,,hooks1 ,,the ,,gallow-,,crook1 ,,the ,,pot-,,claw1 ,,the ,,hake1 ,,the ,,gib1 ,,the ,,speygelia ,,and ,,the ,,saster4 ,,telegraph ,,wire ,,cooking ,,implements1 ,,wire ,,grid-,,iron1 ,,skeleton ,,camp ,,stove4 ,,cooking ,,fires1 ,,fire-,,dogs1 ,,roasting ,,fire-,,lay4 ,,campfire ,,lay1 ,,belmore ,,lay1 ,,frying ,,fire ,,lay1 ,,baking ,,fire ,,lay4 ,,the ,,aures ,,crane ,v4 ,,camp ,,kitchens #gi ,,camp ,,pit-,,fires1 ,,bean ,,holes4 ,,cowboy ,,fire-,,hole4 ,,chinook ,,cooking ,,fire-,,hole4 ,,barbecue-,,pits4 ,,the ,,gold ,,digger',s ,,oven4 ,,the ,,ferguson ,,camp ,,stove4 ,,the ,,adobe ,,oven4 ,,the ,,altar ,,campfire ,,place4 ,,camp ,,kitchen ,,for ,,hikers1 ,,scouts1 ,,explorers1 ,,surveyors ,,and ,,hunters4 ,,how ,,to ,,cook ,,meat1 ,,fish ,,and ,,bread ,,without ,,pots1 ,,pans ,,or ,,stoves4 ,,dressing ,,small ,,animals4 ,,how ,,to ,,barbecue ,,large ,,animals ,,vi4 ,,camp ,,food #aja ,,how ,,to ,,make ,,ash ,,cake1 ,,pone1 ,,corn ,,dodgers1 ,,flapjacks1 ,,johnny-,,cake1 ,,biscuits ,,and ,,doughgod4 ,,making ,,dutch ,,ovens4 ,,venison4 ,,banquets ,,in ,,the ,,open4 ,,how ,,to ,,cook ,,beaver ,,tail1 ,,porcupines ,,and ,,muskrats4 ,,camp ,,stews1 ,,brunswick ,,stews ,,and ,,burgoos ,,vii4 ,,packing ,,horses #bc ,,how ,,to ,,make ,a ,,pack ,,horse ,,of ,,your ,,own4 ,,how ,,to ,,make ,,an ,,aparejo4 ,,how ,,to ,,make ,a ,,cincha4 ,,how ,,to ,,make ,a ,,latigo4 ,,how ,,to ,,throw ,a ,,diamond ,,hitch4 ,,how ,,to ,,throw ,a ,,squaw ,,hitch4 ,,how ,,to ,,hitch ,a ,,horse ,,in ,,open ,,land ,,without ,,post1 ,,tree ,,or ,,stick ,,or ,,stone4 ,,use ,,of ,,hobbles ,,and ,,how ,,to ,,make ,,them4 ,,how ,,the ,,travois ,,is ,,made ,,and ,,used4 ,,buffalo ,,bill ,,and ,,general ,,miles4 ,,how ,,to ,,throw ,,down ,a ,,saddle4 ,,how ,,to ,,throw ,a ,,saddle ,,on ,a ,,horse4 ,,how ,,to ,,mount ,a ,,horse4 ,,how ,,to ,,know ,a ,,western ,,horse ,,viii4 ,,the ,,use ,,of ,,dogs4 ,,man ,,packing #ade ,,hiking ,,dogs1 ,,pack ,,dogs4 ,,how ,,to ,,pack ,a ,,dog4 ,,how ,,to ,,throw ,,the ,,dog ,,hitch4 ,,how ,,to ,,make ,,dog ,,travois4 ,,dog ,,as ,a ,,beast ,,of ,,burden ,,in ,,europe ,,and ,,arctic ,,america4 ,,man ,,packing4 ,,pack ,,rats4 ,,don',t ,,fight ,,your ,,pack4 ,,portage ,,pack4 ,,great ,,men ,,who ,,have ,,carried ,a ,,pack4 ,,kinds ,,of ,,packs4 ,,alpine ,,rucksack4 ,,origin ,,of ,,broad ,,breast ,,straps4 ,,make ,,your ,,own ,,outfits ,,ix4 ,,preparing ,,for ,,camping ,,trip #afe ,,porters ,,of ,,the ,,portage4 ,,old-,,time ,,indian ,,fighters ,,and ,,wild ,,animals4 ,,modern ,,stampede ,,for ,,the ,,open4 ,,how ,,to ,,get ,,ready ,,for ,,camp4 ,,cut ,,your ,,finger ,,nails4 ,,go ,,to ,,your ,,dentist4 ,,get ,a ,,hair ,,cut4 ,a ,,buckskin ,,man',s ,,pocket4 ,,fly ,,dope4 ,,protection ,,against ,,black ,,flies1 ,,mosquitoes1 ,,midgets ,,and ,,no-,,see-,,ums4 ,,the ,,call ,,of ,,the ,,wild ,x4 ,,saddles #ahc ,,how ,,to ,,choose ,a ,,saddle4 ,,evolution ,,of ,,the ,,mexican ,,saddle4 ,,birth ,,of ,,the ,,bluff ,,fronted ,,saddle4 ,,the ,,cowboy ,,age4 ,,sawbucks ,,or ,,pack ,,saddles4 ,,straight ,,leg ,,and ,,bent ,,knee4 ,,names ,,of ,,parts ,,of ,,saddle4 ,,center ,,fire ,,and ,,double ,,cinch ,,xi4 ,,choosing ,a ,,camp ,,site #aif ',,ware ,,single ,,trees ,,or ,,small ,,groups ,,of ,,trees4 ,,safety ,,in ,,woods ,,or ,,forest4 ,,keep ,,your ,,eyes ,,open ,,for ,,good ,,camp ,,sites4 ,,cross ,,streams ,,while ,,crossing ,,is ,,good4 ,,keep ,,to ,,windward ,,of ,,mosquito ,,holes4 ',,ware ,,ants' ,,nests4 ,,how ,,to ,,tell ,,when ,,wind ,,blows4 ,,evolution ,,of ,,the ,,shack4 ,,how ,,to ,,sweep4 ,,how ,,to ,,make ,,camp ,,beds4 ,,how ,,to ,,divide ,,camp ,,work4 ,,tent ,,pegs4 ,,how ,,to ,,pitch ,a ,,tent ,,single-,,handed4 ,,how ,,to ,,ditch ,a ,,tent4 ,,use ,,of ,,shears1 ,,gins ,,and ,,tripods ,,xii4 ,,axe ,,and ,,saw #bag ,,our ,,greatest ,,axeman4 ,,importance ,,of ,,the ,,axe4 ,,what ,,kind ,,of ,,axe ,,to ,,use4 ,,how ,,to ,,swing ,,an ,,axe4 ,,how ,,to ,,remove ,a ,,broken ,,axe ,,handle4 ,,how ,,to ,,tighten ,,the ,,handle ,,in ,,the ,,head4 ,,accidents4 ,,the ,,brains ,,of ,,an ,,axe4 ,,etiquette ,,of ,,the ,,axe4 ,,how ,,to ,,sharpen ,,an ,,axe4 ,,how ,,to ,,fall ,a ,,tree4 ,,how ,,to ,,swamp4 ,,how ,,to ,,make ,a ,,beetle ,,or ,,mall4 ,,how ,,to ,,harden ,,green ,,wood4 ,,how ,,to ,,make ,a ,,firewood ,,hod4 ,,how ,,to ,,make ,a ,,chopping ,,block4 ,,the ,,proper ,,way ,,to ,,chop4 ,,how ,,to ,,make ,,sawbucks ,,for ,,logs4 ,,how ,,to ,,use ,a ,,parbuckle4 ,,how ,,to ,,split ,a ,,log4 ,,how ,,to ,,use ,a ,,sawpit ,,xiii4 ,,council ,,grounds ,,and ,,fires #bde ,,cherokee ,,indian ,,council ,,barbecue4 ,,camp ,,meeting ,,council ,,ground4 ,,the ,,indian ,,palisaded ,,council ,,fire4 ,,indian ,,legends ,,of ,,the ,,fire4 ,,stealing ,,the ,,fire ,,from ,,the ,,sun-,,maidens ,,of ,,the ,,east4 ,,myths ,,of ,,the ,,mewan ,,indians4 ,,totems ,,of ,,the ,,four ,,winds1 ,,four ,,mountains ,,and ,,four ,,points ,,of ,,the ,,compass4 ,,impractical ,,council ,,fires4 ,,advantages ,,of ,,the ,,oval ,,council ,,ground4 ,,how ,,to ,,make ,,an ,,ellipse4 ,,how ,,to ,,divide ,,the ,,council ,,ground ,,in ,,four ,,courts4 ,,council ,,ceremonies4 ,,ghost ,,walk ,,and ,,path ,,of ,,knowledge4 ,,what ,,the ,,different ,,colors ,,stand ,,for4 ,,patriotism1 ,,poetry ,,and ,,americanism4 ,,camp ,,meeting ,,torch ,,fires ,,xiv4 ,,ritual ,,of ,,the ,,council ,,fire #bfe ,,program ,,of ,a ,,council ,,fire4 ,,invocation4 ,,the ,,pledge ,,and ,,creed ,,of ,,all ,,americans4 ,,appeal ,,chapter ,i ,,fire ,,making ,,by ,,friction ,,how ,,to ,,make ,a ,,fire-,,board1 ,,bow1 ,,drill ,,and ,,thimble ,,indian ,,legend ,,of ,,the ,,source ,,of ,,fire ,,record ,,fire-,,makers ,,rubbing-,,stick ,,outfit ,,eskimo ,,thimble ,,bow1 ,,bow-,,string1 ,,thimble1 ,,fire-,,board1 ,,fire-,,pan ,,tinder1 ,,charred ,,rags1 ,,puff ,,balls ,,fire-,,makers ,,of ,,the ,,balkan ,,fire ,,without ,a ,,bow1 ,,co-,,li-,,li1 ,,the ,,fire ,,saw ,,fire ,,pumping ,,of ,,the ,,iroquois ,,pyropneumatic ,,apparatus ,,camp-,,lore ,,and ,,woodcraft ,,chapter ,i ,,fire ,,making ,,by ,,friction ,,when the what-is-its of ,pithecantropus erectus age and other like hob-goblin men were moping around the rough sketch of an earth1 there were no camp-fires2 the only fire that these creatures knew was that which struck terror to their hearts when it was vomited forth from volcanic craters1 or came crashing among them in the form of lightning4 ,no wonder that the primitive men looked upon fire as a deity1 no doubt an evil deity at first but one who later became good4 ,when the vast fields of ice covered ,europe during the glacier period and forced men to think or die1 necessity developed a prehistoric ,edison among the ,neanderthal men1 who discovered how to build and control a fire1 thus saving his race from being frozen in the ice and kept on cold storage1 like the hairy rhinoceros and elephant of ,siberia4 ,the fire of this forgotten and unknown glacier savage was the forerunner of our steam-heaters and kitchen ranges2 in fact1 without it we could have made no progress whatever1 for not only the humble kitchen range1 but the great factories and power-plants are all depending upon the discovery made by the shivering1 teeth-chattering savage who was hopping around and trying to keep himself warm among the ,european glaciers4 ,but we people of the camp-fires are more interested in primitive fires just as the ,neanderthal men built them1 than we are in the roaring furnaces of the steel works1 the volcano blast furnaces1 or any of the scientific1 commercialized fires of factory and commerce4 ,illustration ,what we love is the genial1 old-fashioned camp-fire in the open1 on the broad prairie1 on the mountainside1 or in the dark and mysterious forests1 where1 as our good friend ,dr4 ,hornaday says1 ,we will pile on pine and spruce1 ,mesquite roots and sagebrush loose1 ,dead bamboo and smelly teak1 ,and with fagots blazing bright ,burn a hole into the night-- ,not long ago the author was up ,north in the unmapped lake country of ,canada1 and while camping on the portage between two wild and lonely lakes1 ,scout ,joe ,van ,vleck made himself a fire outfit consisting of ,fig4 #a1 a thimble made of a burl1 with which to hold ,fig4 #b1 the spindle made of balsam4 ,fig4 #c is a bow cut from a standing bush2 not an elastic bow1 such as one uses with which to shoot arrows1 but a bow with a permanent bend to it4 ,fig4 #d is the fire-pan which is placed under the fire-board to catch the charcoal dust as it falls through the slot when the spindle is twirled4 ,fig4 #e is the fire-board1 made of a dead balsam tree which was standing within three yards of the camp-fire4 ,in order to make his fire it was necessary for our ,scout to have some tinder1 and this he secured from the bark of cedar trees1 also within a few yards of our camp4 ,this indeed was a novel experience1 for seldom is material so convenient4 ,the fire was built in a few seconds1 much to the wonderment of our ,indian guide1 and the delight of some moose hunters who chanced to be crossing the portage on which our camp was located4 ,it was an ,american1 ,dr4 ,walter ,hough of the ,u4 ,s4 ,national ,museum of ,washington1 who first proved that a modern up-to-date civilized white man can make a fire with rubbing-sticks1 as well as the primitive man4 ,but it was an ,englishman who popularized this method of making fire1 introduced it among the ,boy ,scouts of ,england and ,america1 and the sister organizations among the girls4 ,according to the ,american ,indian legend the animal people who inhabited the earth before the ,redmen lived in darkness in ,california4 ,there was the coyote man1 the vulture man1 the white-footed mouse man1 and a lot of other fabled creatures4 ,away over ,east somewhere there was light because the sun was over there1 and the humming-bird man among the animal people of our ,indians is the one1 according to ,dr4 ,merriman1 who stole the fire from the ,east and carried it under his chin4 ,the mark of it is still there4 ,the next time you see a humming-bird note the brilliant spot of red fire under his chin4 ,now you understand why the king-pin in fire making at your camp deserves the title of ,le-ch-ch 7the humming-bird74 ,if one gets the fire from a fire-board1 spindle and bow in record time1 then the title of ,le-ch-ch is all the more appropriate because it was the humming-bird man who hid the fire in the oo-noo tree1 and to this day1 when the ,indian wants fire1 he goes to the oo-noo 7buckeye7 tree to get it2 that is1 provided he has no matches in the pockets of his store clothes and that some white boy1 like the ,scout previously mentioned1 has taught him how to make fire as did the ,indian's own ancestors4 ,but even then the oo-noo,a wood must be dead and dry4 ,austin ,norton of ,ypsilanti1 ,michigan1 ,april1 #aiab1 made fire in thirty-nine and one-fifth seconds2 ,frederick ,c4 ,reed of ,washington1 in ,december1 #aiab1 made fire in thirty-one seconds2 ,mr4 ,ernest ,miller of ,st4 ,paul made fire in thirty seconds1 but it was ,mr4 ,arthur ,forbush1 one of the author's ,scouts of the ,sons of ,daniel ,boone 7the scout organization which preceded both the ,english ,boy ,scouts and the ,boy ,scouts of ,america7 who broke the record time in making fire with rubbing-sticks by doing it in twenty-nine seconds at the ,sportsman's ,show at ,madison ,square ,garden1 ,new ,york4 ,mr4 ,forbush made this record in the presence of the author and many witnesses4 ,since then the same gentleman reduced his own world-record to twenty-six and one-fifth seconds2 by this time even that record,b may have been broken4 ,the rubbing-stick is a picturesque1 sensational and interesting method of building a fire1 but to-day it is of little practical use outside of the fact that it teaches one to overcome obstacles1 to do things with the tools at hand1 to think and act with the vigor1 precision and self-confidence of a primitive man4 ,illustration3 ,,rubbing-,,stick ,,outfit ,ever since the writer was a small boy he has read about making fire by rubbing two chips or two sticks together1 and he was under the impression then1 and is under the impression now1 that no one can build a fire in that manner4 ,when we find reference to rubbing-sticks it is probably a slovenly manner of describing the bow and drill and the other similar friction fire implements4 ,for the bow and drill one requires first a ,,thimble 7,figs4 #a1 #a;,a1 #a;,b1 #a;,c and #a;,d74 ,this is a half round stone or pebble1 a half round burl or knot of wood1 or it may be made of soft wood with an inlay of a piece of stone4 ,in the bottom of the thimble there is always a shallow hole or socket2 see ,s on ,figs4 #a1 #a;,a1 #a;,b1 #a;,c1 and #a;,d4 ,the thimble is an invention of the ,eskimos 7,fig4 #a;,c72 they keep the spindle upright by holding the pointed upper end of it in a hole 7,s7 drilled into a piece of serpentine1 or soapstone4 ,the author has a thimble personally made for him by ,major ,david ,abercrombie4 ,this beautiful implement is made of hard fine-grained wood carved into the form of a beetle 7,fig4 #a;,b74 ,it is inlaid with copper and semi-precious stones4 ,the socket hole was drilled into a piece of jade 7,b71 using for the purpose some sand and the drill shown in ,fig4 #bc4 ,there was a piece of steel pipe set into the end of the wooden drill with which to bore a hole into the hard jade4 ,the jade was then inlaid or set into the middle of the bottom of the thimble1 and cemented there1 ,fig4 #a;,b4 ,the author also has a thimble made for him by ,edmund ,seymour of the ,camp-fire ,club of ,america4 ,this thimble is a stone fossil with a hole drilled in it1 ,fig4 #a;,a4 ,it is not necessary to tell the reader that when using the bow for power1 the twirling spindle cannot be held down with the bare hand1 consequently the use of the thimble for that purpose is necessary4 ,fig4 #a;,c shows an ,eskimo thimble so fashioned that it may be held in the fire-maker's mouth4 ,,the ,,bow ,is a stick or branch of wood 7,figs4 #c1 #c;,e1 #c;,f and #c;,g7 about a foot and a half long and almost an inch in diameter1 which has a permanent bend in it--the bend may be natural or may have been made artificially4 ,to the bow is attached a slack thong1 or durable string of some kind4 ,the ,eskimos1 more inventive than the ,indians1 made themselves beautiful bows of ivory1 carving them from walrus tusks1 which they shaved down and strung with a loose strip of walrus hide4 ,,the ,,bow ,,string ,the objection to whang string or belt lacing is that it is apt to be too greasy1 so if one can secure a strip of buckskin1 a buckskin thong about two inches wide1 and twist it into a string1 it will probably best serve the purpose 7,fig4 #f74 ,,the ,,spindle ,the spindle is the twirling stick 7,figs4 #b1 #b;,a1 #b;,b and #b;,c7 which is usually about a foot long and was used by our ,american ,indians without the bow 7,fig4 #g74 ,the twirling stick or spindle may be three-quarters of an inch in diameter at the middle2 constant use and sharpening will gradually shorten the spindle4 ,when it becomes too short a new one must be made4 ,the end of the spindle should not be made sharp like a lead pencil1 but should have a dull or rounded end1 with which to bore into the fire-board1 thus producing fine1 hot charcoal1 which in time becomes a spark3 that is1 a growing ember4 ,,the ,,fire-,,board ,the fire-board 7,figs4 #e and #e;,a7 should be made of spruce1 cedar1 balsam1 tamarack1 cottonwood root1 basswood1 and even dry white pine1 maple and1 probably1 buckeye wood4 ,it should not be made of black walnut1 oak or chestnut1 or any wood which has a gummy or resinous quality4 ,the fire-board should be of dry material which will powder easily4 ,dr4 ,hough recommends maple for the fire-board1 or hearth1 as it is called in the ,boy ,scout ,handbook4 ,make the fire-board about eleven inches long1 two inches wide and three-quarters of an inch thick4 ,near the edge of the board1 and two inches from the end1 begin a row of notches each three-quarter inch long and cut down through the fire-board so as to be wider at the bottom4 ,at the inside end of each notch make an indenture only sufficiently deep to barely hold the end of your spindle while you make the preliminary twirls which gradually enlarge the socket to fit the end of your spindle4 ,,the ,,fire-,,pan ,the fire-pan is a chip1 shingle or wooden dust-pan used to catch the charred dust as it is pushed out by the twirling spindle 7,fig4 #d74 ,the use of the fire-pan is also an ,eskimos idea1 but they cut a step in their driftwood fire-board itself 7,fig4 #h7 to serve as a fire-pan4 ,,tinder ,when you can procure them1 charred rags of cotton or linen make excellent tinder1 but the best fabric for that purpose is an old ,turkish towel4 ,,how ,,to ,,char ,a ,,rag ,find a flat stone 7,fig4 #aj71 a broad piece of board1 a smooth1 hard1 bare piece of earth2 set your cloth afire and after it begins to blaze briskly1 smother it out quickly by using a folded piece of paper 7,fig4 #i71 a square section of birch bark or another piece of board4 ,this flapped down quickly upon the flames will extinguish them without disturbing the charred portion 7,fig4 #aj74 ,or with your feet quickly trample out the flames4 ,keep your punk or tinder in a water-tight box2 a tin tobacco box is good for that purpose1 or do like our ancestors did--keep it in a punk horn 7,fig4 #cj74 ,illustration3 #i1 #aj ,very fine dry grass is good tinder1 also the mushroom1 known as the puff-ball or ,devil's snuff-box4 ,the puff-balls1 big ones1 may be found growing about the edges of the woods and they make very good punk or tinder4 ,they are prepared by hanging them on a string and drying them out1 after which they are cut into thin slices1 laid on the board and beaten until all the black dust 7snuff7 is hammered out of them1 when they are in condition to use as punk or tinder 7,fig4 #aa74 ,in olden times there was a mushroom1 toadstool or fungus imported from ,germany1 and used as punk1 but woodcraft consists in supplying oneself with the material at hand2 therefore do not forget that flying squirrels 7,figs4 #ab and #ac71 white-footed mice 7,fig4 #ad7 and voles1 or short-tailed meadow mice1 are all addicted to collecting good ,,tinder with which to make their warm nests3 ,so also do some of the birds--the summer yellow bird1 humming-bird and vireos4 ,while abandoned humming-birds' nests are too difficult to find1 last year's vireos' nests are more easily discovered suspended like cups between two branches1 usually within reach of the hand1 and quite conspicuous in the fall when the leaves are off the trees4 ,illustration3 #aa1 #ab1 #ac ,cedar bark1 both red 7,fig4 #ae7 and white1 the dry inner bark of other trees1 dry birch bark1 when shredded up very fine1 make good tinder4 ,whether you use the various forms of rubbing-sticks or the flint and steel1 it is necessary to catch the spark in punk or tinder in order to develop the flame4 ,,how ,,to ,,make ,a ,,fire ,,with ,a ,,drill ,,and ,,bow ,first find a level solid foundation on which to place your fire-board1 then make a half turn with the string of the bow around the spindle1 as in the diagram 7,fig4 #af72 now grasp the thimble with the left hand1 put one end of the drill in the socket hole of the thimble1 the other end in the socket hole on the fire-board1 with your left foot holding the fire-board down4 ,press your left wrist firmly against your left shin4 ,begin work by drawing the bow slowly and horizontally back and forth until it works easily1 work the bow as one does a fiddle bow when playing on a bass viol1 but draw the bow its whole length each time4 ,when it is running smoothly1 speed it up4 ,illustration3 #ad ,illustration3 #ae ,or when you feel that the drill is biting the wood1 press harder on the thimble1 not too hard1 but hard enough to hold the drill firmly1 so that it will not slip out of the socket but will continue to bite the wood until the sawdust begins to appear4 ,at first it will show a brown color1 later it will become black and begin to smoke until the thickening smoke announces that you have developed the spark4 ,at this stage you gently fan the smoking embers with one hand4 ,if you fan it too briskly1 as often happens1 the powder will be blown away4 ,as soon as you are satisfied that you have secured a spark1 lift the powdered embers on the fire-pan and place carefully on top of it a bunch of tinder1 then blow till it bursts into flame 7,fig4 #h;,a74 ,or fold the tinder over the spark gently1 take it up in your hand and swing it with a circular motion until the flame flares out4 ,illustration3 #af1 #ag ,even to this day peasantry throughout the ,carpathian and ,balkan peninsulas build their fires with a rubbing-stick4 ,but these people not being campers have a permanent fire machine made by erecting two posts1 one to represent the fire-stick and the other the socket thimble4 ,the spindle runs horizontally between these two posts and the pressure is secured by a thong or cord tied around the two posts1 which tends to pull them toward each other4 ,the spindle is worked by a bow the same as the one already described and the fire is produced in the same manner4 ,,fire ,,without ,a ,,bow ,my pupils in the ,woodcraft ,camp built fires successfully by using the rung of a chair for the spindle1 a piece of packing case for a fire-board1 and another piece for the socket wood and the string from their moccasins for a bow string4 ,they used no bow1 however1 and two or three boys were necessary to make a fire1 one to hold the spindle and two others to saw on the moccasin string 7,fig4 #ag74 ,illustration3 #ah1 #ai1 #bj1 #ba1 #bb ,,co-,,li-,,li--,,the ,,fire ,,saw is made of two pieces of bamboo1 or fish pole4 ,this is the oldest instrument for fire making used by the ,bontoc ,igorot and is now seldom found among the men of the ,philippines4 ,practically all ,philippine boys1 however1 know how to make and use it and so should our boys here1 and men1 too4 ,it is called co-li-li and is made of two pieces of dry bamboo4 ,a two-foot section of dead and dry bamboo is first split lengthwise and in one piece1 a small area of the stringy tissue lining of the tube is splintered and picked until quite loose 7,fig4 #ah74 ,just over the picked fibres1 but on the outside of the bamboo1 a narrow groove is cut across it 7,fig4 #ah;,g74 ,this piece of bamboo is now the stationary lower part or fire-board of the machine4 ,one edge of the other half of the original tube is sharpened like a chisel blade's edge 7,fig4 #ai72 it is then grasped with one hand at each end and is slowly and heavily sawed backward and forward through the groove in the board1 and afterwards worked more rapidly1 thus producing a conical pile of dry dust on the wad of tinder picked from the inside of the bamboo or previously placed there4 7,figs4 #bj and #ba74 ,fig4 #bb is the fire-pan4 ,after a dozen strokes1 says our authority1 ,mr4 ,albert ,ernest ,jenks1 the sides of the groove and the edge of the piece are burned down2 presently a smell of smoke is plain and before three dozen strokes have been made1 smoke may be seen4 ,usually before a hundred strokes a larger volume of smoke tells us that the dry dust constantly falling on the pile has grown more and more charred until finally a tiny spark falls1 carrying combustion to the already heated dust cone4 ,the fire-board is then carefully lifted and if the pinch of dust is smouldering it may now be gently fanned with the hand until the tinder catches2 then it may be blown into a flame4 ,,fire ,,pumping ,,of ,,the ,,iroquois ,illustration3 #bc ,fig4 #bc shows another form of drill4 ,for this one it is necessary to have a weight wheel attached to the lower part of the spindle4 ,a hole is made through its center and the drill fitted to this4 ,the one in ,fig4 #bc is fitted out with a rusty iron wheel which ,i found under the barn4 ,fig4 #bc;,c shows a pottery weight wheel which ,i found many years ago in a gravel-pit in ,mills ,creek bottoms at ,cincinnati1 ,ohio4 ,it was brick-red in color and decorated with strange characters4 ,for many1 many years ,i did not know for what use this unique instrument was intended4 ,i presented it to the ,flushing ,high ,school 7,long ,island71 where ,i trust it still remains4 ,the fire-drill is twirled by moving the bow up and down instead of backward and forward4 ,,the ,,twirling ,,stick 7,american ,indian7 ,fig4 #g is practically the same as ,figs4 #af and #ag1 with this difference3 the bow and thong are dispensed with and the spindle twirled between the palm of the hands1 as formerly practised by the ,california ,indians1 the natives of ,australia1 ,caroline ,islands1 ,china1 ,africa and ,india4 ,many of the ,american ,indians made friction fire in this manner4 ,they spun the thin spindle by rolling it between the palms of their hands and as pressure was exerted the hands gradually slid down to the thick lower end of the spindle4 ,to again get the hands to the top of the drill requires practice and skill4 ,personally the writer cannot claim any success with this method4 ,,the ,,plow ,,stick 7,american ,indian7 ,illustration3 #bd ,the simplest method of friction is that of the plow1 which requires only a fire-board with a gutter in it and a rubbing-stick to push up and down the gutter 7,fig4 #bd74 ,captain ,belmore ,browne of ,mt4 ,mc,kinley fame made a fire by this last method when his matches were soaked with water4 ,it is1 however1 more difficult to produce the fire this way than with the thong and bow4 ,it is still used in the ,malay ,islands2 the natives place the fire-board on a stump or stone1 straddle it and with a pointed drill plow the board back and forth until they produce fire4 ,time3 ,forty seconds4 ,of course it is unnecessary to tell anyone that he can start a fire with a sunglass 7,fig4 #be7 or with the lens of a camera1 or with the lens made from two old-fashioned watch crystals held together4 ,but as the sun is not always visible1 as lenses are not supposed to grow in the wild woods and were not to be found in the camps and log cabins of the pioneers1 and as watch crystals have short lives in the woods1 we will pass this method of fire making without matches as one which properly belongs in the classroom4 ,illustration3 #be ,,the ,,pyropneumatic ,,apparatus ,before or about the time of the ,american ,revolution some gentleman invented a fire piston 7,fig4 #bf7 with which he ignited punk made of fungus by the heat engendered by the sudden compression of the air4 ,the ancient gentleman describes his invention as follows3 ,the cylinder is about nine inches long1 and half an inch in diameter2 it terminates in a screw on which screws the magazine intended to hold a bougie1 and some fungus4 ,a steel rod is attached to a solid piston1 or plunger1 not shown in the figure1 it being within the tube4 ,this rod has a milled head and there is a small hole in the tube to admit the air1 when the piston is drawn up to the top1 where a piece unscrews1 for the purpose of applying oil or grease to the piston4 ,i have found lard to answer the end best4 ,,method ,,of ,,using ,,it ,take from the magazine a small piece of fungus1 place it in the chamber1 screw the piece tight on and draw the piston up by the end1 till it stops4 ,hold the instrument with both hands in the manner represented in ,fig4 #bf1 place the end on a table or against any firm body1 either in a perpendicular1 horizontal or vertical direction1 and force the piston down with as much rapidity as possible4 ,this rapid compression of the air will cause the fungus to take fire4 ,instantly after the stroke of the piston1 unscrew the magazine1 when the air will rush in1 and keep up the combustion till the fungus is consumed4 ,observe1 in lighting the tinder1 the fungus must be lifted up a little from the chamber1 so as to allow the tinder to be introduced beneath it1 otherwise it will not kindle4 ,illustration3 #bf ,here it may be remarked that the instrument thus constructed has a decided advantage over the fire-cane1 where the fungus is inserted at such a depth as not easily to be reached4 ,but in ,burmah they had the same idea4 ,there the coolies still light their cigarettes with a fire-piston4 ,the ,philippinos also use the same machine and ignite a wad of cotton stuck on the end of the piston by suddenly forcing the piston into air-tight cylinders1 and when the piston is quickly withdrawn the cotton is found to be aflame1 so it may be that the ,colonial gentleman had traveled to the ,indies and borrowed his idea from the ,burmahs1 or the ,philippinos4 ,at any rate we do not use it to-day in the woods1 but it finds place here because it belongs to the friction fires and may be good as a suggestion for those among my readers of experimental and inventive minds4 ,,footnotes3 ,a ,it is not the buckeye of the ,ohio and ,mississippi ,valley1 but is the nut buckeye of ,california1 sculus ,californica4 ,b ,the record is now eleven seconds4 ,,chapter ,,ii ,,fire ,,making ,,by ,,percussion ,,the ,,white ,,man',s ,,method2 ,,how ,,to ,,use ,,flint ,,and ,,steel ,,where ,,to ,,obtain ,,the ,,flint ,,and ,,steel ,,chucknuncks1 ,,punk ,,boxes1 ,,spunks ,,and ,,matches ,,real ,,lucifer ,,matches ,,slow ,,match ,,how ,,to ,,catch ,,the ,,spark ,,substitutes ,,for ,,flint ,,and ,,steel ,,chapter ,,ii ,,fire ,,making ,,by ,,percussion ,,the preceding methods of producing fire by friction are not the white man's methods1 and are not the methods used by our pioneer ancestors4 ,the only case the writer can remember in which the pioneer white people used rubbing-sticks to produce fire1 is one where the refugees from an ,indian uprising and massacre in ,oregon made fire from rubbing-sticks made of the bits of the splintered wood of a lightning stricken tree4 ,on that occasion they evidently left home in a great hurry1 without their flints and steels4 ,but this one instance in itself is sufficient to show to all outdoor people the great importance of the knowledge and ability to make friction fires4 ,like our good friend1 the artist1 explorer and author1 ,captain ,belmore ,browne1 one may at any time get in a fix where one's matches are soaked1 destroyed or lost and be compelled either to eat one's food raw or resort to rubbing-sticks to start a fire4 ,it is well1 however1 to remember that the flint and steel is ,,the ,,white ,,man',s ,,method ,and notwithstanding the fire canes of our ,colonial dudes1 or the ,pyropneumatic apparatus of the forgotten ,mr4 ,bank1 fire by percussion1 that is1 fire by friction of flint and steel1 was universal here in ,america up to a quite recent date1 and it is still in common use among many of my ,camp-fire ,club friends1 and among many smokers4 ,,how ,,to ,,use ,,flint ,,and ,,steel ,in the age of flint and steel1 the guns were all fired by this method4 ,fig4 #cc shows the gun-lock of an old musket2 the hammer holds a piece of flint1 a small piece of buckskin is folded around the inside edge of the flint and serves to give a grip to the top part of the hammer which is screwed down4 ,to fire the gun the hammer is pulled back at full cock1 the steel sets opposite the hammer and is joined to the top of the powder-pan by a hinge4 ,when the trigger is pulled the hammer comes down1 striking the flint against the steel1 throwing it back and exposing the powder at the same time to the sparks which ignite the powder in the gun by means of the touch hole in the side of the barrel of same4 ,this is the sort of a hammer and lock used by all of our ancestors up to the time of the ,civil ,war1 and it is the sort of a hammer used by the ,confederates as late as the battle of ,fort ,donaldson4 ,in the olden times some people had flint lock pistols without barrels1 which were used only to ignite punk for the purpose of fire-building4 ,but when one starts a fire by means of flint and steel one's hands must act the part of the hammer1 the back of one's knife may be the steel1 then a piece of flint or a gritty rock and a piece of punk will produce the spark necessary to generate the flames4 ,in the good old pioneer days1 when we all wore buckskin clothes and did not bother about the price of wool1 when we wore coonskin caps and cared little for the price of felt hats1 everybody1 from ,miles ,standish and ,george ,washington to ,abraham ,lincoln1 used flint and steel4 ,fig4 #bg shows ten different forms of steel used by our grandsires and granddames4 ,illustration3 #bg1 #bh1 #bi1 #cj1 #ca1 #cb1 #cb1 #cc1 #cd1 #ce ,flint in its natural condition may be found in many states1 but1 as a rule1 any stone which was used by the ,indians for arrowheads will answer as a substitute for flint1,c that is1 any gritty or glassy stone1 like quartz1 agate1 jasper or iron pyrites4 ,soft stones1 limestones1 slate or soapstones are not good for this purpose4 ,,the ,,steel ,most of the old steels were so made that one might grasp them while thrusting one's fingers through the inside of the oval steel1 ,fig4 #bh 7left handed74 ,some of the ,scoutmasters of the ,boy ,scouts of ,america make their own steels of broken pieces of flat ten-cent files1 but this is unnecessary because every outdoor man1 and woman1 too1 is supposed to carry a good sized jack-knife and the back of the blade of the jack-knife1 or the back of the blade of one's hunting knife is good enough steel for anyone who has acquired the art of using it as a steel4 ,but if you must have steels manufactured at the machine shop or make them yourself1 let them be an inch wide1 a quarter of an inch thick1 and long enough to form an ellipse like one of those shown in ,fig4 #bg4 ,have the sharp edges rounded off4 ,if you desire you may have your steel twisted in any of the shapes shown in ,fig4 #bg to imitate the ones used by your great granddaddies4 ,,the ,,chucknuck ,but the neatest thing in the way of flint and steel which has come to the writer's attention is shown by ,fig4 #ca4 ,this is a small ,german silver box which still contains some of the original fungus used for punk and an ancient1 well-battered piece of flint4 ,around the box is fitted the steel in the form of a band1 and the whole thing is so small that it may be carried in one's vest pocket4 ,this was once the property of ,phillip ,hagner1 ,lieutenant1 of the ,city of ,philadelphia at the time of the ,revolution1 that is1 custodian of city property4 ,he took the ,christ ,church bells from ,philadelphia to ,bethlehem by ox-cart before the city was occupied by the ,british4 ,phillip ,hagner came from ,saxony about #agjj and settled in ,germantown1 ,philadelphia4 ,this silver box was presented to the ,national ,scout ,commissioner by ,mr4 ,isaac ,sutton1 ,scout ,commissioner for ,delaware and ,montgomery ,counties1 ,boy ,scouts of ,america4 ,,punk ,,boxes ,the cowhorn punk box is made by sawing off the small end and then the point of a cow's horn 7,fig4 #cj74 ,a small hole is next bored through the solid small end of the horn to connect with the natural open space further down1 a strip of rawhide or whang string larger than the hole is forced through the small end and secured by a knot on the inside1 which prevents it from being pulled out4 ,the large end of the horn is closed by a piece of thick sole leather attached to the thong1 by tying a hard knot in the end and pulling the thong through a hole in the center of the stopper until the knot is snug against the leather disk2 this should be done before the wet leather is allowed to dry4 ,if the thong and leather stopper are made to fit the horn tightly1 the dry baked rags1 the charred cotton1 or whatever substance you use for punk1 when placed in the horn will be perfectly protected from moisture or dampness4 ,,sulphur ,,headed ,,spunks ,,and ,,matches ,these old sulphur spunks were nothing more than kindling wood or tinder1 because they would not ignite by rubbing but were lighted by putting the sulphur end in the flame4 ,according to our modern ideas of convenience they appear very primitive4 ,they were called spunks in ,england and matches in ,america1 and varied in length from three to seven inches1 were generally packed in bundles from a dozen to two dozen and tied together with bits of straw4 ,some spunks made as late as #ahcj are considered rare enough to be carefully preserved in the ,york ,museum in ,england 7,fig4 #cb74 ,the ones illustrated in ,fig4 #cb are a ,long ,island product1 and were given to the author by the late ,john ,halleran1 the most noted antique collector on ,long ,island4 ,these are carefully preserved among the antiquities in the writer's studio4 ,but they are less than half the length of the ones formerly used on the ,western ,reserve4 ,with the ancient matches in the studio are also two old pioneer tinder boxes with flints and steels4 ,the tinder boxes are made of tin and contain a lot of baked rags4 ,the inside lid acts as an extinguisher with which to cover up the punk or tinder in the box after you have lighted the candle in the tin lid of the box 7,fig4 #cb74 ,the matches we use today are evolved from these old sulphur spunks4 ,when the writer was a little fellow up in the ,western ,reserve on the shores of ,lake ,erie1 he was intensely interested in an old lady making sulphur matches4 ,over the open fire she melted the sulphur in an iron kettle in which she dipped the ends of some pine slivers4 ,the sulphur on the end of the sticks was then allowed to cool and harden4 ,these matches were about the length of a lead pencil and could only be lighted by thrusting the sulphur into the flame4 ,so1 although having been born in the age of ,lucifer matches1 the writer was yet fortunate enough to see manufactured and to remember the contemporary ancestors of our present-day safety match4 ,,the ,,real ,,lucifer ,,match ,that is1 the match which lights from friction1 is the invention of ,isaac ,holden1 ,m4 ,p4 ,according to the ,pall ,mall ,gazette1 ,mr4 ,holden said1 ,in the morning ,i used to get up at #d o'clock in order to pursue my studies1 and ,i used at that time the flint and steel1 in the use of which ,i found very great inconvenience4 ,of course1 ,i knew1 as other chemists did1 the explosive material that was necessary in order to produce instantaneous light1 but it was very difficult to obtain a light on wood by that explosive material1 and the idea occurred to me to put sulphur under the explosive mixture4 ,i did that and showed it in my next lecture on chemistry1 a course of which ,i was delivering at a large academy4 ,because every real woodsman is a student1 as well as a sentimentalist1 a brief history is given of these fire implements to entertain him as we jog along the trace4 ,all these things are blazes which mark the trail to the button in our wall which now produces the electric light4 ,some of them1 like the clay cylinders found in the ruins of ,babylon1 are only useful in a historical sense1 but many of them are essentially practical for woodcraft4 ,,how ,,to ,,make ,a ,,chucknuck ,the slow match or punk rope to fit in the brass cylinder may be made of candle wick or coach wick purchased at the hardware store2 such wick is about three-eighths of an inch in diameter4 ,scout ,commissioner ,john ,h4 ,chase of ,youngstown1 ,ohio1 suggests that the rope may be made from the wastes of a machine shop or a garage2 but one of the best woodsmen ,i know is ,mr4 ,frederick ,k4 ,vreeland1 and he uses the apparatus shown by ,fig4 #cd1 which is made of the yellow fuse rope1 or punk rope1 which may be purchased at cigar stores4 ,he fastens a cork in one end of the rope by a wire1 he pulls the other end of the rope through the end of the brass cartridge shell which has been filed off for that purpose4 ,the end of the fuse rope must be charred1 so as to catch the spark4 ,to get the spark he takes the back of the blade of his knife 7,fig4 #ce71 and strikes the bit of flint as you would with flint and steel1 holding the charred end of the punk against the flint1 as shown by the diagram 7,fig4 #bi74 ,loose cotton and various vegetable fibers twisted into a rope soaked in water and gunpowder will make good punk when dry4 ,,to ,,get ,,the ,,spark ,place the charred end of the rope on the flint1 the charred portion about one thirty-second of an inch back of the edge of the flint where the latter is to be struck by the steel2 hold the punk in place with the thumb of the left hand1 as in the diagram 7,fig4 #bi74 ,hold the knife about six inches above at an angle of about forty-five degrees from the flint1 turn your knife so that the edge of the back of the blade will strike1 then come down at an angle about thirty-five degrees with a sharp scraping blow4 ,this should send the spark into the punk at the first or second blow4 ,now blow the punk until it is all aglow and you are ready to set your tinder afire4 ,push the punk into the middle of a handful of tinder and blow it until it is aflame1 and the deed is done6 ,all these pocket contrivances for striking fire were formerly known as striker-lights or chucknucks4 ,a ,,substitute ,,for ,,flint ,,and ,,steel ,the ,malays having neither flint nor steel ingeniously substitute for the flint a piece of broken chinaware1 and for the steel a bamboo joint1 and they produce a spark by striking the broken china against the joint of the bamboo1 just as we do with the flint and steel4 ,,footnote3 ,c ,today flint may be obtained at ,bannermans1 #eja ,broadway1 ,new ,york ,city1 where they also have ancient steels which were used by the ,u4 ,s4 soldiers4 ,the flints may also be purchased from ,wards ,natural ,science ,establishment at ,rochester1 ,new ,york1 and the author found a plentiful supply of flints at one of the ,army and ,navy stores in ,new ,york4 ,,chapter ,,iii ,,how ,,to ,,build ,a ,,fire ,,how ,,to ,,lay ,,and ,,light ,a ,,fire ,,an ,,experience ,,with ,,tenderfeet ,,modern ,,fear ,,of ,,doing ,,manual ,,labor ,,matches ,,fire-,,makers ,,and ,,babylonians ,,the ,,palpitating ,,heart ,,of ,,the ,,camp ,,gummy ,,fagots ,,of ,,the ,,pine ,,how ,,to ,,make ,a ,,fire ,,in ,,wet ,,weather ,,backwoodsmen',s ,,fire ,,the ,,necessity ,,of ,,small ,,kindling ,,wood ,,good ,,firewood ,,advantage ,,of ,,split ,,wood ,,fire-,,dogs ,,how ,,to ,,open ,a ,,knife ,,how ,,to ,,whittle2 ,,how ,,to ,,split ,a ,,stick ,,with ,a ,,knife ,,bonfires ,,and ,,council ,,fires ,,camp ,,meeting ,,torch ,,fires ,,exploding ,,stones ,,character ,,in ,,fire ,,slow ,,fires1 ,,signal ,,fires ,,and ,,smudges ,,chapter ,,iii ,,how ,,to ,,build ,a ,,fire ,by thy camp-fire they shall know thee4 ,a ,,party of twenty or thirty men once called at the author's studio and begged that he would go with them on a hike1 stating that they intended to cook their dinner out-of-doors4 ,we went on the hike4 ,the author asked the gentlemen to collect the wood for the fire2 they did so enthusiastically and heaped up about a quarter of a cord of wood4 ,there was no stick in the pile less than the thickness of one's arm1 and many as thick as one's leg4 ,a fine misty rain was falling and everything was damp4 ,while all the other hikers gathered around1 one of them carefully lighted a match and applied it to the heap of damp cord wood sticks4 ,match after match he tried1 then turned helplessly to the writer with the remark1 ,it won't light1 sir1 and none there saw the humor of the situation6 ,had anyone told the writer that from twenty-five to thirty men could be found1 none of whom could build a fire1 he would have considered the statement as highly improbable1 but if he had been told that any intelligent man would try to light cord wood sticks1 wet or dry1 by applying a match to them1 he would have branded the story as utterly beyond belief4 ,it is1 however1 really astonishing how few people there are who know how to build a fire even when supplied with plenty of fuel and abundant matches4 ,,matches ,it may be well to call the reader's attention to the fact that it takes very little moisture to spoil the scratch patch on a box of safety matches and prevent the match itself from igniting4 ,the so-called parlor match1 which snaps when one lights it and often shoots the burning head into one's face or on one's clothes1 is too dangerous a match to take into the woods4 ,the bird's-eye match is exceedingly unreliable on the trail1 but the old-fashioned1 ill-smelling ,lucifer match1 sometimes called sulphur match1 the kind one may secure at the ,hudson ,bay ,trading ,post1 the kind that comes in blocks and is often packed in tin cans1 is the best match for woodcrafters1 hunters1 explorers1 and hikers4 ,most of the outfitting stores in the big cities either have these matches or can procure them for their customers4 ,when one of these matches is damp it may be dried by running it through one's hair4 ,illustration3 #cf1 #cg1 #ch1 #ci ,nowadays manual labor seems to be looked upon by everyone more in the light of a disgrace or punishment than as a privilege2 nevertheless1 it is a privilege to be able to labor1 it is a privilege to have the vim1 the pep1 the desire and the ability to do things4 ,labor is a necessary attribute of the doer and those who live in the open2 no one need attempt so simple a thing as the building of a fire and expect to succeed without labor4 ,one must use the axe industriously 7,figs4 #ci1 #db and #dc7 in order to procure fuel for the fire2 one must plan the fire carefully with regard to the wind and the inflammable material adjacent2 one must collect and select the fuel intelligently4 ,the shirk1 the quitter1 or the side-stepper has no place in the open2 his habitat is on the ,great ,white ,way among the ,babylonians of the big cities4 ,he does not even know the joys of a fire2 he never sees a fire except when some building is burning4 ,his body is heated by steam radiators1 his food is cooked in some mysterious place beyond his ken1 and brought to him by subservient waiters4 ,he will be dead and flowers growing on his grave when the real fire-makers are just attaining the full vigor of their manhood4 ,captain ,belmore ,browne says that the trails of the wilderness are its arteries2 we may add that all trails proceed from camp or lead to camp1 and that the camp-fire is the living1 life-giving1 palpitating heart of the camp2 without it all is dead and lifeless4 ,that is the reason that we of the outdoor brotherhood all love the fire2 that is the reason that the odor of burning wood is incense to our nostrils2 that is the reason that the writer cannot help talking about it when he should be telling ,,how ,,to ,,build ,a ,,fire ,do not forget that lighting a fire in hot1 dry weather is child's play1 but that it takes a real camper to perform the same act in the damp1 soggy woods on a cold1 raw1 rainy day1 or when the first damp snow is covering all the branches of the trees and blanketing the moist ground with a slushy mantle of white discomfort6 ,then it is that fire making brings out all the skill and patience of the woodcrafter2 nevertheless when he takes proper care neither rain1 snow nor hail can spell failure for him4 ,,gummy ,,fagots ,,of ,,the ,,pine ,in the mountains of ,pennsylvania the old backwoodsmen1 of which there are very few left1 invariably build their fires with dry pine1 or pitch pine sticks4 ,with their axe they split a pine log 7,fig4 #db71 then cut it into sticks about a foot long and about the thickness of their own knotted thumbs1 or maybe a trifle thicker 7,fig4 #dj72 after that they proceed to whittle these sticks1 cutting deep shavings 7,fig4 #cg71 but using care to leave one end of the shavings adhering to the wood2 they go round and round the stick with their knife blade making curled shavings until the piece of kindling looks like one of those toy wooden trees one used to find in his ,noah's ,ark on ,christmas morning 7,fig4 #cg74 ,when a backwoodsman finishes three or more sticks he sets them up wigwam form 7,fig4 #ch74 ,the three sticks having been cut from the centre of a pine log1 are dry and maybe resinous1 so all that is necessary to start the flame is to touch a match to the bottom of the curled shavings 7,fig4 #ch74 ,before they do this1 however1 they are careful to have a supply of small slivers of pitch pine1 white pine or split pine knots handy 7,fig4 #cf74 ,these they set up around the shaved sticks1 maybe adding some hemlock bark1 and by the time it is all ablaze they are already putting on larger sticks of ash1 black birch1 yellow birch1 sugar maple or oak4 ,illustration3 #dj1 #da1 #da1 #db1 #dc1 #dd ,for be it known that however handy pitch pine is for starting a fire1 it is not the material used as fuel in the fire itself1 because the heavy smoke from the pitch blackens up the cooking utensils1 gives a disagreeable taste to the food1 spoils the coffee and is not a pleasant accompaniment even for a bonfire4 ,in the ,north woods1 in the land of the birch trees1 green birch bark is universally used as kindling with which to start a fire2 green birch bark burns like tar paper4 ,but whether one starts the fire with birch bark1 shaved pine sticks or miscellaneous dry wood1 one must remember that ,,split ,,wood ,burns much better than wood in its natural form1 and that logs from twelve to fourteen inches are best for splitting for fuel 7,fig4 #db72 also one must not forget that in starting a fire the smaller the slivers of kindling wood are made1 the easier it is to obtain a flame by the use of a single match 7,fig4 #cf71 after which the adding of fuel is a simple matter4 ,a fire must have air to breathe in order to live1 that is a draught1 consequently kindling piled in the little wigwam shape is frequently used4 ,,fire-,,dogs ,for an ordinary1 unimportant fire the turkey-lay 7,fig4 #ed7 is handy1 but for camp-fires and cooking fires we use andirons on which to rest the wood1 but of course in the forests we do not call them andirons4 ,they are not made of iron2 they are either logs of green wood or stones and known to woodsmen by the name of fire-dogs4 ,while we are on the subject of fire making it may be worth while to call the reader's attention to the fact that every outdoor person should know how to use a pocket knife1 a jack-knife or a hunter's knife with the greatest efficiency and the least danger4 ,to those of us who grew up in the whittling age1 it may seem odd or even funny that anyone should deem it necessary to tell how to open a pocket knife4 ,but today ,i fail to recall to my mind a single boy of my acquaintance who knows how to properly handle a knife or who can whittle a stick with any degree of skill1 and yet there are few men in this world with a larger acquaintance among the boys than myself4 ,not only is this true1 but ,i spend two months of each year in the field with a camp full of boys1 showing them how to do the very things with their knives and their axes described in this book4 ,,how ,,to ,,open ,a ,,knife ,illustration3 #de1 #df1 #dg1 #dh1 #di ,it is safe to say that when the old-timers were boys themselves1 there was not a lad among them who could not whittle with considerable skill and many a twelve year old boy was an adept at the art4 ,i remember with the keenest pleasure the rings1 charms and knick-knacks which ,i carved with a pocket knife before ,i had reached the scout age of twelve4 ,today1 however1 the boys handle their knives so awkwardly as to make the chills run down the back of an onlooker4 ,in order to properly open a knife1 hold it in your left hand1 and with the thumbnail of your right hand grasp the blade at the nail notch 7,fig4 #de7 in such a manner that the line of the nail makes a very slight angle2 that is1 it is as near perpendicular as may be 7,fig4 #df71 otherwise you will bend back your thumbnail until it hurts or breaks4 ,pull the blade away from your body1 at the same time drawing the handle of the knife towards the body 7,figs4 #dg and #dh74 ,continue this movement until the blade is fully open and points directly from your body 7,fig4 #di74 ,practise this and make it a habit2 you will then never be in danger of stabbing yourself during the process of opening your knife--you will open a knife properly and quickly by what is generally termed intuition1 but what is really the result of training and habit4 ,,how ,,to ,,whittle ,the age of whittling began with the invention of the pocket knife and reached its climax about #ahdj or '#ej1 dying out some time after the ,civil ,war1 probably about #ahgj4 ,all the old whittlers of the whittling age whittled away from the body4 ,if you practise whittling that way it will become a habit4 ,indians use a crooked knife and whittle towards the body1 but the queer shape of their knife does away with the danger of an accidental stab or slash4 ,cobblers use a wicked sharp knife and cut towards their person and often are severely slashed by it1 and sometimes dangerously wounded1 because a big artery runs along the inside of one's leg 7,fig4 #da7 near where most of the scars on the cobbler's legs appear4 ,when you whittle do not whittle with a stick between your legs as in ,fig4 #da1 and always whittle away from you as in ,fig4 #dd4 ,,how ,,to ,,split ,,with ,a ,,jack-,,knife ,fig4 #dj shows the proper way to use the knife in splitting a stick1 so that it will not strain the spring at the back of the handle of the knife1 and at the same time it will help you guide the knife blade and tend to make a straight split4 ,do not try to pry the stick apart with a knife or you will sooner or later break the blade1 a serious thing for a wilderness man to do1 for it leaves him without one of the most useful tools4 ,remember that fine slivers of wood make a safer and more certain start for a fire than paper4 ,all tenderfeet first try dry leaves and dry grass to start their fires4 ,this they do because they are accustomed to the use of paper and naturally seek leaves or hay as a substitute for paper4 ,but experience soon teaches them that leaves and grass make a nasty smudge or a quick1 unreliable flame which ofttimes fails to ignite the wood1 while1 when proper care is used1 small slivers of dry wood never fail to give satisfactory results4 ,there are many sorts of fires used by campers and all are dependent upon the local supply of fuel2 in the deforested districts of ,korea the people use twisted grass for fuel1 on our ,western plains the hunters formerly used buffalo chips and now they use cow chips1 that is1 the dry manure of cattle1 with which to build their fires for cooking their meals and boiling their coffee4 ,in the ,zurn belt1 in ,tartary and ,central ,india cattle manure is collected1 piled up like cord wood and dried for fuel4 ,a few years ago they used corn on the cob for firewood in ,kansas4 ,it goes without saying that buffalo chips are not good for bonfires or any fire where a big flame or illumination is an object4 ,,bonfires ,,and ,,council ,,fires ,are usually much larger than camp-fires1 and may be made by heaping the wood up in conical form 7,fig4 #ej7 with the kindling all ready for the torch in the center of the pile1 or the wood may be piled up log cabin style 7,fig4 #ea7 with the kindling underneath the first floor4 ,illustration3 #ej1 #ea1 #eb1 #ec1 #ed ,in both of these forms there are air spaces purposely left between the sticks of wood1 which insure a quick and ready draught the moment the flames start to flicker in the kindling4 ,the best form of council fire is shown by ,fig4 #eb1 and known as the ,,camp ,,meeting ,,torch ,because it was from a somewhat similar device at a camp meeting in ,florida1 that the author got the suggestion for his torch fire4 ,the platform is made of anything handy and is covered with a thick flooring of sod1 sand or clay for the fire-place4 ,the tower is built exactly similar to the ,boy ,scout signal towers but on a smaller scale 7,fig4 #eb74 ,,danger ,,of ,,exploding ,,stones ,however tempting a smooth rock may look as a convenient spot on which a fire may be built1 do not fail to spread a few shovels of sand1 earth or clay on the stone as a fire bed1 for the damp rock on becoming heated may generate steam and either expand with some violence or burst like a bomb-shell and scatter far and wide the fragments1 even endangering the lives of those gathered around the fire4 ,,character ,,in ,,fire ,the natives of ,australia take dry logs1 #f ft4 or more in length1 and laying them down #c ft4 or #d ft4 apart1 set them on fire in several places4 ,letting shorter logs meet them from the outside1 and placing good-sized pebbles around them1 they then stretch themselves on the ground and sleep between the two lines of fire1 and when the wood is consumed the stones continue for some time to radiate the heat they have previously absorbed4 ,many tribes of ,american ,indians have their own special fashion of fire building1 so that a deserted camp fire will not infrequently reveal the identity of the tribe by which it was made4 ,,slow ,,fires ,the camper's old method of making a slow fire was also used by housekeepers for their open fire-places1 and consisted of placing three logs with their glowing ends together4 ,as the ends of the logs burned off the logs were pushed forward1 this being continued until the logs were entirely consumed4 ,three good logs thus arranged will burn all day or all night1 but someone must occasionally push them so that their ends come together1 when they send their heat from one to the other1 backwards and forwards1 and thus keep the embers hot 7,fig4 #ec74 ,but who wants to sit up all night watching a fire8 ,i prefer to use the modern method and sleep all night4 ,sharpen the ends of two strong heavy stakes each about #e ft4 in length1 cut a notch in the rear of each near the top1 for the support or back to key into1 drive the stakes into the ground about #f ft4 apart4 ,place three logs one on the other1 making a log wall for the back of your fire-place4 ,next take two shorter logs and use them for fire-dogs1 and on these lay another log and the arrangement will be complete4 ,a fire of this kind will burn during the longest night and if skillfully made will cause little trouble4 ,the fire is fed by placing fuel between the front log and the fire-back4 ,,signal ,,fires ,when the greatest elevations of land are selected the smoke signals may be seen at a distance of from twenty to fifty miles4 ,signal fires are usually made with dry leaves1 grass and weeds or wiry willows1 balsam boughs1 pine and cedar boughs1 because such material produces great volumes of smoke and may be seen at a long distance4 ,the ,apaches have a simple code which might well be adopted by all outdoor people4 ,according to ,j4 ,w4 ,powell1 ,director of ,u4 ,s4 ,bureau of ,ethnology1 the ,indians use but three kinds of signals1 each of which consists of columns of smoke4 ,,alarm ,three or more smoke columns reads impending danger from flood1 fire or foe4 ,this signal may be communicated from one camp to another1 so as to alarm a large section of the country in remarkably quick time4 ,the greater the haste desired the greater the number of smokes used4 ,these fires are often so hastily made that they may resemble puffs of smoke caused by throwing heaps of grass and leaves upon the embers again and again4 ,,attention ,this signal is generally made by producing one continuous column and signifies attention for several purposes1 viz41 when a band had become tired of one locality1 or the grass may have been consumed by the ponies1 or some other cause necessitated removal1 or should an enemy be reported which would require further watching before a decision as to future action would be made4 ,the intention or knowledge of anything unusual would be communicated to neighboring bands by causing one column of smoke to ascend4 ,,establishment ,,of ,a ,,camp1 ,,quiet1 ,,safety ,when a removal of camp has been made1 after the signal for ,,attention has been given1 and the party have selected a place where they propose to remain until there may be a necessity or desire for their removal1 two columns of smoke are made1 to inform their friends that they propose to remain at that place4 ,two columns are also made at other times during a long continued residence1 to inform the neighboring bands that a camp still exists1 and that all is favorable and quiet4 ,therefore1 ,,three or more smokes in daylight1 or ,,three or more flames at night1 is a signal of alarm1 ,,one smoke a signal for attention1 ,,two smokes tells us that all is well1 peaceful and happy4 ,,smoke ,,signals ,the usual way of signalling with smoke is to make a smudge fire of browse or grass and use a blanket as an extinguisher4 ,by covering the fire with the blanket and suddenly removing it1 a large globular puff of smoke is made to suddenly appear1 and is certain to attract the attention of anyone who happens to be looking toward the site of the fire4 ,,how ,,to ,,build ,a ,,fire ,,on ,,the ,,snow ,if it is practical it is naturally better to shovel away the snow1 but personally ,i have never done this except in case of newly fallen snow4 ,old snow which is more or less frozen to the ground may be tramped down until it is hard and then covered with a corduroy of sticks for a hearth 7,figs4 #ee and #ef7 or with bark 7,fig4 #eg7 and on top of this flooring it is a simple matter to build a fire4 ,use the turkey-lay in which one of the sticks acts the part of the fire-dog 7,fig4 #ef74 ,don't fail to collect a generous supply of small wood 7,fig4 #eh7 and then start the fire as already directed 7,fig4 #eh74 ,the reader will note that in all these illustrations 7,figs4 #ee1 #ef and #eg71 there is either a log or stone or a bank for a back to the fire-place4 ,when everything is covered with snow it is perfectly safe to use a log for a back 7,fig4 #ef7 but on other occasions the log may smoulder for a week and then start a forest fire4 ,no one but an arrant1 thoughtless1 selfish ,cheechako will use a live growing tree against which to build a fire4 ,a real woodcraft knows that a fire can ruin in a few minutes a mighty forest tree that ,god himself cannot replace inside of from forty to one hundred years4 ,while we are talking of building fires in the snow1 it may be well to remark that an uninhabitable and inaccessible swamp in the summer is often the best of camping places in the winter time4 ,the water freezes and falls lower and lower1 leaving convenient shelves of ice 7,fig4 #eg7 for one's larder4 ,the dense woods and brush offer a splendid barrier to the winter winds4 ,fig4 #ei shows an arrangement for a winter camp-fire4 ,,how ,,to ,,make ,a ,,fire ,,in ,,the ,,rain ,spread a piece of bark on the ground to serve as a hearth on which to start your fire4 ,seek dry wood by splitting the log and taking the pieces from the center of the wood1 keep the wood under cover of your tent1 poncho1 coat or blanket4 ,also hold a blanket or some similar thing over the fire while you are lighting it4 ,after the blaze begins to leap and the logs to burn freely1 it will practically take a cloud-burst to extinguish it4 ,illustration3 #ee1 #ef1 #eg1 #eh ,illustration3 #ei ,,chapter ,,iv ,,how ,,to ,,lay ,a ,,good ,,cooking ,,fire ,a ,,personal ,,experience ,,on ,,short ,,rations ,,the ,,most ,,primitive ,,of ,,cooking ,,outfits ,,camp ,,pot-,,hooks1 ,,the ,,gallow-,,crook1 ,,the ,,pot-,,claw1 ,,the ,,hake1 ,,the ,,gib1 ,,the ,,speygelia ,,and ,,the ,,saster ,,telegraph ,,wire ,,cooking ,,implements1 ,,wire ,,grid-,,iron1 ,,skeleton ,,camp ,,stove ,,cooking ,,fires1 ,,fire-,,dogs1 ,,roasting ,,fire-,,lay1 ,,camp-,,fire ,,lay1 ,,belmore ,,lay1 ,,frying ,,fire ,,lay1 ,,baking ,,fire ,,lay ,,the ,,aures ,,crane ,,chapter ,,iv ,,how ,,to ,,lay ,a ,,good ,,cooking ,,fire ,,no matter where the old camper may be1 no matter how long a time may have elapsed since last he slept in the open1 no matter how high or low a social or official position he may now occupy1 it takes but one whiff of the smoke of an open fire1 or one whiff of the aroma of frying bacon1 to send him back again to the lone trail4 ,in imagination he will once more be hovering over his little camp-fire in the desert1 under the shade of the gloomy pines1 mid the snows of ,alaska1 in the slide rock of the ,rockies or mid the pitch pines of the ,alleghenies1 as the case may be4 ,that faint hint in the air of burning firewood or the delicious odor of the bacon1 for the moment1 will not only wipe from his vision his desk1 his papers and his office furniture1 but also all the artificialities of life4 ,even the clicking of the typewriter will turn into the sound of clicking hoofs1 the streets will become canyons1 and the noise of traffic the roar of the mountain torrent6 ,there is no use talking about it1 there is no use arguing about it1 there is witchcraft in the smell of the open fire1 and all the mysteries and magic of the ,arabian ,nights dwell in the odor of frying bacon4 ,some years ago ,mr4 ,arthur ,rice1 the ,secretary of the ,camp-fire ,club of ,america1 and ,patrick ,cleary1 a half-breed ,indian1 with the author1 became temporarily separated from their party in the ,northern wilds4 ,they found themselves on a lonely wilderness lake surrounded by picture mountains1 and dotted with tall rocky islands covered with ,christmas trees1 giving the whole landscape the appearance of the scenery one sometimes sees painted on drop-curtains for the theatre4 ,everything in sight was grand1 everything was beautiful1 everything was built on a generous scale1 everything was big1 not forgetting the voyagers' appetites6 ,unfortunately the provisions were in the missing canoe2 diligent search1 however1 in the bottom of ,patrick ,cleary's ditty bag disclosed three small1 hard1 rounded lumps1 which weeks before might have been bread2 also a handful of tea mixed with smoking tobacco1 and that was all6 ,there was no salt1 no butter1 no pepper1 no sugar1 no meat1 no knives1 no forks1 no spoons1 no cups1 no plates1 no saucers and no cooking utensils2 the party had nothing but a few stone-like lumps of bread and the weird mixture of tea and tobacco with which to appease their big appetites4 ,but in the lake the trout were jumping1 and it was not long before the hungry men had secured a fine string of spotted beauties to add to their menu4 ,under the roots of a big spruce tree1 at the bottom of a cliff on the edge of the lake1 a fountain of cold crystal water spouted from the mossy ground4 ,near this they built a fire while ,mr4 ,rice fashioned a little box of birch bark1 filled it with water and placed it over the hot embers by resting the ends of the box on fire-dogs of green wood4 ,into the water in the birch bark vessel was dumped the tea 7and--also tobacco76 ,to the amazement and delight of the ,indian half-breed1 the tea was soon boiling4 ,meanwhile the half-breed toasted some trout until the fish were black1 this being done so that the charcoal or burnt skins might give a flavor to the fish1 and in a measure compensate for the lack of salt4 ,the hunks of bread were burned until they were black1 not for flavor this time1 but in order that the bread might be brittle enough to allow a man to bite into it with no danger of breaking his teeth in the attempt4 ,to-day it seems to the author that that banquet on that lonely lake1 miles from the nearest living human being1 was more delicious and more satisfying than any of the feasts of ,belshazzar he has since attended in the wonder city of ,new ,york4 ,therefore1 when taking up the subject of cooking fire and camp kitchen1 he naturally begins with ,,the ,,most ,,primitive ,,of ,,cooking ,,outfits ,consisting of two upright forked sticks and a waugan-stick to lay across from fork to fork over the fire4 ,or maybe a speygelia-stick thrust slantingly into the ground in front of the fire1 or perhaps a saster-pole on which to suspend or from which to dangle1 in front of the fire1 a hunk of moose meat1 venison1 mountain sheep1 mountain goat1 whale blubber1 beaver1 skunk1 rabbit1 muskrat1 woodchuck1 squirrel or whatsoever fortune may send4 ,,camp ,,pot-,,hooks ,are of various forms and designs1 but they are not the ,s shaped things formerly so familiar in the big open fire-places of the old homesteads1 neither are they the hated ,s shaped marks with which the boys of yesterday were wont to struggle and disfigure the pages of their writing books4 ,if any one of the camp pot-hooks had been drawn in the old-time writing book or copybook1 it would have brought down the wrath 7with something else7 of the old-fashioned school-master1 upon the devoted head of the offending pupil4 ,for these pot-hooks are not regular in form and the shape and designs largely depend upon the available material from which they are fashioned1 and not a little upon the individual fancy of the camper4 ,for instance the one known as ,,the ,,gallow-,,crook ,is not1 as the name might imply1 a human crook too intimately associated with the gallows1 but on the contrary it is a rustic and useful bit of forked stick 7,figs4 #fj1 #fa1 #fb and #fc7 made of a sapling4 ,fig4 #fj shows how to select the sapling and where to cut it below a good sturdy fork4 ,fig4 #fa shows the bit of sapling trimmed down to the proper length and with two forks1 one at each end4 ,on the upper fork you will note that one prong is a slender elastic switch4 ,fig4 #fb shows how this switch may be bent down and bound with a string or tape made of green bark1 and so fastened to the main stem as to form a loop which will easily slip over the waugan-stick as in ,fig4 #fc4 ,fig4 #fb;,a shows a handy hitch with which to make fast the bark binding4 ,when the waugan-stick has been thrust through the loop of the gallow-crook1 the former is replaced in the crotches of the two forked sticks1 as in ,fig4 #fc1 and the pot or kettle1 pail or bucket1 is hooked on to the lower fork4 ,you will note that the lower fork is upon the opposite side of the main stick from that from which the switch prong of the upper fork springs4 ,this arrangement is not necessary to make the pot balance properly over the fire2 the same rule holds good for all the other pot-hooks4,d ,illustration3 #fj1 #fa1 #fb1 #fc1 #fd1 #fe1 #ff1 #fg1 #fh1 #fi1 #fi;,a1 #gj1 #ga1 #gb1 #gc1 #gd ,,the ,,pot-,,claw ,will be best understood by inspecting the diagrams 7,figs4 #fd1 #fe and #ff71 which show its evolution or gradual growth4 ,by these diagrams you will see the stick is so cut that the fork may be hooked over the waugan-stick and the cooking utensils1 pots or kettles may be hung over the fire by slipping their handles into the notch cut in the stick on the side opposite to the fork and near the lower end of the pot-claw4 ,this is a real honest-to-goodness ,buckskin or ,sourdough pot-hook2 it is one that requires little time to manufacture and one that is easily made wherever sticks grow1 or wherever whim sticks or driftwood may be found heaped upon the shore4 ,,the ,,hake ,is easier to make than the pot-claw4 ,it is a forked stick like the pot-claw1 but in place of the notch near the lower end a nail is driven diagonally into the stick and the kettle hung on the nail 7,figs4 #fg and #fh74 ,the hake possesses the disadvantage of making it necessary for the camper to carry a supply of nails in his kit4 ,no ,sourdough on a long and perilous trip loads himself down with nails4 ,a hake1 however1 is a very good model for ,boy ,scouts1 ,girl ,pioneers1 and hikers of all descriptions who may go camping in the more thickly settled parts of the country4 ,,the ,,gib ,is possibly a corruption of gibbet1 but it is a much more humane implement4 ,it requires a little more time and a little more skill to make a gib 7,fig4 #fi7 than it does to fashion the preceding pot-hook4 ,it is a useful hook for stationary camps where one has time to develop more or less intricate cooking equipment4 ,fig4 #fi;,a shows how the two forked sticks are cut to fit together in a splice1 and it also shows how this splice is nailed together with a couple of wire nails1 and ,fig4 #gj shows how the wire nails are clinched4 ,in a book of this kind the details of all these designs are given not because any one camper is expected to use them all1 but because there are times when any one of them may be just the thing required4 ,it is well1 however1 to say that the most practicable camp pot-hooks are the pot-claw and the hake4 ,in making a pot-claw care should be taken to cut the notch on the opposite side of the forked branch1 and at the other end of the claw1 deep enough to hold the handle of the cooking utensils securely4 ,while the author was on an extended trip in the blustering ,north land his party had a pot-claw as crooked as a yeggman1 and as knotty as a problem in higher mathematics4 ,while there can be no doubt that one of the party made this hoodoo affair it has never yet been decided to whom the credit belongs--because of the innate modesty of the men no one claims the honor4 ,this misshapen pot-claw was responsible for spilling the stew on several occasions1 not to speak of losing the boiled rice4 ,luckily one of the party was a stolid ,indian1 one a consistent member of the ,presbyterian church1 one a ,scout and one a member of the ,society of ,friends1 consequently the air was not blue and the only remarks made were1 ,oh my6 ,bless my soul6 and ,gee willikens6 ,the cook in despair put the wicked thing in the fire with muttered hints that the fire might suggest the region where such pot-hooks belong4 ,while it burned and its evil spirit dissolved in smoke1 the ,indian made a new pot-claw1 a respectable pot-claw with a straight character1 and a more secure notch4 ,this one by its benign presence brought peace and good will to the camp and showed the necessity of taking pains and using care in the manufacture of even so lowly a thing as a pot-claw4 ,the camp pot-hooks should be of various lengths2 long ones to bring the vessels near the fire where the heat is more intense2 short ones to keep the vessels further from the fire so that their contents will not cook but only keep warm2 and medium ones for simmering or slow cooking4 ,,the ,,speygelia ,is not an ,italian1 but is a long name for a short implement4 ,the speygelia is a forked stick or a notched stick 7,figs4 #ga1 #gb and #gc71 which is either propped up on a forked stick 7,fig4 #ga7 and the lower end held down by a stone in such a manner that the fork at the upper end offers a place to hang things over1 or in front of the fire1 sometimes a notched stick is used in the same manner as ,fig4 #gc4 ,where the ground is soft to permit it1 the stick is driven diagonally into the earth1 which may hold it in place without other support4 ,the speygelia is much used by cow-punchers and other people in places where wood is scarce4 ,,the ,,saster ,the saster is a long pole used in the same manner as the speygelia4 ,meat is suspended from it in front of the fire to roast 7,figs4 #gd and #ge71 or kettles are suspended from it over the fire to boil water 7,fig4 #gd74 ,,telegraph ,,wire ,,cooking ,,implements ,many campers are fond of making for themselves cooking utensils improvised from ordinary telegraph wire4 ,in the old time open fire-places of our grandsires' kitchen there were trammels consisting of chains hanging down the chimney on which things were hooked by short pot-hooks to hang over the fire2 there were also rakens made of bands of iron with holes punched in them for the attachment of short iron pot-hooks 7,fig4 #gf74 ,with these ancient implements in their minds1 some ingenious campers manufacture themselves rakens and short pot-hooks from telegraph wire 7,fig4 #gg74 ,by twisting the wire in a series of short loops1 each loop can be made to serve as a place for attaching the pot-hooks as did the holes in the old-fashioned rakens4 ,the advantages they claim for the telegraph wire raken are lightness and its possibility of being readily packed4 ,illustration3 #gd1 #ge1 #gf1 #gg1 #gh1 #gi1 #hj ,on one of these rakens one may hook the pail as high or as low as one chooses 7,fig4 #gh72 not only that but one may 7,fig4 #gi7 put a small pail inside the larger one1 where later it is full of water1 for the purpose of cooking cereal without danger of scorching it4 ,illustration3 #ha1 #hb1 #hc1 #hd1 #he1 #hf1 #hg1 #hh1 #hh;,a1 #hh;,b1 #hi1 #ij ,the disadvantage of all these implements is that they must be toted wherever one goes1 and parts are sure to be lost sooner or later1 whereupon the camper must resort to things with the bark on 'em1 like the gallow-crook1 the pot-claw1 the hake1 the gib1 the speygelia1 or the saster1 or he may go back to the first principles and sharpen the forks of a green wand and impale thereon the bacon1 game or fish that it may be thus toasted over the hot embers 7,fig4 #hj74 ,we do not put meat over the fire because it will burn on the outside before it cooks and the fumes of the smoke will spoil its flavor4 ,according to ,mr4 ,seton1 away up in the barren lands they use the saster with a fan made of a shingle-like piece of wood1 fastened with a hitch to a piece of wire and a bit of string2 the wind--when it is good-natured--will cause the cord to spin round and round4 ,but the same result is secured with a cord which has been soaked in water to prevent it from burning1 and which has also been twisted by spinning the meat with one's hands 7,fig4 #ge74 ,such a cord will unwind and wind more or less slowly for considerable time1 thus causing the meat to expose all sides of its surface to the heat of the roasting fire in front of which it hangs4 ,you will note we say in front2 again let us impress upon the reader's mind that he must not hang his meat over the flame4 ,in ,fig4 #ge the meat is so drawn that one might mistake its position and think it was intended to hang over the fire1 whereas the intention is to hang it in front of the fire as in ,fig4 #gd4 ,in the writer's boyhood days it was his great delight to hang an apple by a wet string in front of the open fire1 and to watch it spin until the heat sent the juices bubbling through the skin and the apple gradually became thoroughly roasted4 ,,the ,,gridiron ,campers have been known to be so fastidious as to demand a broiler to go with their kit2 at the same time there was enough of the real camper in them to cause them to avoid carrying unwieldy broilers such as are used in our kitchens4 ,consequently they compromise by packing a handful of telegraph wires of even length with their duffel 7,fig4 #ha71 each wire having its ends carefully bent in the form of a hook 7,fig4 #hb71 which may be adjusted over two green sticks resting upon two log fire-dogs 7,fig4 #hc71 and upon the wires1 so arranged1 meat and fish may be nicely broiled4 ,this is not a bad scheme1 but the campers should have a little canvas bag in which they may pack the wires1 otherwise the camper will sooner or later throw them away rather than be annoyed by losing one every now and then4 ,figs4 #hd1 #he1 #hf1 #hg and #hh show a little ,,skeleton ,,camp ,,stove ,ingeniously devised by a ,boy ,pioneer4 ,two pieces of telegraph wire are bent into a triangular form 7,figs4 #hd and #he71 and the ends of the triangle at ,a are left open or unjoined1 so that they may readily be slipped through the loops in the upright wires1 ,b and ,c 7,fig4 #hg71 and thus form a take-a-part skeleton stove 7,fig4 #hf74 ,the young fellow from whom this device was obtained was at the time using an old tin kerosene-lamp 7,fig4 #hh;,a7 which he forced into the lower triangle of the stove 7,fig4 #hf71 and which the spring of the wire of the triangle held in position 7,fig4 #hh;,b74 ,but if one is going to use the telegraph wire camp stove there is no necessity of carrying a lamp4 ,the stove is made so that it may be taken apart and packed easily and the weight is trifling1 but a lamp of any kind1 or even a lantern1 is a nuisance to carry4 ,the telegraph wire camp stove1 however1 may be made by bending the wires as shown in ,fig4 #ij1 but the only object in so doing is to develop one's ingenuity1 or for economy sake1 otherwise one may purchase at the outfitter's folding wire camp broilers for a trifle1 made on the same principle and with legs which may be thrust into the ground surrounding the fire1 as in ,figs4 #hh and #hi1 and1 after the broiler is folded in the middle1 the legs may be folded back so that it will all make a flat package4 ,but leaving the artificialities of telegraph wire let us go back to the real thing again and talk about laying and lighting a genuine ,,camp ,,cooking ,,fire ,the more carefully the fire is planned and built the more easily will the cooking be accomplished4 ,the first thing to be considered in laying one of these fires is the ,,fire-,,dogs ,which in camp are the same as andirons in the open fire-places of our homes1 and used for the same purpose4 ,but domestic andirons are heavy steel bars usually with ornamental brass uprights in front and they would be most unhandy for one to carry upon a camping trip1 while it would be the height of absurdity to think of taking andirons on a real hunting or exploring expedition4 ,therefore1 we use green logs1 sods or stones for fire-dogs in the wilderness4 ,frequently we have a back-log against which the fire-dog rests2 this back-log is shown in ,fig4 #ia4 ,in this particular case it acts both as a back-log and a fire-dog4 ,in the plan just above it 7,fig4 #ib71 there are two logs side by side which serve the double purpose of fire-dogs and for sides of the kitchen stove 7,fig4 #ic74 ,fig4 #id shows ,,the ,,lay ,,of ,a ,,roasting ,,fire ,sometimes called the round fire4 ,the back is laid up log-cabin style and the front is left open4 ,in the open enclosure the fire is built by sticks being laid up like those in ,fig4 #ia4 ,the logs on all three sides radiate the heat and when the meat is hung in front of this1 suspended from the end of the saster 7,fig4 #gd71 it is easily and thoroughly roasted4 ,,the ,,camp-,,fire ,is built with an eye to two purposes3 one is to reflect heat into the open tent in front1 and the other is to so construct it that it may last a long time4 ,when one builds a camp-fire one wants to be able to roll up in one's blanket and sleep with the comforting conviction that the fire will last until morning4 ,the camp-fire is made with two fire-dogs pushed back against a back log 7,fig4 #ie;,a and ,b71 which form the foundation for the camp-fire4 ,two upright green sticks ,c 7,fig4 #ie7 are placed in a slanting position and supported by other sticks1 ,d 7,fig4 #ie71 the top ends of which rest in notches cut in ,c stick at ,e 7,fig4 #ie71 and the bottom ends of which are thrust into the ground4 ,against the upright sticks ,c1 and the logs ,f are heaped to form the back of the fire4 ,the fire is then built on the two fire-dogs ,,aa1 and against the ,f logs1 the latter will burn slowly and at the same time reflect the heat into the open tent front4 ,this same fire is sometimes used for a baking fire1 but the real fire for this purpose is made by the ,,belmore ,,lay ,figs4 #if and #ig4 ,the first sketch shows the plan and the second the perspective view of the fire4 ,the stove is made by two side logs or fire-dogs over which the fire is built and after it has fallen in1 a mass of red hot embers1 between the fire-dogs1 two logs are laid across the dogs and one log is placed atop1 so that the flame then comes up in front of them 7,fig4 #ig7 and sends the heat against the bread or bannock4 ,illustration3 #ic1 #id1 #ie1 #if1 #ig ,at a convenient distance in front of the fuel logs1 a waugan-stick is placed1 reaching from one fire-dog to the other4 ,in wilderness work the frying pan is about the only domestic utensil carried and is used as a toaster1 a baker1 a broiler1 a fryer1 and a stew pan all combined4 ,in it the ,buckskin man and the ,sourdough make their bread1 and after the bread has been baked over the coals on the bottom1 it is browned nicely on its top by tilting the pans in front of the fire and resting their handles against the waugan-stick 7,fig4 #ig74 ,i have seen the baking fire used from ,british ,columbia to ,florida1 but it was the explorer1 ,captain ,belmore ,browne1 who showed me the use of the waugan-stick in connection with the baking fire1 hence ,i have called this the ,belmore ,lay4 ,a ,,frying ,,fire ,is built between two logs1 two rows of stones1 or sods 7,figs4 #ih1 #ii and #ajj72 between these logs the fire is usually built1 using the sides as fire-dogs1 or the sticks may be placed in the turkey-lay 7,fig4 #ajj71 so that the sticks themselves make a fire-dog and allow1 for a time1 a draught until the fire is burning briskly1 after which it settles down to hot embers and is in the proper condition for frying4 ,for be it known that too hot a griddle will set the grease or bacon afire1 which may be funny under ordinary circumstances1 but when one is shy of bacon it is a serious thing4 ,the ,,ordinary ,,baking ,,fire ,,lay ,is shown by ,fig4 #aja4 ,in this instance1 the frying pans being used as reflector ovens are propped up by running sticks through the holes in their handles4 ,,the ,,aures ,is a rustic crane made exactly of the same form as are the cranes of the old-fashioned open fire-places1 but ingeniously fashioned from a carefully selected green stick with two forks 7,fig4 #ajb74 ,the long end of the main branch is severed at ,a 7,fig4 #ajb71 care being taken not to cut through the green bark1 ,b 7,fig4 #ajb74 ,the bark of the latter1 ,b1 is then bent over the stub1 ,a 7,fig4 #ajb71 forming a loop1 ,c 7,fig4 #ajc71 which is lashed with green bark to the main stick and slipped over the upright1 ,d 7,fig4 #ajd74 ,the fork at ,e braces the crane and holds it in a horizontal position1 resting on a stub left on ,d for that purpose4 ,how practicable this thing may be depends altogether upon the time and skill one has at one's disposal4 ,one would hardly use the ,aures for a single night camp1 but if one were to spend a week in the same camp1 it would be well worth while and at the same time very interesting work to manufacture a neat ,aures crane for the camp kitchen4 ,the next step in camp kitchen fires will include what might be termed the pit fires1 which will be described in the following chapter4 ,you have been told how to select the firewood1 make the kindling and start a fire in the preceding chapter on how to build a fire2 all you have to remember now is that in certain particulars all fires are alike2 they all must have air to breathe and food to eat or they will not live4 ,in the case of the fire we do not call the air breath1 but we give it a free circulation and call it a draught4 ,wood is the food that the fire eats and it must be digestible1 a fire with indigestion is a fire fed with punky1 damp wood carelessly thrown together in place of well-selected dry split wood which the fire can consume cleanly1 digest evenly1 and at the same time give out the greatest amount of heat4 ,illustration3 #ih1 #ii1 #ajj1 #aja1 #ajb1 #ajc1 #ajd ,to produce a draught the fire must1 of course1 be raised from the ground1 but do not build it in a careless manner like a pile of jack-straws4 ,such a fire may start all right1 but when the supporting sticks have burned away it will fall in a heap and precipitate the cooking utensils into the flames1 upsetting the coffee or teapot1 and dumping the bacon from the frying pan into the fire4 ,be it man1 woman1 boy or girl1 if he1 she or it expects to be a camper1 he1 or she or it must learn to be orderly and tidy around camp4 ,no matter how soiled one's clothes may be1 no matter how grimy one's face may look1 the ground around the camp-fire must be clean1 and the cooking utensils and fire wood1 pot-hooks and waugan-sticks1 all orderly and as carefully arranged as if the military officer was expected the next minute to make an inspection4 ,all my readers must remember that ,,by ,,their ,,camp-,,fire ,,they ,,will ,,be ,,known and sized up as the real thing or as chumps1 duffers1 tenderfeet and cheechakos1 by the first ,sourdough or old-timer who cuts their trails4 ,,footnote3 ,d ,the pots will balance better if the notches are on the same side4 ,,chapter ,v ,,camp ,,kitchens ,,camp ,,pit-,,fires1 ,,bean ,,holes ,,cow-,,boy ,,fire-,,hole ,,chinook ,,cooking ,,fire-,,hole ,,barbecue-,,pits ,,the ,,gold ,,digger',s ,,oven ,,the ,,ferguson ,,camp ,,stove ,,the ,,adobe ,,oven ,,the ,,altar ,,campfire ,,place ,,camp ,,kitchen ,,for ,,hikers1 ,,scouts1 ,,explorers1 ,,surveyors1 ,,and ,,hunters ,,how ,,to ,,cook ,,meat1 ,,fish1 ,,and ,,bread ,,without ,,pots1 ,,pans ,,or ,,stoves ,,dressing ,,small ,,animals ,,how ,,to ,,barbecue ,,large ,,animals ,,chapter ,v ,,camp ,,kitchens ,,real camp kitchens are naught but well arranged fire-places with rustic cranes and pot-hooks as already described1 but in deforested countries1 or on the plains and prairies1 pit-fires are much in vogue4 ,the pit itself shelters the fire on the windswept plain1 which is doubly necessary because of the unprotected nature of such camping places1 and because of the kind of fuel used4 ,buffalo-chips were formerly used on the ,western plains1 but they are now superseded by cattle chips4 ,the buffalo-chip fire was the cooking fire of the ,buckskin-clad long-haired plainsmen and the equally picturesque cowboy2 but the buffalo herds have long since hit the trail over the ,great ,divide where all tracks point one way1 the sound of the thunder of their feet has died away forever1 as has also the whoop of the painted ,indians4 ,the romantic and picturesque plainsmen and the wild and rollicking cowboys have followed the herds of buffalo and the long lines of prairie schooners are a thing of the past1 but the pit-fires of the hunters are still in use4 ,,the ,,most ,,simple ,,pit-,,fire ,is a shallow trench dug in the ground1 on each side of which two logs are placed2 in the pit between the logs a fire is built 7,fig4 #aje71 but probably the most celebrated pit-fire is the fireless cooker of the camp1 known and loved by all under the name of ,,the ,,bean ,,hole ,fig4 #ajf shows a half section of a bean hole lined with stones4 ,the bean hole may1 however1 be lined with clay or simply the damp earth left in its natural state4 ,this pit-fire place is used differently from the preceding one1 for in the bean hole the fire is built and burns until the sides are heated good and hot1 then the fire is removed and the bean pot put in place1 after which the whole thing is covered up with ashes and earth and allowed to cook at its leisure4 ,,the ,,cowboy ,,pit-,,fire ,the cowboy pit-fire is simply a trench dug in the earth 7,fig4 #ajg71 with a basin-shaped hole at the beginning4 ,when obtainable1 sticks are laid across the trench and sods laid upon the top of the sticks4 ,fig4 #ajg shows a section of view of the pit-fire and trench chimney1 and ,fig4 #ajh shows the top view of the same4 ,in removing the sod one should be careful not to break them1 then even though there be no sticks one may be able to cover the draught chimney with the sods themselves by allowing them to bridge the trench4 ,at the end of the trench the sods are built up1 making a short smokestack4 ,illustration3 #aje1 #ajf1 #ajg1 #ajh1 #aji1 #aaj1 #aaa1 #aab1 #aac ,,the ,,chinook ,,fire-,,pit ,the chinook fire-pit is one which is used in the northwestern part of the ,united ,states1 and seems to be a combination of the ordinary camp fire-dogs with cross logs and the cowboy fire-pit4 ,fig4 #aji shows a perspective view of this lay4 ,fig4 #aaj shows the top view of plan of the lay4 ,fig4 #aaa shows a steeper perspective view than that of ,fig4 #aji1 and ,fig4 #aab shows a sectional view4 ,by examining the sectional view and also the deeper perspective view1 as well as the plan1 you will note that the two logs are placed across the fire-dogs with space between4 ,the back-log is placed upon the top of another back-log ,a and ,b 7,fig4 #aab74 ,the fire-dogs have their ends shoved against the bottom back-logs ,b1 the two back-logs are kept in place by the stakes ,c1 ,c4 ,between the two top logs ,d and ,a 7,figs4 #aab and #aaj71 the smaller fuel or split wood is placed4 ,as the fire burns the hot coals drop into the pit1 and when sufficient quantity of embers are there they may be raked forward and the frying pan placed on top of them 7,fig4 #aab74 ,the chinook fire is good for baking1 frying1 broiling1 toasting1 and is an excellent all-around kitchen camp stove4 ,,the ,,hobo ,is carelessly built1 a fire-place usually surrounding a shallow pit1 the sides built up with sods or stones4 ,the hobo answers for a hasty fire over which to boil the kettle 7,fig4 #aac74 ,at the old-fashioned barbecue where our ancestors roasted whole oxen1 the ox was placed on a huge spit1 which was turned with a crank handle1 very similar to the old-fashioned well handle as used with a rope or chain and bucket4 ,,the ,,barbecue-,,pit ,is used at those feasts 7,fig4 #aad71 where they broil or roast a whole sheep1 deer or pig4 ,at a late meet of the ,camp-fire ,club of ,america they thus barbecued a pig4 ,the fire-pit is about four feet wide and four feet deep and is long enough 7,fig4 #aad7 to allow a fire to be built at each end of the pit1 there being no fire under the meat itself for the very good reason that the melted fat would drop into the fire1 cause it to blaze up1 smoke and spoil the meat4 ,the late ,homer ,davenport 7the old-time and famous cartoonist7 some years ago gave a barbecue at his wild animal farm in ,new ,jersey4 ,when ,davenport was not drawing cartoons he was raising wild animals4 ,at the ,davenport barbecue there was a fire-pit dug in the side of the bank 7,fig4 #aae72 such an arrangement is known as ,,the ,,bank-,,pit ,in the diagram it will be seen that the carcass is fastened to a spit of green wood1 which runs thru a hole in a cross log and fits in the socket ,d in the bottom log2 the spit is turned by handles arranged like ,a1 ,b or ,c4 ,the pit is lined with either stones or bricks1 which are heated by a roaring big fire until hot enough to bake the meat4 ,illustration3 #aad1 #aae1 #aaf1 #aag ,,the ,,gold ,,digger ,is another bank pit1 and one that ,i have seen used in ,montana by ,japanese railroad hands4 ,it is made by digging a hole in the bank and using shelves either made of stones or old pieces of iron4 ,fig4 #aaf shows the cross section of the ,gold ,digger with the stone door in place4 ,fig4 #aag shows a perspective view of the gold digger with the stone door resting at one side4 ,illustration3 #aah1 #aai ,,the ,,ferguson ,,campstove ,we next come to the ovens1 the first of which is known as ,,the ,,ferguson ,,camp ,,stove4 ,it is made by building a rounded hut of stones or sod 7,fig4 #aah71 and covering the same with branches over which sod1 or clay1 or dirt is heaped 7,fig4 #aai74 ,the oven is heated by building the fire inside of it1 and when it is very hot and the fire has burned down1 the food is placed inside and the opening stopped up so as to retain the heat and thus cook the food4 ,,the ,,adobe ,is one that the soldiers in ,civil ,war days taught the author to build4 ,the boys in blue generally used an old barrel with the two heads knocked out 7,fig4 #aba74 ,this they either set in the bank or covered with clay 7,fig4 #abj71 and in it they built their fires which consumed the barrel but left the baked clay for the sides of the oven4 ,the head of the barrel 7,fig4 #aba;,a7 was saved and used to stop up the front of the oven when baking was being done2 a stone or sod was used to cover up the chimney hole4 ,figs4 #abb1 #abc1 #abd and #abe show how to make an ,adobe by braiding green sticks together and then covering the same with clay1 after which it is used in the same manner as the preceding barrel oven4 ,,the ,,matasiso ,is a camp stove or fire-place1 and a form of the so-called ,altar ,fire-place1 the object of which is to save one's back while cooking4 ,the matasiso is built up of stones or sods 7,fig4 #abf7 and used like any other campfire4 ,,the ,,bank ,,lick ,is a camp stove which the boys of the troop of ,boone ,scouts1 who frequented ,bank ,lick in old ,kentucky1 were wont to build and on it to cook the big channel catfish1 or little pond bass or other food4 ,the ,bank ,lick is made of flat stones and is one or two stories high 7,figs4 #abg and #abh74 ,the ,boone ,scouts flourished in ,kenton ,county1 ,kentucky1 fifty odd years ago4 ,illustration3 #abj1 #aba1 #aba;,a1 #abb1 #abc1 #abd1 #abe ,,the ,,altar ,,fire-,,place ,is built of logs 7,fig4 #acb71 of stones1 of sod1 or of logs filled with sods or stone 7,fig4 #aca71 and topped with clay 7,figs4 #acj and #acb74 ,the clay top being wider at one end than the other1 on the plan of the well-known campfire 7,fig4 #abi71 is made with stones and sometimes used when clay is unobtainable4 ,illustration3 #abf1 #abg1 #abh ,illustration3 #abi1 #acj1 #aca1 #acb ,,the ,,altar ,,camp ,,fire-,,place ,the advantage of the altar fire and the matasiso is that the cook does not have to get the backache over the fire while he cooks4 ,all of these ovens and fire-places are suitable for more or less permanent camps1 but it is not worth while to build these ovens and altar fire-places for quick and short camps4 ,,cooking ,,without ,,pots1 ,,pans ,,or ,,stoves ,it is proper and right in treating camp cooking that we should begin with the most primitive methods4 ,for when one has no cooking utensils except those fashioned from the material at hand1 he must1 in order to prepare appetizing food1 display a real knowledge of woodcraft4 ,illustration3 #acc1 #acd1 #ace1 #acf1 #acg1 #ach1 #aci1 #adj1 #ada1 #adb1 #adc1 #add1 #ade1 #adf ,,primitive ,,cooking ,,utensils ,therefore1 start by spearing the meat on a green twig of sweet birch1 or some similar wood1 and toast it before the fire or pinch the meat between the split ends of a twig 7,fig4 #acc7 or better still ,,fork ,,it ,in order to do this select a wand with a fork to it1 trim off the prongs of the forks1 leaving them rather long 7,fig4 #acd71 then sharpen the ends of the prongs and weave them in and out near the edges of the meat 7,fig4 #ace71 which is done by drawing the prongs slightly together before impaling the meat on the second prong4 ,the natural spring and elasticity of the branches will stretch the meat nice and flat 7,fig4 #ace71 ready to toast in front of the flames1 not over the flame4 ,a very thick steak of moose meat or beef may be cooked in this manner4 ,remember to have fire-dogs and a good back log2 there will then be hot coals under the front log and flame against the back log to furnish heat for the meat in front4 ,turn the meat every few minutes and do not salt it until it is about done4 ,any sort of meat can be thus cooked2 it is a favorite way of toasting bacon among the sportsmen1 and ,i have seen chickens beautifully broiled with no cooking implements but the forked stick4 ,this was done by splitting the chicken open and running the forks through the legs and sides of the fowl4 ,,pulled ,,firebread ,,or ,,twist ,twist is a ,boy ,scout's name for this sort of bread4 ,the twist is made of dough and rolled between the palms of the hands until it becomes a long thick rope 7,fig4 #ach71 then it is wrapped spirally around a dry stick 7,fig4 #aci71 or one with bark on it 7,fig4 #acg74 ,the coils should be close together but without touching each other4 ,the stick is now rested in the forks of two uprights1 or on two stones in front of the roasting fire 7,figs4 #adj and #ada71 or over the hot coals of a pit-fire4 ,the long end of the stick on which the twist is coiled is used for a handle to turn the twist so that it may be nicely browned on all sides1 or it may be set upright in front of the flames 7,fig4 #adb74 ,a ,,hoe ,,cake ,may be cooked in the same manner that one planks a shad3 that is1 by plastering it on the flat face of a puncheon or board1 split from the trunk of a tree 7,fig4 #ade71 or flat clean stone1 and propping it up in front of the fire as one would when cooking in a reflecting oven 7,fig4 #adf74 ,when the cake is cooked on one side it can be turned over by using a hunting knife or a little paddle whittled out of a stick for that purpose1 and then cooked upon the opposite side4 ,or a flat stone may be placed over the fire and used as a frying pan 7,figs4 #aaf and #abh74 ,i have cooked a large channel catfish in this manner and found that it was unnecessary to skin the fish because1 there being no grease1 the skin adhered firmly to the hot stone1 leaving the white meat flaky and delicate1 all ready to be picked out with a jack-knife or with chopsticks1 whittled out of twigs4 ,,meat ,,hooks ,may be made of forked branches 7,figs4 #aea1 #aeb1 #aec1 #aed and #aee74 ,upon this hook meat maybe suspended before the fire 7,fig4 #aec7 by a piece of twine made from the twisted green bark of a milkweed or some other fibrous plant stalk or tree bark1 or a wet string will do if you have one4 ,,how ,,to ,,dress ,,small ,,animals ,dressing in this case really means undressing1 taking their coats off and removing their insides4 ,in order to prepare for broiling or baking any of the small fur-bearing animals1 make yourself a skinning stick1 using for the purpose a forked branch2 the forks being about an inch in diameter1 make the length of the stick to suit your convenience1 that is1 long enough to reach between the knees whether you are sitting on a camp stool or squatting on the ground1 sharpen the lower end of the stick and thrust it into the ground1 then take your coon1 possum1 squirrel or muskrat1 and punch the pointed ends of the forked stick thru the thin place at the point which corresponds to your own heel1 just as the stick in ,fig4 #aee is punched through the thin place behind the heels of the small animals there sketched4 ,thus hung the animal may be dressed with comfort to the workmen4 ,if one is squatting1 the nose of the animal should just clear the ground4 ,first take off the fur coat4 ,to do this you split the skin with a sharp knife1 beginning at the center of the throat and cut to the base of the tail1 being careful not to cut deep enough to penetrate the inside skin or sack which contains the intestines2 when the base of the tail is reached1 use your fingers to roll back the skin4 ,if skinning for the pelt1 follow directions given later1 but do not destroy any skin as the hide is useful for many purposes around camp4 ,after the coat is removed and all the internal organs taken out1 remove the scent glands from such animals as have them1 and make a cut in the forearms and the meaty parts of the thigh1 and cut out the little white things which look like nerves1 to be found there4 ,this will prevent the flesh from having a strong or musky taste when it is cooked4 ,,how ,,to ,,barbecue ,a ,,deer1 ,,or ,,sheep ,first dress the carcass and then stretch it on a framework of black birch sticks1 for this sweet wood imparts no disagreeable odor or taste to the meat4 ,next build a big fire at each end of the pit 7,fig4 #aad71 not right under the body of the animal1 but so arranged that when the melted fat drops from the carcass it will not fall on the hot coals to blaze up and spoil your barbecue4 ,build big fires with plenty of small sticks so as to make good red hot coals before you put the meat on to cook4 ,first bake the inside of the barbecued beast1 then turn it over and bake the outside4 ,to be well done1 an animal the size of a sheep should be cooking at least seven or eight hours over a charcoal fire4 ,baste the meat with melted bacon fat mixed with any sauce you may have or no sauce at all1 for bacon fat itself is good enough for anyone1 or use hot salt water4 ,of course1 it is much better to use charcoal for this purpose1 but charcoal is not always handy4 ,one can1 however1 ,,make ,,one',s ,,own ,,charcoal ,a day or two ahead of the barbecue day1 by building big fires of wood about the thickness of one's wrist4 ,after the fire has been burning briskly for a while1 it should be covered up with ashes or dirt and allowed to smoulder all night1 and turn the wood into charcoal in place of consuming it4 ,,how ,,to ,,make ,,dough ,roll the top of your flour bag back 7,fig4 #acf71 then build a cone of flour in the middle of the bag and make a crater in the top of the flour mountain4 ,in the crater dump a heaping teaspoon--or1 to use ,mr4 ,vreeland's expression1 put in one and a half heaping teaspoonfuls of baking powder1 to which add a half spoonful of salt2 mix these together with the dry flour1 and when this is thoroughly done begin to pour water into the crater1 a little at a time1 mixing the dough as you work by stirring it around inside your miniature volcano4 ,gradually the flour will slide from the sides into the lava of the center1 as the water is poured in and care taken to avoid lumps4 ,make the dough as soft as may be1 not batter but very soft dough1 stiff enough1 however1 to roll between your well-floured hands4 ,,baked ,,potatoes ,put the potatoes with their skins on them on a bed of hot embers two or three inches thick1 then cover the potatoes with more hot coals4 ,if this is done properly the spuds will cook slowly1 even with the fire burning above them4 ,don't be a chump and throw the potatoes in the fire where the outer rind will burn to charcoal while the inside remains raw4 ,,mud ,,cooking ,in preparing a small and tender fish1 where possible1 the point under the head1 where the gills meet1 is cut1 fingers thrust in and the entrails drawn through this opening2 the fish is then washed1 cleaned and wrapped in a coating of paper or fallen leaves1 before the clay is applied4 ,place the fish upon a pancake of stiff clay 7,fig4 #adg71 fold the clay over the fish 7,fig4 #adh71 press the edges together1 thus making a clay dumpling 7,fig4 #adi72 cook by burying the dumpling in the embers of an ordinary surface fire1 or in the embers in a pit-fire 7,fig4 #aej74 ,a brace of partridges may be beheaded1 drawn1 washed out thoroughly and stuffed with fine scraps of chopped bacon or pork1 mixed with bread crumbs1 generously seasoned with salt1 pepper and sage1 if you have any of the latter4 ,the birds with the feathers on them are then plastered over with clean clay made soft enough to stick to the feathers1 the outside is wrapped with stiffer clay and the whole molded into a ball1 which is buried deep in the glowing cinders and allowed to remain there for an hour1 and at the end of that time the clay will often be almost as hard as pottery and must be broken open with a stick4 ,when the outside clay comes off the feathers will come with it1 leaving the dainty white meat of the bird all ready to be devoured4 ,woodchucks1 raccoons1 opossums1 porcupines1 rabbits had better be barbecued 7see ,figs4 #aad1 #aae and #aee71 but squirrels and small creatures may be baked by first removing the insides of the creatures1 cleaning them1 filling the hollow with bread crumbs1 chopped bacon and onions1 then closing the opening and plastering the bodies over with stiff clay and baking them in the embers4 ,this seals the meat inside of the mud wrapper and when it is cooked and the brick-like clay broken off1 the skin comes off with the broken clay1 leaving the juicy meat exposed to view4 ,illustration3 #adg1 #adh1 #adi1 #aej1 #aea1 #aeb1 #aec1 #aed1 #aee1 #aef1 #aeg1 #aeh1 #aei1 #afj ,,to ,,plank ,a ,,fish ,cut off the head of the fish and clean by splitting it through the back1 in place of the usual way of splitting up the belly4 ,to salt red meat before you cook it is to make it dry and tough1 but the fish should be salted while it is damp with its own juices4 ,heat the plank in front of the fire and then spread your fish out flat on the hot puncheon or plank1 and with your hunting knife press upon it1 make slit holes through the fish 7,fig4 #ade7 with the grain of the wood2 tack your fish on with wooden pegs cut wedge shape and driven in the slits made by your knife blade 7,figs4 #adc and #add74 ,prop the puncheon up in front of a fire which has a good back-log and plenty of hot coals to send out heat 7,fig4 #adf74;,e ,,heating ,,water ,water may be boiled in a birch bark vessel made by folding up a more or less square piece of bark1 bending in the corner 7,fig4 #aeg7 folds and holding them in place by thorns or slivers 7,fig4 #aef74 ,or the stomach of a large animal or piece of green hide may be filled with water and the latter made hot by throwing in it hot stones 7,fig4 #aeh74 ,dig a hole in the ground1 fit the rawhide in the hole1 bringing the edges up so as to overlap the sod1 weigh down the edges with stones1 fill the hide with water and heat with hot stones4 ,figs4 #aei and #afj show how to make tongs with which to handle the stones4 ,,footnote3 ,e ,the best plank is made from the oaks grown on the hammocks of ,southern ,florida and the peculiar flavor this plank gives to shad has made ,planked ,shad famous4 ,,chapter ,,vi ,,camp ,,food ,,how ,,to ,,make ,,ash ,,cake1 ,,pone1 ,,corn ,,dodgers1 ,,flapjacks1 ,,johnny-,,cake1 ,,biscuits ,,and ,,doughgod ,,making ,,dutch ,,ovens ,,venison ,,banquets ,,in ,,the ,,open ,,how ,,to ,,cook ,,beaver ,,tail1 ,,porcupines ,,and ,,muskrats ,,camp ,,stews1 ,,brunswick ,,stews ,,and ,,burgoos ,,chapter ,,vi ,,camp ,,food ,,parched ,,corn ,,as ,,food ,,when ,america gave ,indian corn to the world she gave it a priceless gift full of condensed pep4 ,corn in its various forms is a wonderful food power2 with a long1 narrow buckskin bag of nocake1 or rock-a-hominy1 as parched cracked corn was called1 swung upon his back1 an ,indian or a white man could traverse the continent independent of game and never suffer hunger4 ,george ,washington1 ,george ,rodgers ,clark1 ,boone1 ,kenton1 ,crockett1 and ,carson all knew the sustaining value of parched corn4 ,,how ,,to ,,dry ,,corn ,the pioneer farmers in ,america and many of their descendants up to the present time1 dry their ,indian corn by the methods the early ,americans learned from the ,indians4 ,the corn drying season naturally begins with the harvesting of the corn1 but it often continues until the first snow falls4 ,selecting a number of ears of corn1 the husks are pulled back exposing the grain1 and then the husks of the several ears are braided together 7,fig4 #afe74 ,these bunches of corn are hung over branches of trees or horizontal poles and left for the winds to dry 7,fig4 #aff74 ,on account of the danger from corn-eating birds and beasts1 these drying poles are usually placed near the kitchen door of the farmhouse1 and sometimes in the attic of the old farmhouse1 the woodshed or the barn4 ,of course1 the ,indians owned no corn mills1 but they used bowl-shaped stones to hold the corn and stone pestles like crudely made potato mashers with which to grind the corn4 ,the writer lately saw numbers of these stone corn-mills in the collection of ,doctor ,baldwin1 of ,springfield1 ,mass4 ,illustration3 #afa1 #afb1 #afc1 #afd ,,how ,,to ,,prepare ,,corn ,,to ,,eat ,in the southwest much grit from the stone used is unintentionally mixed with the corn1 and hence all the elderly ,indians' teeth are worn down as if they had been sandpapered4 ,but the reader can use a wooden bowl and a potato masher with a piece of tin or sheet iron nailed to its bottom with which to crush the corn and make meal without grit4 ,or he can make a pioneer mill like ,figs4 #afc or #afd1 from a log4 ,the pestle or masher in ,fig4 #afd is of iron4 ,,sweet ,,corn ,there is a way to preserve corn which a few white people still practice just as they learned it from the ,indians4 ,first they dig long1 shallow trenches in the ground1 fill them with dried roots and small twigs with which they make a hot fire and thus cover the bottom of the ditch with glowing embers4 ,the outer husks of the fresh green corn are then removed and the corn placed in rows side by side on the hot embers 7,fig4 #afg74 ,this practice gave the name of ,roasting ,ear ,season to ,july and ,august4 ,illustration ,as the husks become scorched the ears are turned over1 and when browned on all sides they are deftly tossed out of the ditch by means of a wand or stick used for that purpose4 ,the burnt husks are now removed and the grains of corn are shelled from the cob with the help of a sharp-edged1 fresh water clam shell2 these shells ,i have often found in the old camping places of the ,indians in the half caves of ,pennsylvania4 ,the corn is then spread out on a clean sheet or on pieces of paper and allowed to dry in the sun4 ,it is mighty good food1 as any ,southern born person will tell you4 ,one can keep a supply of it all winter4 ,,parched ,,field ,,corn ,when ,i was a little shaver in old ,kentucky1 the children were very fond of the ,southern field corn parched in a frying pan 7,fig4 #afa71 and then buttered and salted while it was still hot2 we parched field corn1 sugar corn and the regular pop corn1 but none of us had ever seen cracked corn or corn meal parched and used as food1 and ,i am inclined to think that the old pioneers themselves parched the corn as did their direct descendants in ,kentucky1 and that said corn was crushed or ground after it had been parched4 ,be this as it may1 we know that our bordermen traveled and fought on a parched corn diet and that ,somoset1 ,massasoit1 ,pocahontas1 ,okekankano1 ,powhatan1 all ate corn cakes and that it was either them or the squaws of their tribes who taught bold ,captain ,smith's people on the southern coast1 and the ,pilgrims further north1 the value of corn as an article of diet4 ,the knowledge of how to make the various kinds of corn bread and the use of corn generally from roasting-ears to corn puddings was gained from the ,american ,indians4 ,it was from them we learned how to make the ,,ash ,,cakes ,this ancient ,american food dates back to the fable times which existed before history1 when the sun came out of a hole in the eastern sky1 climbed up overhead and then dove through a hole in the western sky and disappeared4 ,the sun no more plays such tricks1 and although the humming-bird1 who once stole the sun1 still carries the mark under his chin1 he is no longer a humming-birdman but only a little buzzing bird2 the ash cake1 however1 is still an ash cake and is made in almost as primitive a manner now as it was then4 ,mix half a teaspoonful of salt with a cup of corn meal1 and add to it boiling hot water until the swollen meal may be worked by one's hand into a ball1 bury the ball in a nice bed of hot ashes 7glowing embers7 and leave it there to bake like a potato4 ,equalling the ash cake in fame and simplicity is ,,pone ,pone is made by mixing the meal as described for the ash cake1 but molding the mixture in the form of a cone and baking it in an oven4 ,,johnny-,,cake ,is mixed in the same way as the pone or ash cake1 but it is not cooked the same1 nor is it the same shape2 it is more in the form of a very thick pancake4 ,pat the ,johnny-cake into the form of a disk an inch thick and four inches in diameter4 ,have the frying pan plentifully supplied with hot grease and drop the ,johnny-cake carefully in the sizzling grease4 ,when the cake is well browned on one side turn it and brown it on the other side4 ,if cooked properly it should be a rich dark brown color and with a crisp crust4 ,before it is eaten it may be cut open and buttered like a biscuit1 or eaten with maple syrup like a hot buckwheat cake4 ,this is the ,johnny-cake of my youth1 the famous ,johnny-cake of ,kentucky fifty years ago4 ,up ,north ,i find that any old thing made of corn meal is called a ,johnny-cake and that they also call ash-cakes hoe-cakes1 and corn bread bannocks1 at least they call camp corn bread1 a bannock4 ,now since bannocks were known before corn was known1 suppose we call it ,,camp ,,corn ,,bread ,,and ,,corn ,,dodgers ,in the ,north they also call this camp corn bread ,johnny-cake1 but whatever it is called it is wholesome and nourishing4 ,take some corn meal and wheat flour and mix them fifty-fifty2 in other words1 a half pint each2 add a teaspoon level full and a teaspoon heaping full of baking powder and about half a teaspoonful of salt2 mix these all together1 while dry1 in your pan1 then add the water gradually4 ,if you have any milk go fifty-fifty with the water and milk1 make the flour as thin as batter1 pour it into a reflector pan1 or frying pan1 prop it up in front of a quick fire2 it will be heavy if allowed to cook slowly at the start1 but after your cake has risen you may take more time with the cooking4 ,this is a fine corn bread to stick to the ribs4 ,i have eaten it every day for a month at a time and it certainly has the food power in it4 ,when made in form of biscuits it is called corn dodgers4 ,,camp ,,biscuit ,take two cups full of flour and one level teaspoonful and one heaping teaspoonful of baking powder and half a teaspoonful of salt1 and mix them together thoroughly while dry4 ,to this you add milk and water1 if not milk straight water1 mixing it as described for the flapjacks4 ,make a dough soft but stiff enough to mold with well floured hands1 make it into biscuits about half an inch thick1 put them into a greased pan1 bake them in any one of the ovens already described1 or by propping them up in front of the fire4 ,if the biscuits have been well mixed and well baked they will prove to be good biscuits4 ,,the ,,vreeland ,,bannock ,fred tells me that he makes this the same as he would biscuits and bakes it in a frying pan4 ,the frying pan is heated and greased before the dough is dropped into it1 making a cake about a half inch thick4 ,the frying pan is then placed over the slow fire to give the bannock a chance to rise and harden enough to hold its shape1 then the frying pan is propped up with a stick and the bannock browned by reflected heat1 it must be cooked slowly and have a nice brown crust4 ,i have never made bannocks but ,i have eaten some of ,vreeland's1 and they are fine4 ,,flapjacks ,a fellow who cannot throw a flapjack is sadly lacking in the skill one expects to find in a real woodcrafter4 ,a heavy1 greasy flapjack is an abomination1 but the real article is a joy to make and a joy to eat4 ,put a large tin cupful of flour in the pan1 add half a teaspoonful of salt1 also one heaping teaspoonful and one level teaspoonful of baking powder2 mix the salt and baking powder well with the flour while it is dry4 ,then build your little mountain or volcano of flour with its miniature crater in the middle1 into which pour water little by little2 making the lava by mixing the dough as you go4 ,continue this process until all the flour is batter2 the batter should be thin enough to spread out rapidly into the form of a pancake when it is poured into the skillet or frying pan1 but not watery4 ,grease the frying pan with a greasy rag fastened to the end of a stick or with a piece of bacon rind4 ,remember that the frying pan only needs enough grease to prevent the cake from sticking to the pan2 when one fries potatoes the pan should be plentifully supplied with very hot grease1 but flapjacks are not potatoes and too much grease makes the cakes unfit to eat4 ,do not put too much batter in the pan1 either2 ,i tried it once and when ,i flapped the flapjack the hot batter splattered all over my face1 and that batter was even hotter than my remarks4 ,pour enough batter into the pan to spread almost but not quite over the bottom2 when the bubbles come thickly in the middle and the edges begin to smoke a bit1 it is time to flap the flapjack4 ,do so by loosening the edges with a knife blade1 then dip the far side of the pan downward and bring it up quickly1 sending the cake somersaulting in the air2 catch the cake as it falls batter side down and proceed to cook that side4 ,the penalty of dropping a flapjack in the fire is to be made to eat it without wiping off the ashes4 ,,doughgod ,first fry some bacon or boil it until it is soft1 then chop up the bacon into small pieces quite fine1 like hash4 ,save the grease and set the bacon to one side2 now take a pint of flour and half a teaspoon of salt1 a spoonful of brown sugar and a heaping spoonful of baking powder and mix them all while they are dry1 after which stir in the water as already described until it is in the form of batter2 now add the chopped bacon and then mix rapidly with a spoon2 pour it into a ,dutch oven or a pan and bake2 it should be done in thirty-five or forty minutes1 according to the condition of the fire4 ,when your campfire is built upon a hearth made of stones1 if you brush the ashes away from the hot stone and place your doughgod upon it1 then cover it with a frying pan or some similar vessel1 and put the hot cinders on top of the frying pan1 you will find that it will bake very nicely and satisfactorily on the hearthstone4 ,in the old-fashioned open fire-places where our grandparents did their cooking1 a ,dutch oven was considered essential4 ,the ,dutch oven is still used by the guides and cowboys and is of practically the same form as that used by ,abraham ,lincoln's folks2 it consists of a more or less shallow dish of metal1 copper1 brass or iron1 with four metal legs that may be set in the hot cinders4 ,over that is a metal top which is made so as to cover the bottom dish1 and the edges of the cover are turned up all around like a hat with its brim turned up4 ,this is so made to hold the hot cinders which are dumped on top of it1 but a ,,dutch ,,oven ,,may ,,be ,,improvised ,from any combination of two metal dishes so made or selected that the large one will fit over the top and snugly overlap the smaller dish1 so as not to admit dirt1 dust or ashes to the food inside4 ,in this oven bread1 biscuits1 cakes1 pies1 stews1 bakes1 meat1 fish1 fowl and vegetables may be cooked with delightful results4 ,in camp two frying pans are frequently made to act as a ,dutch oven4 ,a ,dutch oven is sometimes used in a bean hole 7,fig4 #ajf74 ,first build a fire1 using sufficient small wood1 chips and dry roots to make cinders enough with which to fill your bean hole4 ,while the fire is doing its work let the cook prepare to cook ,,the ,,sourdough',s ,,joy ,slice bacon as thin as possible and place a layer over the bottom and around the sides of the ,dutch oven like a pie-crust4 ,slice venison1 moose meat or bear steak1 or plain beef1 medium thin and put in to the depth of #b inches1 salting each layer4 ,chop a large onion and sprinkle it over the top1 cover with another layer of bacon and one pint of water and put on the lid4 ,fill the hole half full of hot embers1 place the ,dutch oven in the center and fill the space surrounding the oven full of embers4 ,cover all with about #f inches of dirt1 then roll yourself up in your blanket and shut your eyes--your breakfast will cook while you sleep and be piping hot when you dig for it in the morning4 ,the bean hole is far from a modern invention and the dried droppings of animals1 like buffalo chips1 were used for fuel away back in ,bible times2 in ancient ,palestine they stewed their meat in a pot set in a hole filled in with stones over which burned a fire of chips gathered where the flocks pastured4 ,when the wood is of such a nature that it is difficult to obtain a bed of live coals for toasting1 meat may1 in a pinch1 be cooked upon a clean flat stone 7,figs4 #aaf1 #aag and #abh74 ,be certain that the stone is a dry one1 otherwise the heat may burst it4 ,if satisfied that it is dry1 heat it good and hot and spread your thick slice of venison1 moose1 bear or sheep or even beef upon the very hot stone2 leave it there about twenty minutes and allow it to singe1 sizzle and burn on one side1 then turn it over and burn the other side until the charred part is one-quarter or even a half inch deep4 ,now remove the meat and with your hunting knife scrape away all the charred meat1 season it and toast some bacon or pork on a forked stick and1 after scoring the steak deeply and putting the pork or bacon in the cuts1 the meat is ready to serve to your hungry self and camp mates4 ,,how ,,to ,,cook ,,venison ,if you want to know how real wild meat tastes1 drop a sleek buck with a shot just over the shoulder--no good sportsman will shoot a doe--dress the deer and let it hang for several days2 that is1 if you wish tender meat4 ,cut a steak two inches thick and fry some bacon1 after which put the steak in the frying pan with the bacon on top of it1 and a cover on the frying pan4 ,when one side is cooked1 turn the meat over and again put the bacon on top1 replace the cover and let that side cook4 ,serve on a hot plate and give thanks that you are in the open1 have a good appetite and you are privileged to partake of a dish too good for any old king4 ,the gravy1 oh my word6 the recollection of it makes me hungry6 ,i have eaten moose meat three times a day for weeks at a time1 when it was cooked as described1 without losing my desire for more4 ,,perdix ,,au ,,choux ,is a great dish in ,canada2 the bird is cooked this way3 ,chop cabbage fine and highly spice it1 then stuff the bird with the cabbage and nicely cover the partridge or grouse with many thin slices of bacon1 and put bacon also in the baking pan4 ,when this is well baked and well basted a more delicious game dinner you will never eat4 ,try it2 it is an old ,french way of cooking the partridge or pheasant4 ,when you need a real warm fire for cooking1 do not forget that dry roots make an intensely hot fire with no smoke2 look for them in driftwood piles1 as they are sure to be there2 they are light as a cork and porous as a sponge1 and burn like coke4 ,no one with truth may say that he is a real woodcrafter unless he is a good camp cook4 ,at the same time it is an error to think that the outdoor men live to eat like the trencher men of old ,england1 or the degenerate epicures of ancient ,rome4 ,neither are the outdoor men in sympathy with the ,spartans or ,lacedemonians and none of them would willingly partake of the historic and disgusting black broth of ,lacedemonia4 ,woodcrafters are really more in sympathy with cultured ,athenians who strove to make their banquets attractive with interesting talk1 inspiring and patriotic odes and delightful recitations by poets and philosophers4 ,as a campfire man would say3 ,that's me all over1 ,mable and he might add that like all good things on this earth ,,banquets ,originated in the open4 ,the word itself is from the ,french and ,spanish and means a small bench1 a little seat1 and when spelled banqueta1 means a three-legged stool4 ,it has reference to sitting while eating instead of taking refreshments in stand up fashion4 ,the most enjoyable banquets in the author's experience are those partaken in the wilderness1 and prominent among the wildwood dishes is the ,,lumberman',s ,,baked ,,beans ,wash the beans first1 then half fill a pail with them1 put them over the fire and parboil them until their skins are ready to come off2 they are now ready for the pot4 ,but before putting them in there1 peel an onion and slice it1 placing the slices in the bottom of the bean pot4 ,now pour half of the beans over the onions and on top of them spread the slices of another onion4 ,take some salt pork and cut it into square pieces and place the hunks of pork over the onions1 thus making a layer of onions and pork on top of the beans4 ,over this pour the remainder of the beans1 cover the top of the beans with molasses1 on the top of the molasses put some more hunks of pork1 put in enough water to barely cover the beans4 ,over the top of all of it spread a piece of birch bark1 then force the cover down good and tight4 ,meanwhile a fire should have been built in the bean hole 7,fig4 #aje74 ,when the fire of birch has been burnt to hot cinders1 the cinders must be shoveled out and the bean pot put into the hole1 after which pack the cinders around the bean pot and cover the whole thing with the dead ashes1 or as the lumbermen call them1 the black ashes4 ,if the beans are put into the bean hole late in the afternoon and allowed to remain there all night1 they will be done to a turn for breakfast2 the next morning they will be wholesome1 juicy and sweet1 browned on top and delicious4 ,a bean hole is not absolutely necessary for a small pot of beans4 ,i have cooked them in the wilderness by placing the pot on the ground in the middle of the place where the fire had been burning1 then heaping the hot ashes and cinders over the bean pot until it made a little hill there1 which ,i covered with the black ashes and left until morning4 ,i tried the same experiment on the open hearth to my studio and it was a wonderful success4 ,,the ,,etiquette ,,of ,,the ,,woods ,requires that when a porcupine has been killed it be immediately thrown into the fire1 there to remain until all the quills have been singed off of the aggressive hide1 after which it may be skinned with no danger to the workmen and with no danger to the other campers from the wicked barbed quills1 which otherwise might be waiting for them just where they wished to seat themselves4 ,this may sound funny1 but ,i have experimented1 unintentionally1 by seating myself upon a porcupine quill4 ,i can assure the reader that there is nothing humorous in the experience to the victim1 however funny it may appear to those who look on4 ,after thoroughly singeing the porcupine you roll it in the grass to make certain that the burnt quills are rubbed off its skin1 then with a sharp knife slit him up the middle of the belly from the tail to the throat1 pull the skin carefully back and peel it off4 ,when you come to the feet cut them off4 ,broiled porcupine is the ,thanksgiving turkey of the ,alaskan and ,british ,columbia ,indian1 but unless it has been boiled in two or three waters the taste does not suit white men4 ,,porcupine ,,wilderness ,,method ,after it has been parboiled1 suspend the porcupine by its forelegs in front of a good roasting fire1 or over a bed of hot coals1 and if well seasoned it will be as good meat as can be found in the wilderness4 ,the tail particularly is very meaty and is most savory2 like beef tongue it is filled with fine bits of fat4 ,split the tail and take out the bone1 then roast the meaty part4 ,porcupine stuffed with onions and roasted on a spit before the fire is good1 but to get the perfection of cooking it really should be cooked in a ,dutch oven1 or a closed kettle or an improvised airtight oven of some sort and baked in a bean hole1 or baked by being buried deep under a heap of cinders and covered with ashes4 ,two iron pans that will fit together1 that is1 one that is a trifle larger than the other so that the smaller one may be pushed down into it to some extent1 will answer all the purposes of the ,dutch oven4 ,also two frying pans arranged in the same manner4 ,always remember that after the porcupine is skinned1 dressed and cleaned1 it should be put in a pot and parboiled1 changing the water once or twice1 after which it may be cooked in any way which appeals to the camper4 ,the ,,north ,,method ,is to place it in the ,dutch oven with a few hunks of fat pork2 let the porcupine itself rest upon some hard-tack1 hard biscuit or stale bread of any kind1 which has been slightly softened with water4 ,on top of the porcupine lay a nice slice or two of fat pork and place another layer of soaked hard biscuit or hard-tack on the pork1 put it in a ,dutch oven and place the ,dutch oven on the hot coals1 put a cover on the ,dutch oven and heap the living coals over the top of it and the ashes atop of that2 let it bake slowly until the flesh parts from the bones4 ,thus cooked it will taste something like veal with a suggestion of sucking pig4 ,the tail of the porcupine1 like the ,,tail ,,of ,,the ,,beaver ,is considered a special delicacy4 ,many of the old wilderness men hang the flat trowel-like tails of the beaver for a day or two in the chimney of their shack to allow the oily matter to exude from it1 and thus take away the otherwise strong taste2 others parboil it as advocated for porcupine meat1 after which the tail may be roasted or baked and the rough skin removed before eating4 ,,beaver ,,tail ,,soup ,is made by stewing the tails with what other ingredients one may have in camp2 all such dishes should be allowed to simmer for a long while in place of boiling rapidly4 ,a man who was hunting in ,north ,michigan said1 ,although ,i am a ,marylander1 and an ,eastern ,shore one at that1 and consequently know what good things to eat are1 ,i want to tell you that ,i'll have to take off my hat to the lumber camp cook as the discoverer1 fabricator and dispenser of a dish that knocks the ,eastern ,shore cuisine silly4 ,and that dish is beaver-tail soup4 ,when the beaver was brought into camp the camp cook went nearly wild1 and so did the lumbermen when they heard the news1 and all because they were pining for beaver-tail soup4 ,the cook took that broad appendage of the beaver1 mailed like an armadillo1 took from it the underlying bone and meat and from it made such a soup as never came from any other stock1 at the beck of the most expert and scientific chef that ever put a kettle on4 ,,muskrat ,is valuable also for his flesh4 ,its name and rat-like appearance have created a prejudice against it as a food1 but thousands of persons eat it without compunction4 ,for those to whom the name is a stumbling-block the euphemism marsh rabbit has been invented1 and under this name the muskrat is sold even in the ,wilmington market and served on the tables of white country folk4 ,in ,delaware1 especially1 the muskrat is ranked as a delicacy1 and personally the author ranks this rodent with the rabbit as an article of food4 ,at ,dover the writer has had it served at the hotel under its own name2 the dish was muskrats and toast4 ,for the benefit of those who revolt at the muskrat as food1 it is well to state that it is one of the cleanest of all creatures1 that it carefully washes all its own food and in every way conducts itself so as to recommend its flesh even to the most fastidious4 ,as a matter of fact the flesh of the muskrat1 though dark1 is tender and exceedingly sweet4 ,stewed like rabbit it looks and tastes like rabbit1 save that it lacks a certain gamy flavor that some uneducated persons find an unpleasant characteristic of the latter4 ,but to the writer's way of thinking1 while the muskrat is good to eat1 there are many things much better2 the point is1 however1 that everything which tastes good and is not indigestible is good to eat no matter what its name may be4 ,,the ,,burgoo ,of all the camp stews and hunters' stews of various names and flavors1 the ,kentucky burgoo heads the list2 not only is it distinguished for its intrinsic qualities1 its food value and delicious flavor1 its romance and picturesque accompaniment1 but also because of the illustrious people whose names are linked in ,kentucky history with the burgoo4 ,one such feast1 given some time between #ahdj and #ahej1 was attended by ,governor ,owlsley 7old stone-hammer71 ,governor ,metcalf1 ,governor ,bob ,letcher1 ,governor ,moorhead1 ,general ,george ,crittenton1 ,general ,john ,crittenton1 ,general ,tom ,crittenton1 ,james ,h4 ,beard1 and other distinguished men4 ,all ,kentuckians will vow they understand the true meaning of the word burgoo4 ,but an article in the ,insurance ,field says1 ,it is derived from the low ,latin burgus1 fortified 7as a town7 and goo-goo1 very good4 ,hence the word1 burgoo1 something very good1 fortified with other good things1 as will be found in ,carey's ,dictionary of ,double ,derivations3 ,burgoo is literally a soup composed of many vegetables and meats delectably fused together in an enormous caldron1 over which1 at the exact moment1 a rabbit's foot at the end of a yarn string is properly waved by a colored preacher1 whose salary has been paid to date4 ,these are the good omens by which the burgoo is fortified4 ,,how ,,to ,,make ,,the ,,burgoo ,anything from an ordinary pail to one or many big caldrons1 according to the number of guests expected at the camp1 will serve as vessels in which to serve the burgoo4 ,the excellence of the burgoo depends more upon the manner of cooking and seasoning it than it does on the material used in its decoction4 ,to-day the burgoo is composed of meat from domestic beasts and barnyard fowls with vegetables from the garden1 but originally it was made from the wild things in the woods1 bear1 buffalo1 venison1 wild turkey1 quails1 squirrels and all the splendid game animals that once roamed through ,kentucky4 ,as this book is for woodcrafters we will take it for granted that we are in the woods1 that we have some venison1 moose1 bear meat1 rocky mountain goat1 big horn1 rabbit1 ruffed grouse1 or some good substitutes4 ,it would be a rare occasion indeed when we would really have these things4 ,if1 for instance1 we have a good string of grouse we will take their legs and wings and necks for the burgoo and save their breasts for a broil1 and if we have not many grouse we will put in a whole bird or two4 ,we will treat the rabbits the same way1 saving the body with the tenderloin for broiling4 ,when cleaned and dressed the meat of a turtle or two adds a delicious flavor to the burgoo2 frogs legs are also good1 with the other meat4 ,cut all the meat up into pieces which will correspond1 roughly speaking1 to inch cubes2 do not throw away the bones2 put them in also4 ,now then1 if you were wise enough when you were outfitting for the trip to secure some of the ill-smelling but palatable dried vegetables1 they will add immensely to the flavor of your burgoo4 ,put all the material in the kettle1 that is1 unless you are using beans and potatoes as vegetables2 if so1 the meats had better be well cooked first1 because the beans and potatoes have a tendency to go to the bottom1 and by scorching spoil the broth4 ,fill your kettle1 caldron or pot half full of water and hang it over the fire2 while it is making ready to boil get busy with your vegetables1 preparing them for the stew4 ,peel the dry outer skin off your onions and halve them1 or quarter them1 according to their size2 scrape your carrots and slice them into little disks1 each about the size of a quarter1 peel your potatoes and cut them up into pieces about the size of the meat1 and when the caldron is boiling dump in the vegetables4 ,the vegetables will temporarily cool the water1 which should not be allowed to again boil1 but should be put over a slow fire and where it will simmer4 ,when the stew is almost done add the salt and other seasonings4 ,there should always be enough water to cover the vegetables4 ,canned tomatoes will add to the flavor of your broth4 ,in a real burgoo we put no thickening like meal1 rice or other material of similar nature1 because the broth is strained and served clear4 ,also no sweet vegetables like beets4 ,when the burgoo is done dip it out and drink it from tin cups4 ,of course1 if this is a picnic burgoo1 you add olive juice to the stew1 while it is cooking1 and then place a sliced lemon and an olive in each cup and pour the hot strained liquid into the cups4 ,the burgoo and the barbecue belong to that era when food was plenty1 feasts were generous and appetites good4 ,these historic feasts still exist in what is left of the open country and rich farming districts1 particularly in ,kentucky and ,virginia4 ,in ,kentucky in the olden times the gentlemen were wont to go out in the morning and do the hunting1 while the negroes were keeping the caldrons boiling with the pork and other foundation material in them4 ,after the gentlemen returned and the game was put into the caldron1 the guests began to arrive and the stew was served late in the afternoon2 each guest was supposed to come supplied with a tin cup and a spoon1 the latter made of a fresh water mussel shell with a split stick for a handle4 ,thus provided they all sat round and partook of as many helps as their hunger demanded4 ,since we have given ,kentucky's celebrated dish1 we will add ,ole ,virginny's favorite dish1 which has been named after the county where it originated4 ,,the ,,brunswick ,,stew ,take two large squirrels1 one quart of tomatoes1 peeled and sliced1 if fresh2 one pint of lima beans or butter beans1 two teaspoonfuls of white sugar1 one minced onion1 six potatoes1 six ears of corn scraped from the cob1 or a can of sweet corn1 half a pound of butter1 half a pound of salt pork1 one teaspoonful of salt1 three level teaspoonfuls of pepper and a gallon of water4 ,cut the squirrels up as for fricassee1 add salt and water and boil five minutes4 ,then put in the onion1 beans1 corn1 pork1 potatoes and pepper1 and when boiling again add the squirrel4 ,cover closely and stew two hours1 then add the tomato mixed with the sugar and stew an hour longer4 ,ten minutes before removing from the fire cut the butter into pieces the size of ,english walnuts1 roll in flour and add to the stew4 ,boil up again1 adding more salt and pepper if required4 ,the above is a receipt sent in to us1 and ,i would give credit for it if ,i knew from whence it came4 ,i do know that it sounds good1 and from my experience with other similar dishes1 it will taste good4 ,i am not writing a cook book but only attempting to start the novice on his way as a camp chef1 and if he succeeds in cooking in the open the dishes here described1 he need not fear to tackle any culinary problem which conditions may make it necessary for him to solve4 ,,chapter ,,vii ,,packing ,,horses ,,how ,,to ,,make ,a ,,pack ,,horse ,,of ,,your ,,own ,,how ,,to ,,make ,,an ,,aparejo ,,how ,,to ,,make ,a ,,cincha ,,how ,,to ,,make ,a ,,latigo ,,how ,,to ,,throw ,a ,,diamond ,,hitch ,,how ,,to ,,throw ,a ,,squaw ,,hitch ,,how ,,to ,,hitch ,a ,,horse ,,in ,,open ,,land ,,without ,,post1 ,,tree ,,or ,,stick ,,or ,,stone ,,use ,,of ,,hobbles ,,and ,,how ,,to ,,make ,,them ,,how ,,the ,,travois ,,is ,,made ,,and ,,used ,,buffalo ,,bill ,,and ,,general ,,miles ,,how ,,to ,,throw ,,down ,a ,,saddle ,,how ,,to ,,throw ,a ,,saddle ,,on ,a ,,horse ,,how ,,to ,,mount ,a ,,horse ,,how ,,to ,,know ,a ,,western ,,horse ,,chapter ,,vii ,,packing ,,horses ,,if one is going on a real camping excursion where one will need pack horses1 one should1 by all means1 familiarize oneself with the proper method of packing a pack horse4 ,this can be done in one's own cellar1 attic or woodshed and without hiring a horse or keeping one for the purpose4 ,the horse will be expensive enough when one needs it on the trail4 ,the drill in packing a horse should be taught in all scout camps1 and all girl camps and all ,y4,m4,c4,a4 camps1 and all training camps2 in fact1 everywhere where anybody goes outdoors at all1 or where anybody pretends to go outdoors2 and after the tenderfeet have learned how to pack then it is the proper time to learn what to pack2 consequently we put packing before outfitting1 not the cart1 but the pack before the horse1 so to speak4 ,when the ,boy ,scout ,movement started in ,america it had the good aggressive ,american motto1 ,,be ,,sure ,,you',,re ,,right1 ,,then ,,go ,,ahead1 which was borrowed from that delightful old buckskin man1 ,davy ,crockett4 ,a few years later1 when the scout idea was taken up in ,england1 the ,english changed the ,american motto to ,,be ,,prepared2 because the ,english ,boy ,scout promoter was a military man himself and saw the necessity of preparedness by ,great ,britain1 which has since become apparent to us all4 ,and in order to be prepared to pack a horse1 we must first be sure we are right1 then go ahead and practice packing at home4 ,one of the most useful things to the outdoor person is a ,,pack ,,horse ,all of us do not own a horse1 but there is not a reader of this book so poor that he cannot own the horse shown by ,fig4 #agd4 ,illustration3 #afh1 #afi1 #agj1 #aga1 #agb1 #agc1 #agd ,there are but few people in the ,united ,states who cannot honestly come into possession of a barrel with which to build a pack horse or on which to practice throwing the diamond hitch4 ,they can also find1 somewhere1 some pieces of board with which to make the legs of the horse1 its neck and head4 ,fig4 #afh shows the neck-board1 and the dotted lines show where to saw the head to get the right angle for the head and ears1 with which the horse may hear4 ,fig4 #afi shows the head-board1 and the dotted line shows how to saw off one corner to give the proper shape to this ,arabian steed's intelligent head-piece4 ,fig4 #agj shows how to nail the head on the neck4 ,the nails may be procured by knocking them out of old boards2 at least that is the way the writer supplied himself with nails4 ,he does not remember ever asking his parents for money with which to buy nails1 but if it is different nowadays1 and if you do not feel economically inclined1 and have the money1 go to the shop and buy them4 ,also1 under such circumstances1 go to the lumber yard and purchase your boards4 ,fig4 #aga shows how to nail two cleats on the neck1 and ,fig4 #agb shows how to nail these cleats onto the head of the barrel4 ,if you find the barrel head so tough and elastic that a nail cannot be easily hammered in1 use a gimlet and bore holes into the cleats and into the barrel head1 and then fasten the cleats on with screws4 ,the tail of the nag is made out of an old piece of frayed rope 7,fig4 #agc71 with a knot tied in one end to prevent the tail from pulling out when it is pulled through a hole in the other end of the barrel 7,fig4 #agc74 ,the legs of the horse are made like those of a carpenter's wooden horse1 of bits of plank or boards braced under the barrel by cross-pieces 7,fig4 #agd74 ,now you have a splendid horse6 ,one that will stand without hitching4 ,it is kind and warranted not to buck1 bite or kick1 but nevertheless1 when you are packing him remember that you are doing it in order to drill yourself to pack a real live horse1 a horse that may really buck1 bite and kick4 ,there are a lot of words in the ,english language not to be found in the dictionary4 ,i remember a few years ago when one could not find undershirt or catboat in the dictionary4 ,but in the dictionaries of to-day you will even find aparejo and latigo1 although neither of these words was in the dictionaries of yesterday4 ,,make ,,your ,,own ,,aparejo ,make your own aparejo of anything you can find4 ,the real ones are made of leather1 but at the present time1 #aibj1 leather is very expensive4 ,we can1 however1 no doubt secure some builders' paper1 tar paper1 stiff wrapping paper1 a piece of old oilcloth1 which1 by the way1 would be more like leather than anything else1 and cover these things with a piece of tent cloth1 a piece of carpet1 or even burlap4 ,the oilcloth inside will stiffen the aparejo4 ,at the bottom edge of it we can lash a couple of sticks 7,fig4 #age71 or if we want to do it in a real workmanlike manner1 we can sew on a couple of leather shoes1 made out of old shoe leather or new leather if we can secure it1 and then slip a nice hickory stick through the shoes1 as shown in the diagram 7,fig4 #agf74 ,the aparejo is to throw over the horse's back as in ,fig4 #agh1 but in order to fasten it on the back we must have a latigo which is the real wild and woolly name for the rope attached to a cincha strap 7,fig4 #agg74 ,but when you are talking about packing the pack horses call it cinch1 and spell it cincha4 ,make your cincha of a piece of canvas1 and in one end fasten a hook--a big strong picture hook will do2 ,fig4 #agg shows a cinch hook made of an oak elbow invented by ,stewart ,edward ,white1 and in the other end an iron ring2 to the iron ring fasten the lash rope 7,fig4 #agg74 ,for the real horse and outfit one will need an aparejo1 a pack blanket1 a lash rope with a cincha1 a sling rope1 a blind for the horse1 and a pack cover4 ,but here again do not call it a pack cover1 for that will at once stamp you as a tenderfoot4 ,assume the superior air of a real plainsman and speak of it as a manta4 ,the aparejo and pack saddle are inventions of the ,arabians away back in the eighth century4 ,when the ,moors from ,africa overran ,spain1 these picturesque marauders brought with them pack mules1 pack saddles1 and aparejos4 ,when ,general ,cortez and ,pizarro carried the torch and sword through ,mexico in their search for gold1 they brought with them pack animals1 pack saddles1 aparejos1 latigos1 and all that sort of thing with which to pack their loot4 ,when the forty-niners went to ,california in search of gold they found that the ,arabian ,moorish-,spanish-,mexican method of packing animals was perfectly adapted to their purposes and they used to pack animals1 the aparejos1 the latigos1 and all the other kinds of gos4 ,the lash rope for a real pack horse should be of the best ,manila inch or #e_/h inch1 and forty feet long2 a much shorter one will answer for the wooden horse4 ,,even ,,boys ,,can ,,throw ,,the ,,hitch ,back in #ahgi1 ,captain ,a4 ,b4 ,wood1 ,united ,states ,army1 introduced a knowledge of the proper use of the pack saddle and the mysteries of the diamond hitch into the ,united ,states ,army4 ,the ,fourth ,cavalry1 ,united ,states ,army1 was the first to become expert with the diamond hitch and taught it to the others2 but recently a military magazine has asked permission1 and has used the author's diagrams1 to explain to the ,cavalry men how this famous hitch is thrown4 ,it stands to reason that in order to pack one horse one must have some packs4 ,but these are the easiest things imaginable to secure4 ,a couple of old potato or flour bags1 stuffed with anything that is handy--hay1 grass1 leaves1 rags or paper--but stuffed tight 7,fig4 #agi71 will do for our load4 ,illustration3 #agh1 #agi ,illustration3 #ahj1 #aha1 #ahb1 #ahc1 #ahd1 #ahe ,when packing a horse1 except with such hitches as the one man hitch1 it requires two men or boys to throw the hitch4 ,the first one is known as the head packer1 and the other as the second packer4 ,remember that the left-hand side of the horse is the nigh side4 ,the head packer stands on the nigh side of the horse and he takes the coiled lash rope in the left hand and lets the coils fall astern of the pack animal 7,fig4 #ahj72 with the right hand he takes hold of the rope about three or four feet from the cincha 7,fig4 #ahj7 and hands the hook end under the animal to the second packer1 who stands on the right-hand side of the horse 7,fig4 #ahj74 ,the right hand of the head packer1 with the palm upwards1 so holds the rope that the loop will fall across his forearm2 the left hand with the palm downward holds the rope about half way between the loop that goes over the forearm and the loop that lies along the back of the pack animal 7,fig4 #aha74 ,the head packer now throws the loop from his forearm across the pack on the back of the animal1 allowing the left hand to fall naturally on the neck of the animal4 ,the second packer now runs the rope through the hook and pulls up the cincha end until the hook is near the lower edge of the off side of the aparejo 7,fig4 #ahc74 ,the head packer next grasps the rope ,a 7,fig4 #ahe7 and tucks a loop from the rear to the front under the part marked ,b 7,figs4 #ahe and #ahf71 over the inner side pack 7,figs4 #ahd and #ahg74 ,next the second packer passes the loose end of the rope under the part marked ,d 7,fig4 #ahg71 and throws it on the nigh 7left7 side of the pack animals4 ,the head packer now draws the tucked loop forward and tucks it under the corners and the lower edge of the nigh side of the aparejo 7,fig4 #ahh71 then holds it taut from the rear corner1 and the second packer takes hold of the rope at ,e 7,fig4 #ahi7 with his left hand1 and at ,f 7,fig4 #ahg7 with his right hand4 ,he passes the rope under the corners and lower edge of the off side of the aparejo 7,g1 ,h1 ,fig4 #ahi1 and ,g1 ,h1 ,fig4 #aia74 ,the second packer now takes the blind off his pack animal and is supposed to lead it forward a few steps while the head packer examines the load from the rear to see if it is properly adjusted4 ,then the blind is again put upon the animal for the final tightening of the rope4 ,while the second packer is pulling the parts taut1 the head packer takes up the slack and keeps the pack steady4 ,the tightening should be done in such a manner as not to shake the pack out of balance or position1 7,figs4 #ahh and #aij74 ,the second 7or off side7 packer grasps the lash rope above the hook1 and puts his knee against the stern corner of the aparejo1 left-hand group 7,fig4 #ahh74 ,the head packer takes hold with his right hand of the same part of the rope where it comes from the pack on the inner side1 and with the left hand at ,j 7,fig4 #ahi71 and his right shoulder against the cargo to steady it1 he gives the command ,,pull6 ,without jerks1 but with steady pulls1 the second packer now tightens the rope1 taking care not to let it slip back through the hook4 ,he gives the loose part to the head packer1 who takes up the slack by steady pulls4 ,illustration3 #ahf1 #ahg1 #ahh1 #ahi ,when the second packer is satisfied that it is all right he cries1 ,enough6 ,the head packer then holds steady with his right hand and slips the other hand down to where the rope passes over the front edge of the aparejo4 ,there he holds steady2 his right hand then takes hold of the continuation of the rope at the back corner of the pad and pulls tight4 ,placing his right knee against the rear corner of the pad he pulls hard with both hands until the rope is well home1 left-hand group 7,fig4 #ahh74 ,the second packer now takes up the slack by grasping the rope with both hands1 ,e 7,fig4 #ahi74 ,the head packer steps to the front to steady the pack4 ,the second packer pulls taut the parts on his side1 taking up the slack4 ,this draws the part of the lash rope ,k1 ,k 7,fig4 #ahi71 well back at middle of the pack1 giving the center hitch the diamond shape from which the name is derived1 ,x 7,fig4 #aia74 ,he then1 with the left hand at the rear corner ,h1 pulls taut and holds solid1 while with the right hand in front of ,g1 he takes up slack4 ,next with both hands at the front corner and with his knee against it 7,fig4 #ahh71 the second packer pulls taut1 the head packer at the same time taking up the slack on his side and then pulls steady1 drawing the part ,l1 ,l 7,fig4 #ahi71 of the rope leading from the hook well forward at the middle of the pack1 finishing off the diamond at ,x4 ,he then carries the loose end under the corners and ends of the aparejo1 and draws that taut and ties the end fast by a half hitch near the cincha end of the lash rope4 ,after passing under the corners1 if the rope is long enough to reach over the load1 it can then be passed over and made fast on the off side by tying around both parts of the lash rope above the hook and by drawing them well together 7,fig4 #aia74 ,alongside of ,fig4 #aij are a series of sketches showing how to lash and cinch two parcels or bags together2 one bag is made black so that its position can better be understood4 ,in other words1 it makes it easier to follow the different hitches4 ,learn to pack at home and you will not lose your packs on the trail4 ,in following these instructions1 whenever in doubt forget the perspective views and keep in mind ,figures #aha1 #ahc1 #ahe1 #ahg1 #ahj and #aia1 which tell the whole story4 ,the perspective views are principally to show the relative position of the packers2 the position of the rope can best be seen by looking on top of the pack4 ,illustration3 #aij1 #aia ,in packing a live horse you will learn by practice not to pull in such a way as to cause the horse to step on your feet2 you will also learn that a live horse will not stand as still as a wooden horse1 but when you have learned to pack a wooden horse quickly and well1 it will only take you a short time to become expert with a live horse4 ,,the ,,squaw ,,hitches ,these are useful when one has no one to help in packing the animal1 and when one has no pack saddle like ,fig4 #bjj4 ,with this squaw hitch you must throw your burden across the back of the horse1 over the pad made by a blanket 7,fig4 #aib71 then put a loop over the end ,m1 see ,x 7,fig4 #aib71 and another one over the end ,n1 see ,y 7,fig4 #aib74 ,at the end of the lash rope ,z make a loop2 now pass that loop down under the horse's belly and through ,y 7,fig4 #aic71 bring the end ,z back again over the horse's back1 also pass the end ,t down through ,x1 and bring it back over the horse's back1 also pass the end ,z down through ,y1 and bring it back over the horse's back1 pass ,t through ,z 7,fig4 #aic71 cinch tight and fasten on top of pack 7,fig4 #aid74 ,fig4 #aie shows another throw in another squaw hitch4 ,fig4 #aif shows the next position4 ,fig4 #aig shows the thing made fast4 ,illustration3 #aib1 #aic1 #aid1 #aie1 #aif1 #aig1 #aih1 #aii1 #bjj ,,squaw ,,hitches ,anyone who travels with pack horses should know how to arrange the lead rope in a manner so that it may be quickly and easily loosened1 and at the same time be out of the way1 so that the horse will not get his foot over it when climbing or descending steep places1 which often happens when the lead rope is fastened to the pack in the usual manner4 ,if you will take the rope and wind it loosely around the horse's neck1 behind his left ear and in front of his right ear 7,figs4 #aih and #aii71 then tuck the end under the strands1 as shown in ,fig4 #aih1 the thing may be undone in an instant1 and in the meantime the rope is out of the way where it will not bother either the man or the horse4 ,practise all this on the wooden horse1 then it will come natural when the time comes to handle a real horse4 ,the manner of looping up the lead rope1 just described1 ,i learned from the explorers of the ,mt4 ,mc,kinley expedition1 who had many occasions to test the best1 as well as the worst methods of packing and arranging their duffel4 ,there are a number of other hitches1 some given by ,stewart ,edward ,white1 in ,outing1 called the ,miner's ,hitch1 the ,lone ,packer's ,hitch1 but possibly we have given the reader enough to start him on his way2 remember for the pack horse the necessary outfit is a horse blanket1 the cincha and lash rope1 the sling rope1 the lead rope1 the manta1 which is a cover for the pack1 sometimes called the tarp--short for tarpaulin1 and the blind1 but as a rule a handkerchief is used for a blinder4 ,the aparejo is a sort of a leather mattress which goes over the horse's back and on which the pack rests1 but you will find all about that when you hit the trail with a pack train4 ,the alforjas is a ,spanish name for the saddle-bags used on a pack horse4 ,when the reader knows how to pack his horse1 knows all the ,spanish names for the pack saddle and all that sort of thing1 there may come a time when he will have a horse which needs to be hitched at night1 and it may happen he must needs ,,hitch ,,the ,,horse ,on some trail where there are no trees1 sticks1 or even stones2 but if he is a good woodcrafter and plainsman1 with his hunting knife he will proceed to dig as narrow and deep a hole as possible in the earth1 then he will tie a knot in the end of the picket rope and drop the knot to the bottom of the hole 7,fig4 #bja7 7the picket rope in reality should be one-half inch rope1 fifty feet long72 the only way to get that knot out of the hole is to stand directly over the opening and pull the knot up perpendicularly4 ,it will never occur to the horse to shorten the line by taking hold of it with his teeth1 so that it may stand over the hole and pull up the knot1 consequently the animal will be as securely hitched as if tied to a post4 ,illustration3 #bja1 #bjb1 #bjc1 #bjd1 #bje1 #bjf1 #bjg1 #bjh ,,hobbles ,for the front legs may be purchased at any outfitter's 7,fig4 #bjb71 or home-made from unravelled rope 7,fig4 #bjc74 ,make a loop from a strand from a large rope and then fasten it round one leg1 as in diagram2 after that twist the rope to make the connections between the two loops1 tie another knot to prevent the rope from untwisting1 then tie the two ends around the leg of the horse 7,fig4 #bjc72 the unravelled rope is soft and will not chafe the horse's leg4 ,,travois ,figs4 #bjd and #bje show the famous ,indian mode of packing by travois4 ,,how ,,to ,,throw ,a ,,saddle ,,down ,general ,miles once told the author that the handsomest man he had ever seen came dashing into their camp in a cloud of alkali dust2 having ridden right through bands of hostile ,indians which surrounded the camp1 he dismounted1 took off his saddle and threw it on the ground1 put the bridle bit1 girth1 etc41 inside the saddle1 put the saddle-cloth over it1 then he calmly stretched himself out in front of the campfire4 ,that man1 said ,general ,miles1 was ,bill ,cody1 ,buffalo ,bill6 ,when ,cody put the saddle on the ground he placed it on its side 7,fig4 #bjf72 in placing the saddle in this position it preserves the curve of the skirts1 and thus the form of the saddle is not destroyed and the reins and the stirrup straps are protected2 at the same time the saddle makes a good pillow1 and if it should rain at night the saddle blanket is the only thing1 besides the rider1 which gets a ducking1 unless the latter has a good waterproof sleeping-bag4 ,,how ,,to ,,throw ,a ,,saddle ,,on ,a ,,horse ,so manage the saddle that with one swing it will 'light on the horse's back with the pummel towards the horse's head 7,fig4 #bjg74 ,grasp with your right hand the horn of the saddle1 and as you swing the saddle on the horse with a graceful sweep1 use your left hand to push the further skirt outward and thus prevent it from doubling up on the horse's back4 ,be careful to throw the girth far enough so that it will hang down so as to be easily reached under the horse4 ,i once had an ,english farm hand who put a western saddle on a horse with the pummel towards the tail1 and was very indignant when ,i told him that a pummel should face the bow of a craft2 he told me he knew more about horses than ,i did1 which is possibly true1 as ,i am not a horseman2 he also said that in the hold country he used to ride to the 'ounds1 all of which goes to prove customs are different in different countries4 ,here we put the pummel of the saddle towards the horse's head2 we won't argue about it2 we may be wrong1 but it is a matter of custom1 and right or wrong is the rule the reader must follow in ,america1 even though the reader may have ridden to the 'ounds while abroad4 ,do not misunderstand me1 some of the best horsemen in the world are ,english1 but this fellow was not one of them4 ,,how ,,to ,,mount ,a ,,western ,,horse ,years ago when the rider was in ,montana on ,howard ,eaton's ,ranch1 near the celebrated ranch of ,theodore ,roosevelt1 he had his first experience with ,western horses1 and being sensitive and standing in great terror of being called a tenderfoot1 he shyly watched the others mount before he attempted to do so himself4 ,each one of these plainsmen1 he noticed1 took the reins in his left hand while standing on the left-hand side of the horse2 then holding the reins over the shoulders of the horse he grasped the mane with the same hand1 and put his left foot into the stirrup2 but to put the left foot in the stirrup he turned the stirrup around so that he could mount while facing the horse's tail1 then he grabbed hold of the pummel with his right hand and swung into the saddle as the horse started4 ,that looked easy2 the writer also noticed that just before the others struck the saddle they gave a whoop1 so without showing any hesitation the author walked up to his cayuse1 took the reins confidently in his left hand1 using care to stand on the left-hand side of the horse2 then he placed the left hand with the reins between the shoulders of the horse and grabbed the mane1 then he turned the stirrup around1 turned his back to the horse's head1 put his left foot in the stirrup and gave a yell4 ,on sober afterthought he decided that he gave that yell too soon2 the horse almost went out from under him1 or at least so it seemed to him1 or maybe the sensation would be better described to say that it appeared to him as if he went a mile over the prairie with his right leg waving in the air like a one-winged aeroplane1 before he finally settled down into the saddle4 ,but this could not have been really true1 because everybody applauded and the writer was at once accepted by the crowd without question as a thoroughbred ,sourdough4 ,possibly they may have thought he was feeling good and just doing some stunts4 ,it may interest the reader to state that the author did his best to live up to the first impression he had made1 but he did not go riding the next day1 there were some books he thought necessary to read2 he discovered1 however1 that even lounging was not without some discomfort2 for instance1 he could not cross his knees without helping one leg over with both his hands2 in fact1 he could find no muscle in his body that could be moved without considerable exertion and pain4 ,but this is the point of the story3 ,had the author tried to mount that cayuse in any other way he would have been left sprawling on the prairie4 ,the truth is that if you mount properly when the horse starts1 even if he begins to buck and pitch1 the action will tend to throw you into the saddle1 not out of it4 ,,caution ,when you approach a horse which has a brand on it1 always approach from the left-hand side1 because practically all the ,western horses have brands on them1 and you can1 as a rule1 count on a branded horse being from the ,west1 with the hale and hearty habits of the ,west1 which to be appreciated must be understood4 ,if you want to make a real cayuse out of your wooden horse1 brand it and any cowboy who then sees it will take off his hat4 ,,chapter ,,viii ,,the ,,use ,,of ,,dogs4 ,,man ,,packing ,,hiking ,,dogs1 ,,pack ,,dogs ,,how ,,to ,,pack ,a ,,dog ,,how ,,to ,,throw ,,the ,,dog ,,hitch ,,how ,,to ,,make ,,dog ,,travois ,,dog ,,as ,a ,,beast ,,of ,,burden ,,in ,,europe ,,and ,,arctic ,,america ,,man ,,packing ,,pack ,,rats ,,don',t ,,fight ,,your ,,pack ,,portage ,,pack ,,great ,,men ,,who ,,have ,,carried ,a ,,pack ,,kinds ,,of ,,packs ,,alpine ,,rucksack ,,origin ,,of ,,broad ,,breast ,,straps ,,make ,,your ,,own ,,outfits ,,chapter ,,viii ,,the ,,use ,,of ,,dogs4 ,,man ,,packing ,,there is no good reason why every hiker should not be accompanied by ,a ,,hiking ,,dog ,for if there is anything a dog does love better than its own soul it is to hike with its master1 and every normal boy and girl1 and every normal man and woman1 loves the company of a good dog4 ,when they do not love it the fault is not with the dog but with them2 there is something wrong with them that the outdoor world alone will cure4 ,but if a dog is going to enjoy the pleasure of a hike with you1 if it is a good square dog it should be willing to also share the hardships of the hike with you1 and to help carry the burdens on the trail4 ,any sort of a dog can be trained as ,a ,,pack ,,dog ,but the sturdier and stronger the dog is1 the greater burden he can carry and the more useful he will be on the trail4 ,the alforjas for a dog1 or saddle-bags1 can be made by anyone who is handy with a needle and thread4 ,a dog pack consists primarily of two bags or pouches 7,figs4 #bji and #baj71 with a yoke piece attached to slide over the dog's head and fit across the chest 7,figs4 #bji1 #baj1 #baa and #bab74 ,also a cincha to fasten around the waist or small part of the dog's body1 back of its ribs4 ,the pouches 7,fig4 #baj7 should have a manta1 or cover 7,figs4 #baa1 #bac1 and #bad71 to keep the rain1 snow or dust out of the duffel4 ,simple bags of strong light material on the pattern of ,fig4 #baj are best1 because the weight of anything unnecessary is to be avoided4 ,,the ,,dog ,,hitch ,is not as complicated an affair as the diamond hitch1 and anyone who knows how to do up an ordinary parcel can learn the dog hitch by one glance at ,figs4 #bac and #bad4 ,slip the breast band over the dog's head1 put the saddle-bags well forward on the dog's shoulders1 tie the cinch around its waist1 after which spread the cover or manta over the bag1 and throw the hitch as shown by ,figs4 #baa and #bad4 ,fig4 #bac shows a bundle with a breast band made of the lash rope1 in which case the lash rope is usually made of cloth like that in ,fig4 #baa2 the whole thing is simplicity itself and a good dog can carry quite a load packed in this manner4 ,illustration3 #bji1 #baj1 #baa1 #bab1 #bac1 #bad1 #bae1 #baf1 #bag ,a ,,dog ,,travois ,can also be used at times with advantage1 as it was used by our red brothers of the wilderness4 ,fig4 #bag shows a dog harnessed to a travois1 made of two shaft poles2 the harness consists of a padded collar similar to those used in ,northern ,quebec for sled dogs1 and a cincha of leather or canvas and traces of rope or thong4 ,figs4 #bae and #baf show a rig made by one of my ,boy ,scouts2 the material used was the green saplings cut in the woods1 the traces were made of rope manufactured from the roots of the tamarack tree1 so also was the cord used to bind the parts of the frame together4 ,the hooks to which the traces were fastened were made of wire nails bent over1 and the staples to which the collar was fastened by thongs to the shaft were made of wire nails1 the heads of which were ground off by rubbing them on stones2 the nails were then bent into the proper curve and driven into the shaft in the form of a staple4 ,fig4 #baf shows the same rig with a leather harness4 ,the ,american ,indian used the travois on dogs the same as they did upon horses and the sudden appearance of game often produced a stampede of dog travoises1 scattering the duffel1 including papooses1 loaded on the travois4 ,it is not expected that the reader will make every one of these contrivances1 but if he does he will learn ,how1 and to be a good woodsman he should know how1 so as to be prepared for any emergency4 ,it is possible to make the whole pack for the dog from birch bark1 but however it is made1 if it serves the purpose of making the dog carry part of the pack1 when you put the bark on the dog's back1 you will teach the animal that there are two kinds of barks2 one of which is useful as a duffel bag1 and the other as an alarm4 ,in ,alaska and other parts of the far ,north1 as well as in ,holland and other parts of ,europe1 the dog is generally used as a beast of burden2 it draws sleds in ,north ,america and milk carts and market wagons in ,holland1 but it is not necessary for us to live in ,holland or in the far ,north in order to make use of the dog2 a good dog will cheerfully carry the packs on the trail1 loyally guard the camp at night1 and1 if necessary1 die in defense of its master4 ,any uncomfortable pack is an abomination2 too heavy a pack is an unhappy burden1 no pack at all is fine--until you reach camp and hunt around for something to answer for a toothbrush1 comb and brush1 something on which to sit and sleep1 something overhead to protect you from the rains and dews of heaven1 something to eat and something to eat with besides your fingers1 something from which to drink which holds water better than the hollow of your hand or the brim of your hat1 and1 in fact1 all those necessary little comforts that a fellow wants on an overnight hike4 ,without these useful articles one will wish that he had subjected himself to the slight fatigue necessary to pack a small pack on his back4 ,the word pack itself is a joy to the outdoor man1 for it is only outdoor men who use the word pack for carry1 and who call a bundle or load a pack4 ,the reason for this is that the real wilderness man1 explorer1 prospector1 hunter1 trapper or scout1 packs all his duffel into a bundle which he carries on his back1 in two small saddle-bags which are carried by his husky dogs1 or a number of well-balanced bundles which are lashed on the pack saddle with a diamond hitch over the back of a pack horse4 ,you see we have pack dogs1 pack horses and pack animals1 pack saddles and packers1 as well as the packs themselves1 which the packers pack and these animals pack on their backs1 or which the man himself packs on his own back4 ,then we also have the pack rat1 but the pack rat does not carry things with our consent4 ,the pack rat comes flippity-flop1 hopping over the ground from the old hermit1 ,bill ,jones's1 packing with him ,bill ,jones's false teeth which he has abstracted from the tin cup of water at the head of ,bill ,jones's bunk4 ,the pack rat deposits the teeth at the head of your cot1 then deftly picking up your watch1 the rat packs it back to ,bill ,jones's cot and drops it in the tin cup of water1 where it soaks until morning4 ,it is easy to see that however funny the pack rat may be1 and however useful he might be to the ,sunday comic paper1 the rat's humor is not appreciated by the campers in the ,rocky ,mountains1 where it is called a pack rat from its habit of carrying things4 ,thus it is that in a newly settled country the word carry is almost forgotten2 one packs a letter to the post box1 or packs a horse to water1 or packs a box of candy to his best girl1 or a pail of water from the spring4 ,,man ,,packing ,when you1 my good reader1 get the pack adjusted on your back and the tump line across your forehead 7,fig4 #bbf71 remember that you are being initiated into the great fraternity of outdoor people4 ,but no matter how tough or rough you may appear to the casual observer1 your roughness is only apparent2 a boy or man of refinement carries that refinement inside of him wherever he goes2 at the same time when one is carrying a pack on one's back and a tump line on one's forehead 7,fig4 #bbf71 or a canoe on one's head1 even though a lady should be met on the trail it would not be necessary for one to take off one's hat1 for even a foolish society woman would not expect a man to doff the canoe he might be carrying on his head4 ,under all circumstances use common sense2 that is the rule of the wilderness and also of real culture4 ,the most important thing that you must learn on the trail is not to fret and fume over trifles1 and even if your load is heavy and irksome1 even though the shoulder straps chafe and the tump line makes your neck ache ,,don',t ,,fight ,,your ,,pack ,when we speak of fighting the pack we mean fighting the load2 that does not mean getting one's load up against a tree and punching it with one's fists or kicking the stuffings out of it1 but it means complaining and fretting because the load is uncomfortable4 ,there are two kinds of packs--the pack that you carry day after day on a long hike1 and the pack that you carry when on a canoe trip and you are compelled to leave the water and carry your canoe and duffel overland around some bad rapids or falls4 ,the first-named pack should be as light as possible1 say between #cj and #dj pounds1 for on a long tramp every pound counts1 because you know that you must carry it as long as you keep going1 and there is no relief in sight except when you stop for your meals or to camp at night4 ,but the last-named pack1 the ,,portage ,,pack1 ,figs4 #bah and #bbc1 the kind that you carry around bad pieces of water1 may be as heavy as you can1 with safety1 load upon your sturdy back1 because your mind is buoyed up by the fact that you know you will not have to carry that load very far1 the work will end when you reach the water again1 and--strange to say--the mind has as much to do with carrying the load as the muscles4 ,if the mind gives up you will fall helpless even under a small load2 if the mind is strong you will stagger along under a very heavy one4 ,when ,i asked a friend1 who bears the scars of the pack straps on his body1 how it was that he managed to endure the torture of such a load1 he replied with a grin that as soon as he found that to fight his pack meant to perish--meant death6--he made up his mind to forget the blamed thing and so when the pack wearied him and the straps rubbed the skin off his body1 he forced himself to think of the good dinners he had had at the ,camp-fire ,club of ,america1 yum6 yum6 ,also1 of all the jolly stories told by the toastmaster1 and of the fun he had had at some other entertainments4 ,often while thinking of these things he caught himself laughing out loud as he trudged along the lone trail1 ,,forgetting the hateful pack on his back4 ,in this way1 said he1 with a winning smile upon his manly and weather-beaten face1 ,i learned how not to fight the pack but to ,,forget ,,it6 ,then he braced himself up1 looked at the snow-capped mountain range ahead1 hummed a little cowboy song and trudged on over the frozen snow at a scout's pace4 ,illustration3 #bah1 #bai1 #bbj1 #bba1 #bbb1 #bbc1 #bbd1 #bbe1 #bbf1 #bbf ,,details ,,of ,,man ,,packs ,now that you know what a pack is1 and what fighting a pack means1 remember that if one's studies at school are hard1 that is one's pack4 ,if the work one is doing is hard1 difficult or tiresome1 that is one's pack4 ,if one's boss is cross and exacting1 that is one's pack4 ,if one's parents are worried and forget themselves in their worry and speak sharply1 that is one's pack4 ,don't fight your pack2 remember that you are a woodcrafter2 straighten your shoulders1 put on your scout smile and hit the trail like a man6 ,if you find that you are tempted to break the ,scout ,law1 that you are tempted at times to forget the ,scout ,oath1 that because your camp mates use language unfit for a woodcrafter or a scout1 and you are tempted to do the same1 if your playmates play craps and smoke cigarettes1 and laugh at you because you refuse to do so1 so that you are tempted to join them1 these temptations form your pack2 don't give in and fall under your load and whimper like a sissy1 or a mollycoddle1 but straighten up1 look the world straight in the eye1 and hit the trail like a man6 ,some of us are carrying portage packs which we can dump off our shoulders at the end of the carry1 some of us are carrying hiking packs which we must carry through life and can never dump from our shoulders until we cross the ,grand ,portage from which no voyagers ever return4 ,all our packs vary in weight1 but none of them is easy to carry if we fret and fume and complain under the load4 ,we outdoor folks call our load pack1 but our ,sunday ,school teachers sometimes speak of the pack they bear as a cross4 ,be it so1 but don't fight your pack4 ,,men ,,who ,,have ,,carried ,,the ,,pack ,the whole north country is sprinkled with the bones of the men who fought their packs4 ,our own land is also sprinkled with men we call misfits and failures1 but who are really men who have fought their packs4 ,but every post of eminence in the ,united ,states is occupied by a man who forgot his pack2 this country was built by men who forgot their packs4 ,george ,washington carried a portage pack in weight all through his life1 but it was a proud burden and he stood straight under it4 ,good old ,abe ,lincoln had even a heavier pack to carry1 but in spite of the weight of it he always had a pleasant scout smile for everyone and a merry story to send the visitor away smiling4 ,if ,daniel ,boone and ,simon ,kenton had fought their packs we would never have heard of them6 ,in the illustrations are shown many figures1 and one should not forget that these are sketches of real men in the real wilderness1 and not fancy pictures drawn from imagination4 ,figs4 #bcj1 #bca and #bcb show many different methods of carrying big game on one's shoulders or back4 ,fig4 #bcb also shows a couple of prospectors on the trail4 ,one has the bag on his back1 held in place by shoulder straps2 the other has a bag thrown over his shoulder like a ragman4 ,the alpine rucksack will carry--or to speak more properly--with it one can pack a camera1 notebook1 sketching material1 lunch and all those things which a fellow wants on an enjoyable hike4 ,the alpine rucksack is a many-gored poke about #ah inches wide and about #bb inches long without the gores4 ,these pokes can be made so that the gores fold in and produce an ordinary-sized pack1 or they may be pushed out like an umbrella so as to make a bag in which one can carry a good-sized boy4 ,illustration3 #bbg1 #bbh1 #bbi1 #bcj1 #bca1 #bcb;,d ,,man ,,packing ,,the ,,broad ,,band ,fig4 #bcb;,d shows the broad band used by the men of the far north4 ,the reader will note that the broad canvas bands come over the shoulders from the top of the pack2 also that a broad breast band connects the shoulder bands1 while rope1 whang strings or thongs run through eyelets in the band and to the bottom of the pack4 ,this is said to be the most comfortable pack used and has an interesting history2 it was evolved from an old pair of overalls4 ,there was a ,hebrew peddler who followed the gold seekers and he took a pair of canvas overalls and put them across his breast1 and to the legs he fastened the pack upon his back4 ,the overalls being wide and broad did not cut his chest1 as do smaller straps1 thongs or whang strings4 ,but breast straps of any kind are not now recommended by all authorities4 ,it is claimed that they interfere with the breathing and a fellow mouching along the trail needs to have his chest free to expand1 for not only his speed but his endurance depends upon the free action of his lungs4 ,,the ,,tump ,figs4 #bbf and #bbf show the use of the celebrated tump strap4 ,this tump strap is used from ,central ,america to the ,arctic ,circle4 ,the ,mexican water carrier uses it to tote his burden2 the ,tete ,bule ,indian and the ,montenais ,indian in the ,northeast also carry their packs with a tump line4 ,fig4 #bbf shows how the tump line is made4 ,it is a strap or lash rope with a broad band to fit over the packer's head1 and thus relieve the weight which the shoulders have to bear4 ,fig4 #bah shows the well-known portage pack basket which is used by the guides in the ,adirondack regions4 ,fig4 #bai shows the ,nessmuk knapsack4 ,fig4 #bbb shows a pack harness of straps by which two duffel bags are borne on the back4 ,fig4 #bbe shows a duffel bag which is laced up at one end with a thong2 also the end of the bag open4 ,,the ,,duffel ,,bag ,,is ,,useful ,the duffel bag is the ideal poke in which to pack one's1 belongings4 ,it is waterproof1 it makes a good pillow1 a far better pillow than an axe and pair of boots on which ,i myself have rested my weary head many a night1 and it also makes a good cushion upon which to sit4 ,the duffel bag may be procured from any outfitting establishment4 ,the ones ,i own are now shiny with dirt and grease1 gathered from the camps and forests extending from ,maine to the ,state of ,washington1 from ,northern ,quebec to ,florida4 ,i love the old bags1 for even though they be greasy and shiny1 and blackened with the charcoals of many campfires1 they are chuck full of delightful memories4 ,fig4 #bbj is the old-time poke made of a bandanna handkerchief1 with its ends tied together and swung over a stick4 ,this is the pack1 a cut of which may be found in all the old newspapers antedating the ,civil ,war1 where runaway negroes are advertised4 ,it is the sort of pack respectable tramps used to carry1 back in the times when tramps were respectable4 ,it is the kind of pack ,i find represented in an old oil painting hanging on my dining-room wall1 which was painted by some ,european artist back in the seventeenth century4 ,when fellows carry the runaway pack they are traveling light4 ,fig4 #bbi shows how to construct a makeshift pack4 ,a rope of cedar bark is arranged with a loop ,c 7,fig4 #bbi71 for the yoke the ends ,a and ,b are brought up under the arms and tied to the yoke ,c1 which then makes a breast band4 ,for a long hike thirty pounds is enough for a big boy to carry1 and it will weigh three hundred and fifty pounds at the end of a hard day's tramp4 ,heavy packs1 big packs1 like those shown in ,fig4 #bbc1 are only used on a portage1 that is1 for short distance4 ,of course1 you fellows know that in all canoe trips of any consequence one must cross overland from one lake to another1 or overland above a waterfall to a safe place below it1 or around quick water1 or to put it in the words of tenderfeet1 water which is too quick for canoe travel1 around tumultuous rapids where one must carry his canoe and duffel4 ,but these carries or portages are seldom long4 ,the longest ,i remember of making was a trifle over five miles in length4 ,remember that the weight of a load depends a great deal upon your mind4 ,consequently for a long distance the load should be light2 for a short distance the only limit to the load is the limit of the packer's strength4 ,,but ,people differ so in regard to how to carry a pack and what kind of a pack to carry1 that the author hesitates to recommend any particular sort2 personally he thinks that a pack harness hitched on to the duffel bags 7,figs4 #bba1 #bbb and #bbd71 is the proper and practical thing4 ,duffel bags1 by the way1 are water-proof canvas bags 7,fig4 #bbe71 made of different sizes1 in which to pack one's clothes1 food1 or what not4 ,the portage basket 7,fig4 #bah71 is a favorite in the ,adirondacks1 but it is not a favorite with the writer2 the basket itself is heavy and to his mind unnecessary1 the knapsack 7,fig4 #bai71 is good for short hikes when one does not have to carry much4 ,the best way for the reader to do is to experiment1 see how much of a load he can carry2 fifty pounds is more than enough for a big strong man to carry all day long1 day in and day out1 and forty pounds is more than he wants to carry1 but a good husky boy may be able to carry forty pounds on his back4 ,at the ,army and ,navy stores and at the outfitter's you can find all sorts of duffel bags and knapsacks1 and at any of the big outfitting stores they will tell you just what kind of baggage you will need for the particular trip1 for someone in the stores has been over the very ground that you are going over1 for all the clerks and proprietors of the outfitting stores are sportsmen4 ,but--yes1 there is a but--the real genuine ,american boy will construct his own outfit duffel bags1 mess kit and tents4 ,,chapter ,,ix ,,preparing ,,for ,,camping ,,trip ,,porters ,,of ,,the ,,portage ,,old-,,time ,,indian ,,fighters ,,and ,,wild ,,animals ,,modern ,,stampede ,,for ,,the ,,open ,,how ,,to ,,get ,,ready ,,for ,,camp ,,cut ,,your ,,finger ,,nails ,,go ,,to ,,your ,,dentist ,,get ,a ,,hair ,,cut ,a ,,buckskin ,,man',s ,,pocket ,,fly ,,dope ,,protection ,,against ,,black ,,flies1 ,,mosquitoes1 ,,midgets ,,and ,,no-,,see-,,ums ,,the ,,call ,,of ,,the ,,wild ,,chapter ,,ix ,,preparing ,,for ,,camping ,,trip ,,many people are so accustomed to have other people wait upon them that they are absolutely funny when you meet them in the woods2 when their canoe runs its prow up upon the sandy beach and there is a portage to make1 such people stand helplessly around waiting for some red-capped porter to come and take their baggage1 but the only red caps in the woods are the red-headed woodpeckers and they will see you in ,germany before they will help tote your duffel across the portage4 ,when one gets into the real woods1 even if it is only in ,maine1 ,wisconsin1 the ,adirondacks1 or the ,southern pine forests1 one soon discovers that there are no drug stores around the corner1 the doctor is a long way off1 the butcher1 the baker1 the candle-stick maker1 trolley cars1 telephone and taxi cabs are not within reach1 sight or hearing2 then a fellow begins to realize that it is up to himself to tote his own luggage1 to build his own fires1 to make his own shelters1 and even to help put up the other fellows' tents1 or to cook the meals4 ,yes1 and to wash the dishes1 too6 ,one reason we outdoor people love the woods is that it develops self-reliance and increases our self-respect by increasing our ability to do things2 we love the work1 we love the hardship1 we like to get out of sight of the becapped maids1 the butler and the smirking waiters waiting for a tip1 and for the same reason the real honest-to-goodness ,american boys love a camp4 ,why bless your soul6--every one of them in his inmost heart regrets that he did not live away back in the time when the long-haired ,wetzel1 ,daniel ,boone and ,simon ,kenton roved the woods1 or at least back when ,colonel ,bill ,cody1 ,buffalo ,jones and ,yellowstone ,kelly were dashing over the plains with ,general ,miles1 ,general ,bell and the picturesque blond1 long-haired ,general ,custer4 ,sometimes the author is himself guilty of such wishes1 and he used to dream of those days when he was a barefooted boy4 ,but1 honest now1 is it not really too bad that there are no longer any hostile ,indians8 ,and what a pity that improved firearms have made the big game so very shy that it is afraid of a man with a gun6 ,but cheer up1 the joy of camping is not altogether ruined1 because we do not have to fight all day to save our scalps from being exported1 or even because the grizzly bears refuse to chase us up a tree1 and the mountain lions or painters decline to drop from an overhanging limb on our backs4 ,remember that all things come to him who will but wait3 that is1 if he works for these things while he is doing the waiting4 ,the ,chief has spent his time and energy for the last thirty odd years hammering away at two ideas3 the big outdoors for the boys1 and ,americanism for all the people4 ,thank the ,lord1 he has lived long enough to see the boys stampede for the open and the people for ,americanism4 ,because of the stampede for the open1 in which people of all ages have joined1 there are so many kinds of camps nowadays3 scout camps1 soldier camps1 training camps1 recreation camps1 girls' camps and boys' camps1 that it is somewhat difficult for a writer to tell what to do in order to ,be ,prepared4 ,there are freight car side-track camps1 gypsy wagon camps1 houseboat camps1 old-fashioned camp-meeting camps and picnic camps2 the latter dot the shores of ,new ,jersey1 the lake sides at ,seattle1 and their tents are mingled with big black boulders around ,spokane2 you will find them on the shores of ,devil's ,lake1 ,north ,dakota1 and in the few groves that are back of ,winnipeg1 ,manitoba4 ,but such camps have little attraction for the real hard-boiled camper1 and have no better claim to being the real thing than the more or less grand palaces built in the woods1 camouflaged outside with logs or bark1 and called camps by their untruthful owners2 such people belittle the name of camp and if they want to be honest they should stick to the bungling bungalow--but wait a minute--even that is far-fetched2 the bungalow belongs in ,east ,india and looks as much like one of these ,american houses as a corn-crib does like a church4 ,when we talk of camping we mean living under bark1 brush or canvas in the howling wilderness1 or as near a howling wilderness as our money and time will permit us to reach2 in other words1 we want a camp in the wildest place we can find1 except when we go to our own scout camp1 and even then we like it better if it is located in a wild1 romantic spot4 ,,how ,,to ,,get ,,ready ,,for ,,camp ,there are some little personal things to which one should give one's attention before starting on a long trip4 ,if it is going to be a real wild camping trip it is best to go to the barber shop and get a good hair cut just before one starts4 ,also one should trim one's nails down as close as comfort will allow4 ,long nails1 if they are well manicured1 will do for the drawing room and for the office1 but in camp they have a habit of turning back 7,fig4 #bcb7--;and gee willikens1 how they hurt6 ,or they will split down into the quick 7,fig4 #bcc7 and that hurts some1 too6 ,so trim them down snug and close2 do it before you start packing up your things1 or you may hurt your fingers while packing4 ,but even before trimming your nails ,,go ,,to ,,your ,,dentist ,and insist upon him making an examination of every tooth in your head2 a toothache is bad enough anywhere1 goodness knows1 but a toothache away out in the woods with no help in sight will provoke a saint to use expressions not allowed by the ,scout ,manual4 ,the ,chief knows what he is talking about--he has been there6 ,he once rode over ,horse ,plains alongside of a friend who had a bad tooth1 and the friend was a real saint6 ,his jaw was swelled out like a rubber balloon1 but he did not use one naughty word on the trip1 notwithstanding every jolt of that horse was like sticking a knife in him4 ,the writer could not help it2 he was thoughtlessly cruel and he laughed at his friend's lugubrious expression--,take heed1 do not be as cruel as was the writer1 for sooner or later you will pay for such thoughtless levity4 ,it was only next season1 away up in the mountains of the ,british possessions on the ,pacific ,coast1 that the friend's turn came to laugh at the author as the latter nursed an ulcerated tooth4 ,wow6 ,wow6 ,wow6 ,well1 never mind the details1 they are too painful to talk about1 but remember the lesson that they teach--,go to the ,dentist and get a clean bill of health on the tooth question before you start for a lengthy camp4 ,illustration3 #bcb1 #bcc1 #bcd1 #bce1 #bcf1 #bcg1 #bch1 #bci1 #bdj1 #bda1 #bdb1 #bdc1 #bdd ,,personal ,,items ,a ,,buckskin',s ,,pocket ,a ,,buckskin ,,man',s ,,pocket ,when we speak of his pocket that includes all of his clothes1 because on the inside of his coat1 if he wears one1 are stuck an array of safety pins 7,fig4 #bcd71 but usually the pins are fastened onto his shirt4 ,a safety pin is as useful to a man in camp as is a hairpin to a woman1 and a woman can camp with no other outfit but a box of hairpins4 ,one can use safety pins for clothespins when one's socks are drying at night1 one can use them to pin up the blankets and thus make a sleeping-bag of them1 or one can use them for the purpose of temporarily mending rips and tears in one's clothes4 ,these are only a few of the uses of the safety pin on the trail4 ,after one has traveled with safety pins one comes to believe that they are almost indispensable4 ,in one of the pockets there should be a lot of bachelor buttons1 the sort that you do not have to sew on to your clothes1 but which fasten with a snap1 something like glove buttons4 ,there should be a pocket made in your shirt or vest to fit your notebook 7,fig4 #bdd71 and a part of it stitched up to hold a pencil and a toothbrush4 ,your mother can do this at home for you before you leave4 ,then you should have a good jack-knife2 ,i always carry my jack-knife in my hip pocket4 ,a pocket compass1 one that you have tested before starting on your trip1 should lodge comfortably in one of your pockets1 and hitched in your belt should be your noggin carved from a burl from a tree 7,fig4 #bce72 it should be carried by slipping the toggle 7,fig4 #bcf7 underneath the belt4 ,also in the belt you should carry some whang strings 7,fig4 #bcg72 double the whang strings up so that the two ends come together1 tuck the loop through your belt until it comes out at the other side1 then put the two ends of the string through the loop and the whang strings are fast but easily pulled out when needed2 whang strings are the same as belt lashings4 ,a small whetstone 7,fig4 #bch7 can find a place somewhere about your clothes1 probably in the other hip pocket1 and it is most useful1 not only with which to put an edge on your knife but also on your axe4 ,inside the sweat band of your hat1 or around the crown on the outside of your hat1 carry a gut leader with medium-sized artificial flies attached1 and around your neck knot a big gaudy bandanna handkerchief 7,fig4 #bci72 it is a most useful article2 it can be used in which to carry your game1 food or duffel1 or for warmth1 or worn over the head for protection from insects 7,fig4 #bdj74 ,in the latter case put it on your head under your hat and allow it to hang over your shoulders like the havelock worn by the soldiers of '#fa4 ,carry your belt axe thrust through your belt at your back 7,fig4 #bda71 where it will be out of the way1 not at your side as you do on parade4 ,no camper1 be he hunter1 fisherman1 scout1 naturalist1 explorer1 prospector1 soldier or lumberman1 should go into the woods without a notebook and hard lead pencil 7,fig4 #bdb74 ,remember that notes made with a hard pencil will last longer than those made with ink1 and be readable as long as the paper lasts4 ,every scientist and every surveyor knows this and it is only tenderfeet1 who use a soft pencil and fountain pen for making field notes1 because an upset canoe will blur all ink marks and the constant rubbing of the pages of the book will smudge all soft pencil marks4 ,therefore1 have a pocket especially made 7,fig4 #bdd71 so that your notebook1 pencil and fountain pen 7,fig4 #bdc71 if you insist upon including it--will fit snugly with no chance of dropping out2 also make a separate pocket for your toothbrush which should be kept in an oil-skin bag 7,fig4 #bdc74 ,a piece of candle 7,fig4 #bde7 is not only a most convenient thing with which to light a fire on a rainy day1 but it has ofttimes proved a life saver to ,northern explorers benumbed with the cold4 ,it is a comparatively easy thing to light a candle under the shelter of one's hat or coat1 even in a driving rain4 ,when one's fingers are numb or even frosted1 and with the candle flame one can start a life-saving fire2 so do not forget your candle stub as a part of your pocket outfit4 ,in the black fly belt it is wise to add a bottle of fly dope 7,fig4 #bea7 to one's personal equipment4 ,if you make your own fly dope have a slow fire and allow to simmer over it #c oz4 pine tar #b oz4 castor oil #a oz4 pennyroyal or heat #c oz4 of pine tar with two oz4 of olive oil and then stir in #a oz4 of pennyroyal1 #a oz4 of citronella1 #a oz4 of creosote and #a oz4 of camphor4 ,if you propose traveling where there are black flies and mosquitoes1 let your mother sew onto a pair of old kid gloves some chintz or calico sleeves that will reach from your wrists to above your elbow 7,fig4 #bdf71 cut the tips of the fingers off the gloves so that you may be able to use your hands handily1 and have an elastic in the top of the sleeve to hold them onto your arm4 ,rigged thus1 the black flies and mosquitoes can only bite the ends of your fingers1 and1 sad to say1 they will soon find where the ends of the fingers are located4 ,a piece of cheese cloth1 fitted over the hat to hang down over the face1 will protect that part of your anatomy from insects 7,fig4 #bdf71 but if they are not very bad use fly dope 7,fig4 #bea71 and add a bottle of it to your pocket outfit4 ,one doesn't look pretty when daubed up with fly dope1 but we are in the woods for sport and adventure and not to look pretty4 ,our vanity case has no lip stick1 rouge or face powder2 it only possesses a toothbrush and a bottle of fly dope4 ,certain times of year1 when one goes camping in the neighborhood of the trout brooks1 one needs to ,,be ,,prepared1 for one can catch more trout and enjoy fishing better if protected against the attacks of the black flies1 mosquitoes1 midges and no-see-ums4 ,illustration3 #bde1 #bdf1 #bdf1 #bdg1 #bdg;,a1 #bdh1 #bdi 7a1 b71 #bej1 #bea ,anything swung by a strap across one's shoulder will in time cut the shoulders painfully unless they are protected by a pad 7,fig4 #bdf74 ,a few yards of mosquito netting or cheese cloth occupies little space and is of little weight1 but is very useful as a protection at night4 ,bend a wand 7,fig4 #bdg7 into a hoop and bind the ends together 7,fig4 #bdg;,a71 with safety pins2 pin this in the netting and suspend the net from its center by a stick 7,fig4 #bdh74 ,the black fly1 ,c 7,fig4 #bdi71 is a very small hump-backed pest1 the young 7larv7 7,fig4 #bdi;a7 live in cold1 clear running water2 ,fig4 #bdi;b is the cocoon4 ,there are many kinds of mosquitoes2 all of them are ,bolsheviks1 and with the black flies and other vermin they argue that since nature made them with blood suckers and provided you with the sort of blood that they like1 they have an inherent right to suck your blood--and they do it6 ,but some mosquitoes are regular ,huns and professional germ carriers1 and besides annoying one they skillfully insert the germs of malaria and yellow fever into one's system4 ,the malaria mosquitoes are known as anopheles4 ,the highbrow name for the ,united ,states malaria distributor is ,anopheles quadrimaculatus 7,fig4 #bej;,f74 ,it is only the females that you need fear2 drone bees do not sting and buck mosquitoes do not bite4 ,fig4 #bej;d shows lower and upper side of the anopheles's egg4 ,fig4 #bej;e is the wiggler or larv of the anopheles2 the anopheles likes to let the blood run to its head1 and any careful observer will know him at a glance from his pose while resting 7,fig4 #bej;g74 ,of course1 you will not need fly dope on the picnic grounds1 and you will not need your pocket compass on the turnpike hike1 and you will not need your jack-knife with which to eat at the boarding house or hotel1 but we ,boy ,scouts are the real thing2 we go to hotels and boarding houses and picnics when we must1 but not when we can find real adventure in wilder places4 ,we shout3 ,there is life in the roar of plunging streams1 ,there is joy in the campfire's blaze at night4 ,hark6 the elk bugles1 the panther screams6 ,and the shaggy bison roll and fight4 ,let your throbbing heart surge and bound1 ,list to the whoop of the painted ,reds2 ,pass the flapjacks merrily round ,as the gray wolf howls in the river beds4 ,we weary of our cushions of rest2 ,god of our ,fathers1 give back our ,west4 ,what care we for luxury and ease8 ,darn the tall houses1 give us tall trees6 ,however crude these verses may be1 the sentiment is all right4 ,but may be it will express our idea better if we do not attempt rhyme4 ,suppose we try it this way-- ,listen to the whistle of the marmots2 ,the hooting of the barred owl1 the bugling of the elk6 ,the yap1 yap1 yap of the coyote1 the wild laugh of the loon2 ,the dismal howl of the timber wolf1 ,the grunting of the bull moose1 the roaring of the torrent1 ,and the crashing thunder of the avalanche6 ,ah1 that's the talk2 these are the words and sounds that make the blood in one's veins tingle like ginger ale4 ,why do all red-blooded men and real ,american boys like to hear ,the crunching of the dry snow2 ,the flap1 flap1 flap of snowshoes2 ,the clinking of the spurs and bits2 ,the creaking of the saddle leather2 ,the breathing of the bronco2 ,the babbling of the rivulet2 ,the whisper of the pines1 ,the twitter of the birds4 ,and the droning of bees4 ,why8 ,because in these sounds we get the dampness of the moss1 the almond-like odor of twin flowers1 the burning dryness of the sand1 the sting of the frost1 the grit of the rocks and the tang of old mother earth6 ,they possess the magic power of suggestion4 ,by simply repeating these words we transport our souls to the wilderness1 set our spirits free1 and we are once again what ,god made us2 natural and normal boys1 listening to nature's great runes1 odes1 epics1 lyrics1 poems1 ballads and roundelays1 as sung by ,god's own bards6 ,,packing ,when packing1 remember that a partly filled bag 7,fig4 #beb7 is easy to pack1 easy to carry on one's shoulders2 but a tightly filled bag 7,fig4 #bec7 is a nuisance on the trail4 ,when ,illustration3 #beb1 #bec1 #bed1 #bee1 #bef1 #beg1 #beh1 #bei1 #bfj1 #bfa1 #bfb1 #bfc1 #bfd1 #bfe1 #bff1 #bfg1 #bfh1 #bfi1 #bgj1 #bga ,,making ,a ,,pack ,,making ,a ,,pack ,to ship as baggage1 fold the blankets lengthwise 7,fig4 #bed71 place them in the middle of your tarpaulin or floor cloth 7,fig4 #bed72 fold the cover over 7,fig4 #bee71 then tuck in the ends and roll the package into a bundle and cinch 7,figs4 #bee and #bef74 ,a ,,sleeping-,,bag ,can be improvised from one's blankets by the use of safety pins 7,fig4 #beg74 ,a section of the bag 7,fig4 #beh7 shows how the blankets are doubled4 ,to make a ,,back ,,pack ,fold as in ,fig4 #bei1 then bend up the end as indicated by ,figs4 #bfj and #bfa1 fold again1 ,fig4 #bfb1 then fold in the two edges1 ,figs4 #bfc and #bfd1 which show both sides of pack2 bend over the top1 ,figs4 #bfe and #bff1 and strap ready to carry1 ,figs4 #bfg and #bfh4 ,for a ,,blanket ,,roll ,fold as in ,fig4 #bfi2 bend in the ends and roll 7,fig4 #bgj74 ,strap or lash the ends together 7,fig4 #bga74 ,,chapter ,x ,,saddles ,,how ,,to ,,choose ,a ,,saddle ,,evolution ,,of ,,the ,,mexican ,,saddle ,,birth ,,of ,,the ,,bluff ,,fronted ,,saddle ,,the ,,cowboy ,,age ,,sawbucks ,,or ,,pack ,,saddles ,,straight ,,leg ,,and ,,bent ,,knee ,,names ,,of ,,parts ,,of ,,saddles ,,center ,,fire ,,and ,,double ,,cinch ,,chapter ,x ,,saddles ,,we know that comparatively few of our boys take their hikes on horseback1 especially their camping hikes4 ,but a lot of their daddies and big brothers do take their horse1 and the pack horse on their hunting and fishing trips1 and every boy wants to know how to do the things his daddy knows how to do4 ,besides all that1 the author is aware of the fact that the daddies and the uncles and the big brothers are reading all the stuff he puts out for the boys4 ,they are constantly quoting to the author things that he has said to the boys1 so that now in writing a book for the boys he must count them in4 ,,choose ,a ,,saddle ,,that ,,fits ,everyone knows the misery of an ill-fitting shoe1 and no one in his right mind would think of taking a prolonged hike in shoes that pinched his feet1 but everybody does not know that a saddle should fit the rider2 an ill-fitting saddle can cause almost as much discomfort as an ill-fitting shoe4 ,the best all-around sportsman's saddle in the world is the cowboy saddle of the ,west4 ,a writer in the ,saturday ,evening ,post1 who has written a delightfully intelligent article on saddles1 in speaking of the ,western cow-puncher's saddle1 says3 ,there are many good riders who have never thrown a leg over any other sort of saddle1 and for work on the plains or in the mountains no man who has used one would ever care for any other type4 ,it is as much a distinct product of this continent as is the birch bark canoe or the ,american axe or rifle4 ,like the cowboy hat1 the diamond hitch and the lariat1 the cowboy saddle is evolved from the ,spanish adaptation of the ,moorish saddle4 ,the old-fashioned ,spanish saddle with the heavy wooden block stirrups1 not the bent wood stirrups1 but the big stirrups made out of blocks of wood 7,fig4 #bgc72 such a saddle with stirrups often weighed over sixty pounds4 ,these saddles were garnished with silver and gold1 and the spurs that the rancheros wore had big wheels with bells on them1 and spikes long enough to goad the thick skin of an elephant4 ,i formerly possessed one of the picturesque old saddles on which all the leather work was engraved by hand1 by the use of some tool like a graver1 probably a sharpened nail2 consequently none of the designs was duplicated4 ,in the good old cow days there were two sorts of saddles3 the ,california ,center ,fire and the ,texas ,double ,chinch1 and all those that ,i remember seeing had rather a short horn at the bow with a very broad top sometimes covered with a silver plate2 the seat was also much longer than it is to-day4 ,fig4 #bgb shows a military saddle which is a modified cowboy saddle1 and ,fig4 #bgd shows a comparatively modern cowboy saddle4 ,the up-to-date saddle of to-day has a bulge in front1 not shown on the diagram4 ,in the olden days there were no societies for the prevention of cruelty to animals1 and on the ranges horses were plenty2 therefore1 when one of the long-haired plainsmen1 with his long rifle in front of him on the long saddle1 and the heavy ,spanish-,american trappings to the horse1 killed the horse by overwork1 he simply took off his saddle and trappings1 caught another horse1 mounted it and continued his journey2 there were plenty of horses--why should he worry8 ,later when the cowboy age came in1 the cowboys themselves on the ,southern ranges used the ,spanish-,american outfit2 the only blessing the poor horse had was the blanket under the saddle4 ,illustration3 #bgb 7,a1 ,b1 ,c1 ,d1 ,e1 ,f1 ,g1 ,h1 ,j1 ,k1 ,l1 ,p1 ,s1 ,t71 #bgc1 #bgd 7,m1 ,n1 ,o71 #bge1 #bgf1 #bgg1 #bgh1 #bgi1 #bhj1 #bha1 #bhb1 #bhc1 #bhd1 #bhe ,,pack ,,train ,,outfit ,when the block wooden stirrups were abandoned and the thinner oval stirrups adopted1 the latter were protected by long caps of leather1 the dangling ends of which were silver tipped4 ,the cowboys themselves wore heavy leather breeches called chaps 7an abbreviation of the ,spanish chaparejo74 ,thus with the feet and legs protected they could ride through the cactus plants and dash through the mesquite country without fear of being pricked by the thorns1 no matter what happened to the horse4 ,not only did this leather armor protect them from thorns and branches1 but it also prevented many a broken leg resulting from kicks by burros1 mules and horses4 ,the rolled coat or blanket1 which the bronco busters on the lower ranges in early times lashed across the horse in front of their seat1 is the thing from which the bucking roll was evolved1 and the buckskin bucking roll1 we are told1 is the daddy of the swell or bulged front saddle now used4 ,the old-fashioned cowboy saddle has a narrow front1 but about two decades ago ,,the ,,vidalia ,,saddle-,,tree ,migrated slowly from ,california over the plains1 and was the first one to show the bulged front1 and to change the narrow bow of the cow saddle to the bluff bow of the saddle as used to-day4 ,it is claimed that while this protects the rider from injuries more or less1 it has a tendency not to give a fellow the opportunity of as firm a grip with his legs as did the old narrow bowed cowboy seat4 ,later1 in ,oregon1 they began to manufacture incurved saddles1 so that the rider's legs could fit better under the front1 and the ,wyoming saddle makers caught the idea1 so that to-day the vanishing race of cowboys are using saddles1 which it would have taken a brave man to straddle in the early days1 not because the saddle is dangerous but because it would have looked funny to the old-time boys1 and they would not have been slow in giving expression to boisterous and discomforting merriment4 ,it is an odd thing1 this law of growth or evolution1 and it is a law1 and a fixed law1 certain peculiarities go together2 for instance1 if one goes systematically to work to produce fan-tail pigeons1 one finds that he is also producing pigeons with feathered legs4 ,the breeders have also discovered that in producing a chicken with silky white feathers they unwillingly produce a fowl with black meat4 ,what has this got to do with saddles8 ,only that the same law holds good here3 the more the front bulges in the saddle the more the horns shrivel1 developing a tendency to rake forward and upward2 the stirrups also dwindle in size4 ,the saddle1 which the writer possessed1 has stirrups made of iron rings covered with leather and the caps were lined with sheep's wool4 ,we read that now the narrow half-round oval stirrup is a favorite with the cow-punchers1 which the cowboy uses with his foot thrust all the way in so that the weight of the rider rests upon the middle of the foot4 ,this is as disturbing to the ,european idea of proper form as was the ,declaration of ,independence1 but the ,declaration of ,independence has proved its efficiency by its results2 so also has it been proved that for those who ride all day long the nearer they can come to standing on their feet1 and at the same time relieving the feet of the total weight of the body by resting it on the saddle1 the easier it is to stay in the saddle for long stretches of time2 in other words1 the more comfortable the saddle1 the longer one can occupy it without discomfort1 and that is the reason a saddle should fit the rider4 ,,with ,,western ,,horses ,one must use ,western ways2 remember the horses were educated in the ,west if you were not1 but it is not necessary to use the cruel1 old jaw-breaking ,spanish bits with a ring on them4 ,i have one1 but it only hangs on the studio wall as a souvenir and a curious object of torture4 ,but don't try a straight bit on a ,western horse2 he may spit it out and laugh at you2 use the modern ,western bits1 saddles1 and cinch and you will not go far wrong4 ,of course ,,the ,,pack ,,horse ,is another proposition1 for here you will need a pack sawbuck saddle 7,figs4 #bgf1 #bgg1 #bgh and #bgi72 over this saddle you can swing your two saddle bags1 called alforjas 7,fig4 #bhc74 ,fig4 #bhd is after ,stewart ,edward ,white's diagram1 and shows how the alforjas are lashed fast to the horse's back with a latigo 7,fig4 #bhe74 ,fig4 #bhj is the lash rope which the man above ,fig4 #bhd is using4 ,in ,chapter ,,vii we tell how to throw the diamond hitch4 ,fig4 #bhb shows the cowboy favorite cooking utensil1 the old ,dutch oven1 and it is practically the same model as the one once belonging to ,abraham ,lincoln4 ,a glance at the cross-section of the cover shows you how the edges are dented in to hold the hot ashes heaped on top of it when the bake oven is being used4 ,fig4 #bha is a sketch of two essentials for any sort of a trip3 an axe and a frying pan4 ,of course1 one could write a whole book on horseback work1 saddles and pack saddles4 ,the truth is that one could write a whole book on any subject or any chapter in this book4 ,but my aim is to start you off right2 ,i believe that the way to learn to do a thing ,,is ,,to ,,do ,,it1 and not depend upon your book knowledge4 ,therefore1 when ,i write a book for you boys1 ,i do the best ,i know how to make you understand what ,i am talking about1 and to excite in your mind and heart a desire to do the things talked of2 you must remember1 however1 that no one ever could learn to skate from a school of correspondence or a book1 but one could gain a great deal of useful knowledge about anything from a useful book1 knowledge that will be of great help when one is trying to do the things treated of in the book4 ,i can tell you with the aid of diagrams how to pack a blanket1 and you can follow my diagrams and pack your blanket2 but in order to ride1 skate1 swim or dance1 you must gain the skill by practice4 ,a book1 however1 can tell you the names of the part of the things4 ,,names ,,of ,,parts ,,of ,,saddle ,for instance 7,fig4 #bgb71 ,t is the saddle-tree2 a good saddle-tree is made of five stout pieces of cottonwood which are covered with rawhide2 when the rawhide shrinks it draws the pieces together more tightly and perfectly than they could be fastened by tongue and groove1 glue1 screws or nails2 in fact1 it makes one solid piece of the whole4 ,the horn is fastened on to the tree by its branched legs1 and covered with leather or braided rawhide4 ,the shanks are covered first and then attached to the tree and the thongs are tacked to the saddle-tree1 after which the bulged cover is fitted on4 ,when a good saddle-tree is finished it is as much one piece as is the pelvis of a skeleton4 ,p is the pummel1 ,a is the cantle4 ,s is the side bar of the saddle-tree1 ,c is a quarter strap side1 ,b is the quarter strap cantle1 ,e is the stirrup buckle1 ,f is the outer strap safe1 ,g is the cincha ring1 ,h is the cincha cover2 the cincha strap is unlettered but it connects the cincha ring with the quarter strap ring ,d2 ,j is the cap or leather stirrup cover1 ,l is the wooden stirrup1 ,k is the horsehair cincha4 ,fig4 #bge is one of the saddle pads to fit under the saddle4 ,on ,fig4 #bgd,m is the horn1 ,n the cantle1 ,o the whang leather1 which your saddler will call tie strings4 ,you will note that in ,fig4 #bgd there are two cinchas1 and in ,fig4 #bgb but one4 ,you will also note that in ,fig4 #bgd the skirt of your saddle seems to be double1 or even triple1 and the stirrup rigging comes on top of the skirt1 and this is made up of the back jockey1 front jockey1 and side jockey or seat4 ,now then1 you know all about horseback2 there is nothing more ,i can tell you about the pack horse1 but remember not to swell up with pride because of your vast knowledge1 and try to ride an outlaw horse with an ,eastern riding school bit4 ,but acknowledge yourself a tenderfoot1 a short horn1 a shavetail1 a ,cheechako1 and ask your ,western friends to let you have a horse that knows all the tricks of his trade1 but who has a compassionate heart for a greenhorn4 ,there are lots of such good fellows among the ,western horses1 and they will treat you kindly4 ,i know it because ,i have tried them1 and as ,i said before1 ,i make no boast of being a horseman myself4 ,when ,i get astride of a ,western horse ,i lean over and whisper in his ear1 and confess to him just how green ,i am1 and then put him on his honor to treat me white1 and so far he has always done so4 ,,chapter ,,xi ,,choosing ,a ,,camp ,,site ',,ware ,,single ,,trees ,,or ,,small ,,groups ,,of ,,trees ,,safety ,,in ,,woods ,,or ,,forest ,,keep ,,your ,,eyes ,,open ,,for ,,good ,,camp ,,sites ,,cross ,,streams ,,while ,,crossing ,,is ,,good ,,keep ,,to ,,windward ,,of ,,mosquito ,,holes ',,ware ,,ants' ,,nests ,,how ,,to ,,tell ,,when ,,wind ,,blows ,,evolution ,,of ,,the ,,shack ,,how ,,to ,,sweep ,,how ,,to ,,make ,,camp ,,beds ,,how ,,to ,,divide ,,camp ,,work ,,tent ,,pegs ,,how ,,to ,,pitch ,a ,,tent ,,single-,,handed ,,how ,,to ,,ditch ,a ,,tent ,,use ,,of ,,shears1 ,,gins ,,and ,,tripods ,,chapter ,,xi ,,choosing ,a ,,camp ,,site ,,when choosing a camp site1 if possible1 choose a forest or grove of young trees4 ,first1 because of the shade they give you2 secondly1 because they protect you from storms1 and thirdly1 because they protect you from lightning4 ,single trees1 or small groups of trees in open pastures are exceedingly dangerous during a thunder storm2 tall trees on the shores of a river or lake are particularly selected as targets for thunder bolts by the storm king4 ,but the safest place in a thunder storm1 next to a house1 is a forest4 ,the reason of this is that each wet tree is a lightning rod silently conducting the electric fluid without causing explosions4 ,do not camp at the foot of a very tall tree1 or an old tree with dead branches on it1 for a high wind may break off the branches and drop them on your head with disastrous results2 the big tree itself may fall even when there is no wind at all4 ,once ,i pitched my camp near an immense tree on the ,flathead ,indian ,reservation4 ,a few days later we returned to our old camp4 ,as we stopped and looked at the site where our tents had been pitched we looked at each other solemnly1 but said nothing1 for there1 prone upon the ground1 lay that giant veteran tree6 ,but young trees do not fall down1 and if they did they could not create the havoc caused by the immense bole of the patriarch of the forest when it comes crashing to the earth4 ,a good scout must ,be ,prepared1 and to do so must remember that safety comes first1 and too close neighborhood to a big tree is often unsafe4 ,remember to choose the best camp site that can be found2 do not travel all day1 and as night comes on stop at any old place2 but in the afternoon keep your eyes open for likely spots4 ,halt early enough to give time to have everything snug and in order before dark4 ,in selecting camping ground1 look for a place where good water and wood are handy4 ,choose a high spot with a gentle slope if possible2 guard your spring or water hole from animals1 for if the day is hot your dog will run ahead of the party and jump into the middle of the spring to cool himself1 and horses and cattle will befoul the water4 ,if camping in the ,western states on the shores of a shallow stream which lies along the trail1 cross the stream before making camp or you may not be able to cross it for days4 ,a chinook wind suddenly melting the snows in the distant mountains1 or a cloud-burst miles and miles up stream1 may suddenly send down to you a dangerous flood even in the dry season4 ,i have known of parties being detained for days by one of these sudden roaring floods of water1 which came unannounced1 the great bole of mud1 sticks and logs sweeping by their camp and taking with it everything in its path4 ,a belt of dense timber between camp and a pond or swamp will act as a protection from mosquitoes4 ,as a rule1 keep to windward of mosquito holes2 the little insects travel with the wind1 not against it4 ',ware ant hills1 rotten wood infested with ants1 for they make poor bedfellows and are a nuisance where the food is kept4 ,a bare spot on the earth1 where there are no dry leaves1 is a wind-swept spot2 where the dust-covered leaves lie in heaps the wind does not blow4 ,a windy place is generally free from mosquitoes1 but it is a poor place to build a fire2 a small bank is a great protection from high wind and twisters4 ,during one tornado ,i had a camp under the lee of a small elevation2 we only lost the fly of one tent out of a camp of fifty or more1 while in more exposed places nearby great trees were uprooted and houses unroofed4 ,it must not be supposed that the camping season is past because the summer vacation is over4 ,the real camping season begins in the ,wild ,rice ,moon1 that is1 ,september4 ,even if school or business takes all our time during the week1 we still have week-ends in which to camp4 ,saturday has always been a boys' day4 ,camping is an ,american institution1 because ,america affords the greatest camping ground in the world4 ,the author is seated in his own log house1 built by himself1 on the shores of ,big ,tink ,pond4 ,back of him there is pitched a camp of six rows of tents1 which are filled with a joyful1 noisy crowd of youngsters4 ,it is here in the mountains of ,pike ,county1 ,pennsylvania1 where the bluestone is stratified in horizontal layers1 that one may study the camp from its very birth to the latest and finished product of this century4 ,everywhere in these mountains there are outcroppings of the bluestone1 and wherever the face of a ridge of this stone is exposed to the elements1 the rains or melting snows cause the water to drip from the earth on top of the stone and trickle down over the face of the cliff4 ,then1 when a cold snap turns the moisture into ice in every little crack in the rock1 the expansion of the ice forces the sides of the cracks apart at the seams in the rock until loose pieces from the undersides slide off1 leaving small spaces over which the rock projects4 ,the little caves thus made make retreats for white-footed mice and other small mammals1 chipmunks and cave rats4 ,when these become deeper they may become dens in which snakes sleep through the winter4 ,the openings never grow smaller1 and in course of time are large enough for the coon1 then the fox1 and in olden times they made dens for wolves and panthers1 or a place where the bear would hole up for the winter4 ,time is not considered by ,dame ,nature2 she has no trains to catch1 and as years and centuries roll by the little openings in the bluestone become big enough to form a shelter for a crouching man1 and the crouching man used them as a place in which to camp when the ,norsemen in their dragon ships were braving the unknown ocean4 ,when ,columbus1 with his toy boats1 was blundering around the ,west ,indies1 the crouching man was camping under the bluestone ledges of old ,pike ,county1 ,pennsylvania4 ,there he built his campfires and cooked his beaver and bear and deer and elk1 using dishes of pottery of his own make and ornamented with crude designs traced in the clay before the dishes were baked4 ,we know all this to be true history1 because within a short walk of the author's log house there are overhanging ledges of bluestone1 and underneath these ledges we1 ourselves1 have crouched and camped1 and with sharp sticks have dug up the ground from the layer of earth covering the floor rock4 ,and in this ground we have found bits of pottery1 the split bones of different wild animals--split so that the savage camper might secure the rich marrow from the inside of the bones--arrowheads1 bone awls and needles1 tomahawks1 the skulls of beaver and spearheads2 all these things have been found under the overhanging bluestone4 ,wherever such a bluestone ledge exists1 one may make a good camp by closing up the front of the cave with sticks against the overhanging cliff and thatching the sticks with browse or balsam boughs1 thus making the simplest form of a lean-to4 ,the ,indians used such shelters before the advent of the white man2 ,daniel ,boone used them when he first visited ,kentucky and1 in spite of the great improvement in tents1 the overhanging ledge is still used in ,pennsylvania by fishermen and hunters for overnight camps4 ,but if one uses such a site for his overnight camp or his week's-end camp1 one should not desecrate the ancient abode by introducing under its venerable roof1 modern up-to-date cooking and camp material1 but should exercise ingenuity and manufacture1 as far as possible1 the conveniences and furniture necessary for the camp4 ,since the author is writing this in a camp in the woods1 he will tell the practical things that confront him1 even though he must mention a white man's shop broom4 ,in the first place1 the most noticeable defect in the tenderfoot's work is the manner in which he handles his broom and wears the broom out of shape4 ,a broom may be worn to a stub when properly used1 but the lopsided broom is no use at all because the chump who handled it always used it one way until the broom became a useless1 distorted1 lopsided affair1 with a permanent list to starboard or port1 as the case may be4 ,to sweep properly is an art1 and every all-around outdoor boy and man should learn to sweep and to handle the broom as skillfully as he does his gun or axe4 ,in the first place1 turn the broom every time you notice a tendency of the latter to become one-sided1 then the broom will wear to a stub and still be of use4 ,in the next place1 do not swing the broom up in the air with each sweep and throw the dust up in the clouds1 but so sweep that the end of the stroke keeps the broom near the floor or ground4 ,now a word about making beds4 ,in all books on woodcraft you are directed to secure balsam boughs from which to make your beds1 and there is no better forest bedding than the fragrant balsam boughs1 but unfortunately the mountain goose1 as the hunters call it1 from which you pluck the feathers to make your camp bed1 is not to be found in all localities4 ,a bag filled with dry leaves1 dry grass1 hay or straw will make a very comfortable mattress2 but we are not always in the hay and straw belt and dry leaves are sometimes difficult to secure2 a scout1 however1 must learn to make a bed wherever he happens to be4 ,if there happens to be a swale nearby where brakes and ferns grow luxuriantly1 one can gather an armful of these1 and with them make a mattress4 ,the ,interrupted fern1 the ,cinnamon1 the ,royal fern1 the ,lady fern1 the ,marsh fern and all the larger ferns are useful as material4 ,a camping party should have their work so divided that each one can immediately start at his own particular job the moment a halt is made4 ,one chops up the firewood and sees that a plentiful supply of firewood is always on hand2 usually he carries the water4 ,one makes camp1 puts up the tents1 clears away the rubbish1 fixes the beds1 etc41 while a third attends strictly to kitchen work1 preparing the meals1 and washing up the dishes4 ,with the labor divided in this manner1 things run like clock work and camp is always neat and tidy4 ,roughing it is making the best of it2 only a slob and a chump goes dirty and has a sloppy-looking camp4 ,the real old time veteran and sourdough is a model of neatness and order4 ,but a clean1 orderly camp is much more important than a clean-faced camper4 ,some men think so much of themselves and their own personal cleanliness that they forget their duty to the others4 ,one's duty is about in this proportion3 first to the animals if any1 secondly to the men1 and lastly to oneself4 ,before pitching your tent1 clear out a space for it to occupy2 pick up the stones1 rubbish and sticks1 rake off the ground with a forked stick4 ,but do not be rude to your brother1 the ground pine2 apologize for disturbing it2 be gentle with the fronds of the fern2 do not tear the trailing arbutus vine up by its roots1 or the plant of the almond scented twin flowers2 ask pardon of the thallus of the lichen which you are trampling under your feet4 ,why8 ,o6 well--because they had first right to the place1 and because such little civilities to the natural objects around you put your own mind in accord with nature1 and make camping a much more enjoyable affair4 ,when you feel you are sleeping on the breast of your mother1 the earth1 while your father1 the sky1 with his millions of eyes is watching over you1 and that you are surrounded by your brother1 the plants1 the wilderness is no longer lonesome even to the solitary traveler4 ,another reason for taking this point of view is that it has a humanizing effect and tends to prevent one from becoming a wilderness ,hun and vandal4 ,it also not only makes one hesitate to hack the trees unnecessarily1 but encourages the camper to take pride in leaving a clean trail4 ,as my good friend1 ,john ,muir1 said to me3 ,the camping trip need not be the longest and most dangerous excursion up to the highest mountain1 through the deepest woods or across the wildest torrents1 glaciers or deserts1 in order to be a happy one2 but however short or long1 rough or smooth1 calm or stormy1 it should be one in which the able1 fearless camper sees the most1 learns the most1 loves the most and leaves the cleanest track2 whose camp grounds are never marred by anything unsightly1 scarred trees or blood spots or bones of animals4 ,it is not the object of this book to advertise1 or even advise the use of any particular type of outfitting apparatus other than the plain1 everyday affairs with which all are familiar4 ,what we want to do is to start the reader right1 then he may make his own choice1 selecting an outfit to suit his own taste4 ,there are no two men1 for instance1 who will sing the praise of the same sort of a tent1 but there is perhaps no camper who has not used1 and been very comfortable in1 the old style wall tent4 ,it has its disadvantages1 and so has a house1 a shack or a shanty4 ,as a rule1 the old wall tent is too heavy to carry with comfort and very difficult for one man to pitch alone--unless one knows how4 ,,tent ,,pegs ,are necessary for almost any kind of a tent2 you can buy them at the outfitter's and lose them on the way to camp2 they even have iron and steel tent pegs to help make camping expensive1 and to scatter through the woods4 ,but if you are a real sourdough you will cut your own tent pegs1 shaped according to circumstances and individual taste4 ,fig4 #bhf shows the two principal kinds3 the fork and the notched tent pegs4 ,for the wall tents one will need a ridge pole 7,fig4 #bhh71 and two forked sticks1 or rods1 to support the ridge pole2 the forks on these should be snubbed off close so that they will not thrust themselves up against the canvas on the top of the tent and endanger the fabric2 these poles should be of a proper height2 otherwise if the poles are too long1 the tent will not touch the ground at all1 or if the poles are too short1 the tent will wrinkle all over the ground like a fellow's trousers when his suspenders break4 ,illustration3 #bhf1 #bhg1 #bhh1 #bhi 7,a1 ,b71 #bij1 #bia1 #bib ,,how ,,one ,,man ,,may ,,put ,,up ,a ,,tent ,see that the ground is comparatively level1 but with a slant in one direction or another so that water will drain off in case of rain4 ,never1 for instance1 pitch your tent in a hollow or basin of ground1 unless you want to wake up some night slopping around in a pool of water4 ,do not pitch your tent near a standing dead tree2 it is liable to fall over and crush you in the night4 ,avoid camping under green trees with heavy dead branches on them4 ,remember the real camper always has an eye to safety first1 not because he is a coward1 but because the real camper is as brave a person as you will find anywhere1 and no real brave person believes in the carelessness which produces accidents4 ,do not pitch your tent over protruding stones which will make stumbling-blocks for you on which to stub your toes at night1 or torture you when you spread your blankets over them to sleep4 ,use common sense1 use gumption4 ,of course1 we all know that it hurts one's head to think1 but we must all try it1 nevertheless1 if we are going to live in the big outdoors4 ,at a famous military academy the splendid cavalrymen gave a brilliant exhibition of putting up wall tents2 it required four men to put up each tent4 ,immediately following this some of the scouts took the same tents1 with one scout to each tent1 and in less time than the cavalrymen took for the same job1 the twelve year old boys1 single-handed1 put up the same tents4 ,,how ,,to ,,pitch ,,and ,,ditch ,,single-,,handed ,spread out your tent all ready to erect1 put your ridge pole and your two uprights in place1 and then drive some tent stakes1 using the flat of your axe with which to drive them1 so that you will not split the tops of the stakes 7,fig4 #bhg72 drive the two end stakes ,a and ,b 7,fig4 #bhi7 at an angle to the ends of the tent4 ,after the tent stakes are arranged in a row1 like the ones in ,fig4 #bhi1 adjust the forks of the uprights two inches from the ends of the ridge pole 7,fig4 #bhh71 then make fast the two extreme end guy ropes ,a and ,b to the tent pegs2 the others are unimportant for the present1 after that is done1 raise one tent pole part of the way up 7,fig4 #bij71 then push the other part of the way up 7,fig4 #bia72 gradually adjust these things until the strain is even upon your guy ropes4 ,you will now find that your tent will stand alone1 because the weight is pulling against your guy ropes 7,fig4 #bib74 ,this will hold your tent steady until you can make fast the guy ropes to the pegs upon the other side1 not too tightly1 because you need slack to straighten up your tent poles4 ,next see that the back guy pole is perpendicular1 after which it is a very easy matter to straighten up the front pole and adjust the guy rope so that it will stand stiff as in ,fig4 #bic4 ,remember1 when you are cutting the ridge poles and the uprights1 to select fairly straight sticks1 and they should be as free as possible from rough projections1 which might injure the canvas2 also the poles should be as stiff as possible so as not to sag or cause the roof to belly4 ,illustration3 #bic1 #bid1 #bie1 #bif1 #big1 #bih1 #bii1 #cjj1 #cja1 #cjb1 #cjc1 #cjd1 #cje1 #cjf1 #cjg1 #cjh ,,how ,,to ,,pitch ,,and ,,ditch ,,single-,,handed ,,how ,,to ,,anchor ,a ,,tent ,,in ,,sandy ,,or ,,wet ,,soil ,,ditching ,just as soon as your tent is erected and you feel like resting1 get busy on ditching2 no matter how dry the weather may be at the time1 put a ditch around the tent that will drain the water away from your living place4 ,there is no positive rule for digging this ditch2 it varies according to surface of ground1 but the gutter should be so made that the water will run away from the tents and not to it1 or stand around it 7,fig4 #bid74 ,fig4 #bie shows how to make a tent by folding a floor cloth or piece of tarpaulin2 of course it must have a tent pole to support the top1 and the floor pieces may be drawn together in the center4 ,make one out of a piece of writing paper and you will learn how to do it1 because although the paper is small1 the folds would be just the same as if it was as large as a church4 ,in sandy or soft ground it often taxes one's ingenuity to supply anchors for one's tent2 an anchor is a weight of some sort to which the guy ropes may be attached4 ,fig #bif shows a tent anchored by billets of wood2 these are all supposed to be buried in the ground as in ,fig4 #cjh1 and the ground trampled down over and above them to keep them safe in their graves4 ,fig4 #big shows the first throw in the anchor hitch1 ,fig4 #bih the second throw1 and ,fig4 #bii the complete hitch for the anchor4 ,fig4 #cjc shows the knot by which the anchor rope is tied to the main line4 ,figs4 #cjj1 #cja and #cjb show the detail of tying this knot1 which is simplicity itself1 when you know how1 like most knots4 ,fig4 #cjc shows the anchor hitch complete4 ,stones1 bundles of fagots2 or bags of sand all make useful anchors2 ,fig4 #cjd is a stone2 ,fig4 #cje are half billets of wood1 ,fig4 #cjf shows fagots of wood1 ,fig4 #cjg a bag of sand4 ,all may be used to anchor your tent in the sands or loose ground4 ,,shears1 ,,gins ,,or ,,tripods ,are the names used for different forms of rustic supports for the tents4 ,fig4 #cab shows the ordinary shears1 ,fig4 #cac shows the tent supported by shears2 you will also note that the guy ropes for the tent 7,fig4 #cac7 are made fast to a rod instead of to the pegs in the ground4 ,this has many advantages1 because of the tendency of the rope to tighten or shrink whenever it becomes wet1 which often makes it necessary for a fellow to get up in the night to adjust the guy ropes and redrive the pegs4 ,when the rain is pouring down1 the thunder crashing and the lightning flashing1 it is no fun to go poking around on the wet ground in one's nightie in order that the tent pegs may not be pulled out of the ground by the shrinking ropes1 and the cold mass of wet canvas allowed to fall upon one's head4 ,it is always necessary to loosen and tighten the guy ropes according to the weather2 naturally the longer the guy ropes are the more they will shrink and the more they will stretch as the weather varies4 ,to prevent this1 lay a rod over the ends of the guy rope between the pegs and the tent 7,fig4 #caf;,a7 and it will be an automatic adjuster4 ,when the ropes are dry and stretch1 the weight of this pole will hold them down and keep them taut2 when the guy ropes shrink they will lift the pole1 but the latter will keep the tension on the ropes and keep them adjusted4 ,the arrangement of ,fig4 #cac has the advantage of making a clothes rack for your bed clothes when you wish to air them1 while the weight of the suspended log keeps the tension on the ropes equalized4 ,fig4 #cad shows the shears made by the use of forked sticks4 ,figs4 #cae and #cah show the ridge pole supported by shears1 and the ridge poles supported by forked sticks2 the advantage of the shears in ,fig4 #cae is that it gives a clear opening to the tent4 ,fig4 #caf shows an exterior ridge pole supported by shears to which the top of the tent is made fast4 ,fig4 #cag is the same without the tent4 ,fig4 #cah shows the famous ,vreeland tent2 in this case the ridge pole is supported by a crotched upright stick1 but may be equally well supported by the shears as in ,fig4 #cae4 ,fig4 #cai shows the gin or tripod made by binding the three sticks together4 ,fig4 #cbj shows the same effect made by the use of the forked sticks2 these are useful in pitching wigwams or tepees4 ,illustration3 ,,common ,,tents ,,of ,,the ,,open ,,country ,illustration3 ,,some ,,popular ,,tents ,fig4 #cji shows some of the ordinary forms of tents1 the wall tent1 the ,baker tent and the canoe tent4 ,fig4 #caj shows a tent with a fly extending out in front1 thus giving the piazza or front porch4 ,in the background is a tepee tent4 ,fig4 #caa shows two small ,baker tents in the background1 and the ,dan ,beard tent in the foreground4 ,these comprise the principal forms1 but the open-front tents to-day are much in vogue with the campers4 ,a mosquito netting in front will keep out the insects and allow the air to come in freely1 whereas the old-fashioned way of closing the tent flap stops circulation of air and makes conditions as bad as that of a closed room in a big house1 and the air becomes as foul as it did in the little red school houses and does now in the ,courts of ,justice1 jails and other places of entertainment4 ,,chapter ,,xii ,,axe ,,and ,,saw ,,our ,,greatest ,,axeman ,,importance ,,of ,,the ,,axe ,,what ,,kind ,,of ,,axe ,,to ,,use ,,how ,,to ,,swing ,,an ,,axe ,,how ,,to ,,remove ,a ,,broken ,,axe ,,handle ,,how ,,to ,,tighten ,,the ,,handle ,,in ,,the ,,head ,,accidents ,,the ,,brains ,,of ,,an ,,axe ,,etiquette ,,of ,,the ,,axe ,,how ,,to ,,sharpen ,,an ,,axe ,,how ,,to ,,fall ,a ,,tree ,,how ,,to ,,swamp ,,how ,,to ,,make ,a ,,beetle ,,or ,,mall ,,how ,,to ,,harden ,,green ,,wood ,,how ,,to ,,make ,a ,,firewood ,,hod ,,how ,,to ,,make ,a ,,chopping ,,block ,,the ,,proper ,,way ,,to ,,chop ,,how ,,to ,,make ,,sawbucks ,,for ,,logs ,,how ,,to ,,use ,a ,,parbuckle ,,how ,,to ,,split ,a ,,log ,,how ,,to ,,use ,a ,,sawpit ,,chapter ,,xii ,,axe ,,and ,,saw ,,to all good1 loyal ,americans1 the axe is almost a sacred tool1 for our greatest ,american1 ,abraham ,lincoln1 was one of our greatest axemen4 ,when he was ,president of the ,united ,states he used to exercise by chopping wood1 then laughingly extended his arm holding the axe in a horizontal position by the extreme end of the handle4 ,this he would do without a tremor of the muscle or movement of the axe--some stunt6 ,try it and see if you can do it6 ,the ,american ,indians1 and practically all savages1 used stone and bone implements1 and with such implements the ,redmen were wont to build the most beautiful of all crafts1 the birch bark canoe4 ,if an ,american ,indian produced such wonders with implements made of stones1 flint and bones1 a good red-blooded ,american boy should be able to do the same with a sharp axe2 therefore it should not only be his pleasure but his duty to learn to be a skillful axeman4 ,brother ,jonathan1 the imaginary character who represented the ,american people1 was almost invariably pictured with a jack-knife whittling a stick1 because all early ,americans were skillful in the use of the jack-knife1 but they were also skilled in the use of the axe1 and every boy of twelve years of age knew how to handle an axe4 ,,importance ,,of ,,the ,,axe ,while lecturing at the ,teachers' ,college1 ,columbia ,university1 ,i was asked to give a demonstration of the use of the axe4 ,it then and there suddenly occurred to me that if these grown men needed and asked for instructions in the use of this typical ,american tool1 a talk on the same subject would be welcomed by the ,american boys4 ,the axe is the one necessary tool of the woodsmen2 the axe occupies the same position to the wilderness man that the chest of tools does to the carpenter2 with the axe the woodsman cuts his firewood2 with the axe he makes his traps2 with the axe he splits the shakes1 clapboards1 slabs and shingles from the balsam tree1 or other wood which splits readily1 and with the shakes1 clapboards1 or slabs he shingles the roof of his hogan1 his barabara1 or makes the framework to his sod shack or his dugout1 or with them builds the foundation of a bogken4 ,with his axe he cuts the birch for his birch bark pontiac1 for his lean-to or his log cabin4 ,without an axe it is most difficult for one to even build a raft or to fell a tree to get the birch bark for one's canoe1 or to fall the tree to make a dugout canoe4 ,a tree may be felled by fire1 as the ,indians of old used to fall them1 but this takes a wearisome time4 ,,the ,,kind ,,of ,,axe ,,to ,,use ,when bound for a real camp1 take along with you a real axe4 ,never take an axe which is too large and heavy for you to swing with comfort4 ,it is also best to avoid an axe which is too light1 as with such a tool you must use too much labor to cut the wood4 ,you should select your own axe according to your strength4 ,pick up the axe1 go through the motions of chopping and see if it feels right1 if its balance suits you2 hold up the axe and sight along the top of the handle as you would along the barrel of a gun to see that your handle is not warped4 ,illustration3 #cba1 #cbb1 #cbc1 #cbd1 #cbe1 #cbf1 #cbg1 #cbh1 #cbi ,,abe ,,lincoln ,,the ,,pioneer ,axes may be had of weight and size to suit one's taste4 ,in ,new ,england they use short-handled axes which are not popular in the woods4 ,the axe handles should be well seasoned1 second growth hickory2 a axe has a #ai-;inch handle and weighs two pounds4 ,a axe has a #bd-;inch handle and weighs two and a half pounds4 ,a axe has a #bh-;inch handle and weighs three pounds4 ,a full axe has a #cf-;inch handle and weighs five pounds4 ,probably the best axe for camp work1 when you must carry the axe on your back1 is one with a #cj-;inch second growth hickory handle1 weight about two and three-quarter pounds1 or somewhere between two and three pounds4 ,a light axe of this kind will cut readily and effectively provided it has a slender bit2 that is1 that it does not sheer off too bluntly towards the cutting edge4 ,when you look at the top of such an axe and it appears slender and not bulky1 it will cut well and can be wielded by a boy and is not too light for a man 7,fig4 #cbb74 ,fig4 #cba shows the long-handled ,hudson ,bay axe used much in the ,north country4 ,it is made after the tomahawk form to save weight1 but the blade is broad1 you notice1 to give a wide cutting edge4 ,the trouble with this axe is that it is too light for satisfactory work4 ,fig4 #cbc shows a belt axe of a modified tomahawk shape1 only three of which are in existence2 one was in the possession of the late ,colonel ,roosevelt1 one in the possession of a famous ,english author1 and one in the possession of the writer4 ,these axes were made for the gentlemen to whom they were presented by the ,president of a great tool works2 they are made of the best gray steel and are beautiful tools4 ,fig4 #cbd is an ordinary belt axe practically the same as those used by the ,boy ,scouts4 ,when it was proposed to arm the ,boy ,scouts with guns1 the writer put in strenuous objections and suggested belt axes in place of guns2 the matter of costume and arms was finally referred to him as a committee of one4 ,the uniform was planned after that of the ,scouts of the ,boy ,pioneers of ,america1 and the belt axe adopted is the same as that carried by the ,scouts of the ,sons of ,daniel ,boone1 which axes are modelled after ,daniel ,boone's own tomahawk4 ,fig4 #cbe is a very heavy axe4 ,a ,,word ,,about ,,swinging ,,the ,,axe ,grasp the axe with the left hand1 close to the end of the handle1 even closer than is shown in the diagram 7,fig4 #cbf72 with the right hand grasp the handle close to the head of the axe1 then bring the axe up over your shoulder and as you strike the blow1 allow the right hand to slide down naturally 7,fig4 #cbg71 close to the left hand2 learn to reverse1 that is1 learn to grasp the lower end of the handle with the right hand and the left hand near the top1 so as to swing the axe from the left shoulder down1 as easily as from the right shoulder4 ,to be a real axeman1 a genuine dyed-in-the-wool1 blown-in-the-glass type1 each time you make a stroke with the axe you must emit the breath from your lungs with a noise like ,huh6 ,that1 you know1 sounds very professional and will duly impress the other boys when they watch you chop1 besides which it always seems to really help the force of the blow4 ,,how ,,to ,,remove ,a ,,broken ,,axe ,,handle ,it was from a colored rail splitter from ,virginia1 who worked for the writer1 that the latter learned how to burn out the broken end of the handle from the axe head4 ,bury the blade of your axe in the moist earth and build a fire over the protruding butt 7,fig4 #cbh72 the moist earth will prevent the heat from spoiling the temper of your axe blade while the heat from the fire will char and burn the wood so that it can easily be removed4 ,if you are using a double-bitted axe1 that is1 one of those very useful but villainous tools with two cutting edges1 and the handle breaks off1 make a shallow trench in the dirt1 put the moist soil over each blade1 leaving a hollow in the middle where the axe handle comes and build your fire over this hollow 7,fig4 #cbi74 ,,to ,,tighten ,,the ,,axe ,,head ,if your axe handle is dry and the head loosens1 soak it over night and the wood will swell and tighten the head4 ,scoutmaster ,fitzgerald of ,new ,york says1 ,quite a number of scouts have trouble with the axe slipping off the helve and the first thing they do is to drive a nail which only tends to split the helve and make matters worse4 ,i have discovered a practical way of fixing this4 ,you will note that a wire passes over the head of the axe in the helve in the side view4 ,then in the cross-section in the copper wire is twisted and a little staple driven in to hold it in place4 ,this may answer for a belt axe but the hole in the handle will weaken it and would not be advisable for a large axe 7,fig4 #ccj74 ,,accidents ,we have said that the axe is a chest of tools1 but it is a dangerous chest of tools4 ,while aboard a train coming from one of the big lumber camps1 the writer was astonished to find that although there were but few sick men aboard1 there were many1 many wounded men in the car and none1 that he could find1 wounded by falling trees2 all were wounded by the axe itself or by fragments of knots and sticks flying from blows of the axe and striking the axeman in the eyes or other tender places4 ,,you ,,must ,,supply ,,the ,,brains ,i have often warned my young friends to use great care with firearms1 because firearms are made for the express purpose of killing4 ,a gun1 having no brains of its own1 will kill its owner1 his friends1 his brother or sister1 mother or father1 just as quickly and as surely as it will kill a moose1 a bear or a panther4 ,therefore it is necessary for the gunner to supply the brains for his gun4 ,the same is true with the axeman4 ,edged tools are made for the express purpose of cutting1 and they will cut flesh and bone as quickly and neatly as they will cut wood1 unless the user is skillful in the use of his tool2 that is1 unless he supplies the brains which the tools themselves lack4 ,so you see that it is up to you boys to supply the brains for your axes1 and when you do that1 that is1 when you acquire the skill in the use1 and judgment in the handling1 you will avoid painful and may be dangerous or fatal accidents1 and at the same time you will experience great joy in the handling of your axe4 ,not only this but you will acquire muscle and health in this most vigorous and manly exercise4 ,we are not telling all this to frighten the reader but to instil into his mind a proper respect for edged tools1 especially the axe4 ,,etiquette ,,of ,,the ,,axe #a4 ,an axe to be respected must be sharp and no one who has any ambition to be a pioneer1 a sportsman or a scout1 should carry a dull axe1 or an axe with the edge nicked like a saw blade4 ,it may interest the reader to know that the pencil ,i am using with which to make these notes was sharpened with my camp axe4 #b4 ,no one but a duffer and a chump will use another man's axe without that other man's willing permission4 #c4 ,it is as bad form to ask for the loan of a favorite axe as it is to ask for the loan of a sportsman's best gun or pet fishing rod or toothbrush4 ,illustration3 #ccj1 #cca1 #ccb1 #ccc1 #ccd1 #cce ,,axes ,,and ,,sheaths #d4 ,to turn the edge or to nick another man's axe is a very grave offense4 #e4 ,keep your own axe sharp and clean1 do not use it to cut any object lying on the ground where there is danger of the blade of the axe going through the object and striking a stone2 do not use it to cut roots of trees or bushes for the same reason4 ,beware of knots in hemlock wood and in cold weather beware of knots of any kind4 ,when not in use an axe should have its blade sheathed in leather 7,figs4 #cca1 #ccb1 #ccc and #ccd71 or it should be struck into a log or stump 7,fig4 #cce74 ,it should never be left upon the ground or set up against a tree to endanger the legs and feet of the camper4 ,fig4 #cda shows how a firewood hod is made and used4 ,,how ,,to ,,sharpen ,,your ,,axe ,on the trail we have no grindstones1 and often have recourse to a file with which to sharpen our axe2 sometimes we use a whetstone for the purpose4 ,new axes are not always as sharp as one would wish2 in that case if we use a grindstone to put on an edge we must be sure to keep the grindstone wet in the first place1 and in the second place we must be careful not to throw the edge of the blade out of line4 ,when this occurs it will cause a binding strain on the blade which tends to stop the force of the blow4 ,if the edges are at all out of line1 the probabilities are one will knock a half moon out of the blade in the first attempt to cut frozen timber4 ,the best axe in the world1 with an edge badly out of line1 cannot stand the strain of a blow on hard frozen wood4 ,while grinding the axe take a sight along the edge every once in a while to see if it is true4 ,,the ,,best ,,time ,,to ,,cut ,,or ,,prune ,,trees ,is when the sap is dormant1 which ,i will explain for my younger readers is that time of year when the tree is not full of juice4 ,the reason for this is that when the sap or juice is in the wood when cut1 it will ferment1 bubble and fizzle the same as sweet cider or grape juice will ferment1 and the fermentation will take all the life out of the lumber and give it a tendency to decay2 again to translate for my younger readers1 such wood will rot quicker than wood cut at the proper season of the year4 ,illustration3 #ccf1 #ccg1 #cch1 #cci1 #cdj1 #cda ,,wood-,,yard ,,conveniences ,with pine trees1 however1 this is not always the case1 because the pitchy nature of the sap of the pine prevents it from fermenting like beech sap2 in fact1 the pitch acts as a preservative and mummifies1 so to speak1 the wood4 ,pine knots will last for a hundred years lying in the soft1 moist ground and for aught ,i know1 longer1 because they are fat with pitch and the pitch prevents decay4 ,beech when cut in ,june is unfit for firewood the following winter1 but authorities say that the same trees cut in ,august and left with the branches still on them for twenty or thirty days1 will make firmer and livelier timber than that cut under any other conditions4 ,an expert lumberman in ten minutes' time will cut down a hardwood tree one foot in diameter1 and it will not take him over four minutes to cut down a softwood tree of the same size4 ,,clear ,,away ,,everything ,before attempting to chop down a tree2 in fact1 before attempting to chop anything1 be careful to see that there are no clothes lines overhead1 if you are chopping in your backyard1 or if you are chopping in the forests see that there are no vines1 twigs1 or branches within swing of your axe4 ,by carefully removing all such things you will remove one of the greatest causes of accidents in the wilderness1 for as slight a thing as a little twig can deflect1 that is1 turn1 the blade of your axe from its course and cause the loss of a toe1 a foot1 or even a leg4 ,this is the reason that swamping is the most dangerous part of the lumberman's work4 ,,how ,,to ,,fall ,a ,,tree ,if the tree1 in falling1 must pass between two other trees where there is danger of its hanging1 so cut your kerf that the tree in falling will strike the ground nearest the smallest of the trees1 or nearest the one furthest away4 ,then1 as the tree falls1 and brushes the side of the smallest tree or the one furthest away1 it will bounce away1 thus giving the fallen tree an opportunity to bump its way down to the place on the ground selected for it1 in place of hanging by its bough in the boughs of other trees4 ,do not try to fall a tree between two others that are standing close together2 it cannot be successfully done1 for the tops of the three trees will become interlaced1 and you will find it very difficult and hazardous work to attempt to free your fallen tree from its entanglement2 probably it cannot be done without cutting one or both of the other trees down4 ,the truth is1 one must mix brains with every stroke of the axe or one will get into trouble4 ,where possible select a tree that may be made to fall in an open space where the prostrate trunk can be easily handled4 ,cut your kerf on the side toward the landing place1 let the notch go half-way or a trifle more through the trunk4 ,make the notch or kerf as wide as the radius1 that is1 half the diameter of the tree trunk 7,fig4 #cdd71 otherwise you will have your axe pinched or wedged before you have the kerf done and will find it necessary to enlarge your notch or kerf4 ,score first at the top part of the proposed notch1 then at the bottom1 making as big chips as possible1 and hew out the space between1 cutting the top parts of the notch at an angle but the bottom part nearly horizontal4 ,when this notch or kerf is cut to half or a little more than half of the diameter of the tree1 cut another notch upon the opposite side of the tree at a point a few inches higher than the notch already cut2 when this notch is cut far enough the tree will begin to tremble and crack to warn you to step to one side4 ,don't get behind the tree2 it may kick and kill you2 step to one side and watch the tree as it falls2 there are many things that may deflect it in falling1 and one's safety lies in being alert and watching it fall4 ,also keep your eye aloft to watch for limbs which may break off and come down with sufficient force to disable you2 accidents of this kind frequently happen1 but seldom or never happen where the axeman uses common sense or due caution4 ,,how ,,to ,,trim ,,or ,,swamp ,after a tree is felled1 the swampers take charge of it and cut away all the branches1 leaving the clean log for the teamsters to snake4 ,they do the swamping by striking the lower side of the branch with the blade of the axe1 the side towards the root of the tree1 what might be called the underside1 and chopping upwards towards the top of the tree4 ,small branches will come off with a single blow of the axe4 ,when the tree has been swamped and the long trunk lies naked on the turf1 it will1 in all probability1 be necessary to cut it into logs of required lengths4 ,if the trunk is a thick one it is best to cut it by standing on the tree trunk with legs apart 7,fig4 #ccf71 and chopping between one's feet1 making the kerf equal to the diameter of the log4 ,do this for two reasons3 it is much easier to stand on a log and cut it in two that way than to cut it part the way through the top side1 and then laboriously roll it over and cut from the underside2 also when you make the notch wide enough you can cut all the way through the log without wedging your axe4 ,to split up the log you should have ,a ,,beetle ,,or ,,mall1 ,a thing usually to be found among the tools in the backwoodsman's hut and permanent camps2 of course we do not take the time to make them for an overnight camp or a temporary camping place1 but they are very handy at a stationary camp4 ,to make one select a hardwood tree1 which1 when stripped of its bark will measure about five inches in diameter4 ,the tree selected should not be one that would split easily but may be a young oak1 beech or hickory1 which with the bark on is six or seven inches in diameter at the butt4 ,in chopping this tree down leave a stump tall enough from which to fashion your beetle1 and while the stump is still standing hew the top part until you have a handle scant two feet in length1 leaving for the hammer head1 so to speak1 a butt of ten inches1 counting from the part where the roots join the trunk4 ,before cutting the stump off above the ground1 dig all around the roots1 carefully scraping away all stones and pebbles1 then cut the roots off close up to the stump1 for this is the hardest part of the wood and makes the best mall head 7,fig4 #ccg74 ,,how ,,to ,,make ,,the ,,gluts ,,or ,,wedges ,farmers claim that the best wedges are made of applewood1 or locust wood2 never use green wedges if seasoned ones may be obtained1 for one seasoned wedge is worth many green ones4 ,in the north woods1 or1 in fact1 in any woods1 applewood cannot be obtained1 but dogwood and ironwood make good substitutes even when used green 7,figs4 #cch and #ceg74 ,,how ,,to ,,harden ,,green ,,wood ,many of the ,southern ,indians in the early history of ,america tipped their arrows with bits of cane2 these green arrow points they hardened by slightly charring them with the hot ashes of the fire4 ,gluts may be hardened in the same manner2 do not burn them2 try to heat them just sufficiently to force the sap out and harden the surface4 ,where dogwood1 ironwood and applewood are not to be obtained1 make your gluts of what is at hand2 that is true woodcraft 7,fig4 #ccg74 ,illustration3 #cdb1 #cdc1 #cdd1 #cde1 #cdf1 #cdg1 #cdh1 #cdi1 #cej1 #cea1 #ceb1 #cec1 #ced1 #cee1 #cef1 #ceg1 #ceh1 #cei1 #cfa ,a year or two ago1 while trailing a moose1 we ran across the ruins of a lumber camp that had been wiped out by fire1 and here we picked up half a dozen axe heads among the moose tracks4 ,these axe heads we used as gluts to split our wood as long as we remained in that camp1 and by their aid we built a shack of board rived from balsam logs4 ,fig4 #cda shows how to make and how to use firewood hods on farms or at permanent camps4 ,,how ,,to ,,make ,a ,,chopping ,,block ,after you have cut the crotch and trimmed it down into the form of ,fig4 #cci1 you may find it convenient to flatten the thing on one side4 ,this you do by hewing and scoring2 that is1 by cutting a series of notches all of the same depth1 and then splitting off the wood between the notches1 as one would in making a puncheon 7,fig4 #cdb74 7,a puncheon is a log flattened on one or both sides47 ,with this flattened crotch one may1 by sinking another flattened log in the earth and placing the chopping block on top1 have a chopping block like that shown in ,fig4 #cdc4 ,or one may take the crotch1 spike a piece of board across as in ,fig4 #cci and use that1 and the best chopping block or crotch block is the one shown in ,fig4 #cci1 with the puncheon or slab spiked onto the ends of the crotch4 ,in this case the two ends of the crotch should be cut off with a saw1 if you have one1 so as to give the proper flat surface to which to nail the slab4 ,then the kindling wood may be split without danger to yourself or the edge of the hatchet4 ,,chop ,,it ,,the ,,right ,,way ,if you are using an ordinary stick of wood for a chopping block1 and the stick you are about to chop rests solidly on top of the block where the axe strikes it will cut all right1 but if you strike where the stick does not touch the chopping block the blow will stun the hand holding the stick in a very disagreeable manner4 ,if you hold your stick against the chopping block with your foot1 there is always danger of cutting off your toe2 if you hold the stick with your hand and strike it with the axe1 there is danger of cutting off your fingers4 ,when ,i say there is danger ,i mean it4 ,one of our scouts cut his thumb off1 another cut off one finger1 and one of my friends in the ,north woods of ,canada cut off his great toe4 ,in hunting for ,indian relics in an old camping cave in ,pennsylvania1 my companion1 ,mr4 ,elmer ,gregor1 made the gruesome find of a dried human finger near the embers of an ancient campfire1 telling the story of a camping accident ages ago1 but evidently after white man's edged tools were introduced4 ,if you have no chopping block and wish to cut your firewood into smaller pieces1 you can hold the stick safely with the hand if you use the axe as shown in ,fig4 #cde4 ,this will give you as a result two sticks1 and the upper one will have some great splinters4 ,,how ,,to ,,split ,,kindling ,,wood ,when splitting wood for the fire or kindling1 make the first blow as in ,fig4 #cdf1 and the second blow in the same place1 but a trifle slanting as in ,fig4 #cdg2 the slanting blow wedges the wood apart and splits it4 ,if the wood is small and splits readily1 the slanting blow may be made first4 ,these things can only be indicated to the readers because there are so many circumstances which govern the case4 ,if there is a knot in the wood1 strike the axe right over the knot as in ,figs4 #cdh and #cdi4 ,if you are chopping across the grain do not strike perpendicularly as in ,fig4 #cej1 because if the wood is hard the axe will simply bounce back1 but strike a slanting blow as in ,fig4 #cea1 and the axe blade will bite deeply into the wood2 again let us caution you that if you put too much of a slant on your axe in striking the wood1 it will cut out a shallow chip without materially impeding the force of the blow1 and your axe will swing around to the peril of yourself or anyone else within reach2 again this is a thing which you must learn to practice4 ,in using the chopping block be very careful not to put a log in front of the crotch as in ,fig4 #cdj1 and then strike a heavy blow with the axe1 for the reason that if you split the wood with the first blow your axe handle will come down heavily and suddenly upon the front log1 and no matter how good a handle it may be1 it will break into fragments1 as the writer has discovered by sad experience4 ,a lost axe handle in the woods is a severe loss1 and one to be avoided1 for although a makeshift handle may be fashioned at camp1 it never answers the purpose as well as the skillfully and artistically made handle which comes with the axe4 ,,holders ,,or ,,saw ,,bucks ,,for ,,logs ,select two saplings about five inches in diameter at the butts1 bore holes near the butts about six inches from the end for legs1 make a couple of stout legs about the size of an old-fashioned drey pin1 and about twenty inches long1 split the ends carefully1 sufficiently to insert wedges therein1 then drive the wedge and ends into the hole bored for the purpose4 ,when the sticks are driven home the wedge will hold them in place4 ,you now have a couple of straddle bugs1 that is1 poles1 the small ends of which rest upon the ground and the butt ends supported by two legs4 ,in the top of the poles bore a number of holes for pins1 make your pins a little longer than the diameter of the log you intend to saw2 the pins are used exactly like the old-fashioned drey pins1 that is1 you roll the log up the incline to the two straddle bugs and hold the logs in place by putting pins in the nearest holes4 ,of course1 the pins should work easily in and out of the holes 7,fig4 #ceg74 ,with such an arrangement one man can unaided easily roll a log two feet in diameter up upon the buck2 the log is then in a position to be cut up with a cross-cut saw 7,fig4 #ceg74 ,another form of sawbuck may be made of a puncheon stool 7,fig4 #ceh71 with holes bored diagonally in the top for the insertion of pins with which to hold the log in place while it is being sawed4 ,but with this sawbuck one cannot use as heavy logs as with the first one because of the difficulty in handling them4 ,i have just returned from a trip up into the woods where they still use the primitive pioneer methods of handling and cutting timber1 and ,i note up there in ,pike ,county1 ,pennsylvania1 they make the sawbuck for logs by using a log of wood about a foot in diameter and boring holes diagonally through the log near each end 7,fig4 #cei72 through these holes they drive the legs so that the ends of them protrude at the top and form a crotch to hold the wood to be sawed4 ,the sawbuck is about ten or twelve feet long2 consequently1 in order to provide for shorter logs there are two sets of pegs driven in holes bored for the purpose between the ends of the buck4 ,,the ,,parbuckle ,when one person is handling a heavy log it is sometimes difficult1 even with the lumberman's canthook1 to roll it1 but if a loop is made in a rope and placed over a stump or a heavy stone 7,fig4 #cfj71 and the ends run under the log1 even a boy can roll quite a heavy piece of timber by pulling on the ends of the rope 7,fig4 #cfj74 ,,to ,,split ,a ,,log ,the method used by all woodsmen in splitting a log is the same as used by quarrymen in splitting bluestone1 with this difference3 the quarryman hunts for a natural seam in the stone and drives the wedge in the seam1 while the lumberman makes a seam in the form of a crack in the log by a blow from his axe4 ,in the crack he drives the wedge 7,figs4 #ceb and #cec74 ,but if the log is a long one he must lengthen the crack or seam by driving other wedges or gluts 7,fig4 #cec71 or he may do it by using two or more axes 7,fig4 #ceb74 ,if he wishes to split the logs up into shakes1 clapboards or splits1 he first halves the log1 that is1 splitting it across from ,a to ,b 7,fig4 #cef71 and then quarters it by splitting from ,c to ,d1 and so on until he has the splits of the required size4 ,a ,,sawpit ,in the olden times1 the good old times1 when people did things with their own hands1 and thus acquired great skill with the use of their hands1 boards were sawed out from the logs by placing the log on a scaffolding over a sawpit 7,fig4 #cfa74 ,in the good old times1 the slow old times1 the safe old times1 a house was not built in a week or a month2 the timber was well seasoned1 well selected1 and in many cases such houses are standing to-day6 ,on the next block where ,i live and from where ,i am writing1 and across the street1 there stands a house still occupied which was built in #affa4 ,it is the house that ,fox1 the ,quaker1 was quartered in when he was preaching under the spreading oaks on ,long ,island4 ,the timbers of this house are still sound and strong1 although the woodwork in nearby modern houses is decaying4 ,in the mountains of ,kentucky and ,tennessee they still use the sawpit1 and the logs are held in place by jacks 7,fig4 #cee71 which are branches of trees hooked over the log and the longest fork of the branch is then sprung under the supporting cross-piece 7,fig4 #cfa74 ,of course1 the boy readers of this book are not going to be top sawyers or make use of a sawpit2 that is a real man's work1 a big ,,he man's work1 but the boys of to-day should know all these things2 it is part of history and they can better understand the history of our own country when they know how laboriously1 cheerily and cheerfully their ancestors worked to build their own homesteads1 and in the building of their own homesteads they unconsciously built that character of which their descendants are so proud2 also they built up a physique that was healthy1 and a sturdy body for which their descendants are particularly thankful1 because good health and good physique are hereditary1 that is1 boys1 if your parents1 your grandparents and your great grandparents were all healthy1 wholesome people1 you started your life as a healthy1 wholesome child4 ,in this chapter the writer has emphasized the danger of edged tools for beginners1 but he did that to make them careful in the use of the axe1 not to discourage them in acquiring skill with it4 ,we must remember that there is nothing in life that is not dangerous1 and the greatest danger of all is not firearms1 is not edged tools1 is not wild beasts1 is not tornadoes or earthquakes1 avalanches or floods1 but it is ,,luxury2 expressed in boy language1 it is ice cream1 soda water1 candy1 servants and automobiles2 it is everything which tends to make a boy dependent upon others and soft in mind and muscle and to make him a sissy4 ,but hardship1 in the sense of undergoing privation and doing hard work like chopping trees and sawing logs1 makes a rugged body1 a clean1 healthy mind1 and gives long life4 ,so1 boys1 don't be afraid to build your own little shack1 shanty or shelter1 to chop the kindling wood for your mother1 to split up logs for the fun of doing it1 or just to show that you know how4 ,don't be afraid to be a real pioneer so that you may grow up to be a real ,abe ,lincoln6 ,if ,i am talking to men1 they need no detailed definition of luxury2 they know all about it1 its cause and its effect2 they also know that luxury kills a race and hardship preserves a race4 ,the ,american boy should be taught to love hardship for hardship's sake1 and then the ,americans as a race will be a success1 and a lasting one4 ,,chapter ,,xiii ,,council ,,grounds ,,and ,,fires ,,cherokee ,,indian ,,council ,,barbecue ,,camp ,,meeting ,,council ,,ground ,,the ,,indian ,,palisaded ,,council ,,fire ,,indian ,,legends ,,of ,,the ,,fire ,,stealing ,,the ,,fire ,,from ,,the ,,sun-,,maidens ,,of ,,the ,,east ,,myths ,,of ,,the ,,mewan ,,indians ,,totems ,,of ,,the ,,four ,,winds1 ,,four ,,mountains ,,and ,,four ,,points ,,of ,,the ,,compass ,,impractical ,,council ,,fires ,,advantages ,,of ,,the ,,oval ,,council ,,ground ,,how ,,to ,,make ,,an ,,ellipse ,,how ,,to ,,divide ,,the ,,council ,,ground ,,in ,,four ,,courts ,,council ,,ceremonies ,,ghost ,,walk ,,and ,,path ,,of ,,knowledge ,,what ,,the ,,different ,,colors ,,stand ,,for ,,patriotism1 ,,poetry ,,and ,,americanism ,,camp ,,meeting ,,torch ,,fires ,,chapter ,,xiii ,,council ,,grounds ,,and ,,fires ,,now that we have learned about the serious part of camping1 hiking and woodcraft1 about fire-building1 cooking and axe work1 we will leave the long trail and the hard trail and dump our duffel bag in a recreation camp1 a ,boy ,scout camp1 a ,y4,m4,c4,a4 camp1 or a school camp1 and after we have pitched our tent and arranged our cot to suit our own convenience and everything is ship-shape for the night1 it is time for us to get busy on our good turn and do something for the crowd4 ,like the great ,boy ,scout ,movement1 the council fire is also a product of ,america4 ,the council fires were burning all over this land when ,columbus discovered ,america4 ,it was around the council fires that the ,indians gathered in solemn conclave to consult and discuss the affairs of their tribes4 ,originally the council ground was surrounded by a palisade2 that is1 the fire was in the center of a circular fort4 ,around this fire the old men of the tribe made their eloquent addresses2 also around this fire the warriors danced the scalp dance1 the corn dance1 the buffalo dance1 and all their various religious dances4 ,later the ,cherokee ,indians changed the council fire into a barbecue1 where they roasted whole beefs in pits of glowing coals4 ,this custom was adopted by the politicians in ,kentucky1 and the ,kentucky barbecues became very famous2 they were what might be called a by-product of the old ,indian council fires and a ,european feast combined4 ,but in #agii the old ,indian council fires became camp meetings1 and around the blazing fagots the pioneers gathered to engage in religious revivals4 ,it was at one of these meetings that ,daniel ,boone's great friend1 ,simon ,kenton1 was converted and became a ,methodist4 ,the camp meetings were originated by two brothers by the name of ,mc,gee4 ,bill ,mc,gee was a ,presbyterian1 and ,john ,mc,gee a ,methodist minister4 ,they came to ,kentucky from ,west ,tennessee4 ,john ,mc,gee was such a great backwoods preacher 7a pioneer ,billy ,sunday7 that he drew immense crowds of buckskin-clad men1 each of whom carried a cow's horn powder flask and a long barreled rifle4 ,the small buildings used for churches in the pioneer settlements could not hold the crowd1 so they gathered around blazing council fires1 and from this beginning came the great religious revival which swept the border with a wave of religious enthusiasm4 ,it is a far call back to the old ,indian council fire1 and the blazing council fires of the pioneer camp meetings1 but to-day all over this land we are holding similar council fires1 many of them conducted with much ceremony1 and not a few with religious fervor4 ,the summer hotels have their council fires2 the great ,camp ,fire ,club of ,america1 composed of all the famous big game hunters1 have lately bought a tract of land for the purpose of holding their council fires in the open1 and the writer interrupted the writing of this chapter to attend one of the club's council fires4 ,the military schools are holding council fires1 and everywhere the ,boy ,scouts have their council fires blazing2 even the girls have fallen in line1 and this is as it should be4 ,therefore it is time that some regular plan was made for these assemblies1 and some suggestion of ceremony and some meaning given to the council grounds4 ,,the ,,indian ,,origins ,we have searched the legends of the ,red ,man for suggestions1 and from various sources have learned that the ,indian had a general belief that at the north there is a yellow or black mountain1 at the east there is a white mountain of light1 at the south there is a red mountain1 and at the west there is a blue mountain4 ,at the east and west there are also holes in the sky1 through which the sun comes to light us by day1 and through which the sun disappears so that we may sleep by night4 ,that is news to most of my readers1 but not to the ,red ,men4 ,in the ,dawn of the ,world1 ,dr4 ,c4 ,hart ,merriam gives a collection of ,the ,myths and ,weird ,tales told by the ,mewan ,indians of ,california1 which are full of poetry and suggestions useful for the council fire work4 ,it seems that when the white-footed mouse man1 and some other of the animal people1 were trying to steal the sun1 or the fire from which the sun was made1 the robin man1 ,wit-tab-bah1 suspected these visitors to be sort of ,german spies1 and so he hovered over the fire1 spreading his wings and tail to protect it4 ,now if you don't believe this you look at the robin's breast and you will see that he still carries the red marks of the fire1 which is proof enough for anyone2 hence we will give the fire-keeper for our council the name of ,wit-tab-bah1 the robin4 ,since the north is presided over by the totem of the mountain lion1 or panther1 we will give the officer occupying that court the ,indian name of the mountain lion1 ,he-le-jah4 ,the totem of the east is the white timber wolf1 ,too-le-ze2 the color of that court is white1 representing light4 ,the totem of the south court is the badger2 the color is red and the ,indian name is ,too-winks4 ,the color of the west court is blue and the totem is the bear2 ,kor-le is the ,indian name of the bear1 and the title of the officer presiding over the blue totem4 ,the golden or yellow court is the throne of the presiding officer1 the scoutmaster of the troop1 the headmaster of the school1 the gangmaster of your gang1 the campmaster of your camp1 or the captain of your team4 ,the second in command occupies the white court1 the third the red court1 and the fourth the blue court4 ,if your council is a military school the commandant occupies the yellow court1 the lieutenant-colonel the white court1 the major the red court and the first captain the blue court4 ,now that you have that straight in your heads we will proceed to lay out the court4 ,the author is aware of the fact that the general reader may be more interested in scout camping1 summer camping1 and recreation camps than in real wilderness work1 but he has tried to impress upon the boys and girls1 too1 for that matter1 the fact that the knowledge of real wilderness work will make even the near-at-home camping easier for them1 and very much more interesting2 it will also cause them to enjoy the council fire better and have a greater appreciation for everything pertaining to outdoor life4 ,the wilderness campfire over which the solitary explorer or hunter hovers1 or around which a group of hunters assemble and spin their yarns1 magnified and enlarged to a big blazing fire becomes the council fire around which gather all the members of a recreation camp1 the pupils of an outdoor school1 a troop or many troops of ,boy ,scouts2 therefore we have given the council fire serious study1 because the most inconvenient as well as the most romantic place to talk is at ,illustration3 #cfg1 #cfh1 #cgj1 #cgc1 #chb1 #chi ,illustration ,illustration3 #cfb1 #cfc1 #cfd1 #cfe1 #cff ,,how ,,to ,,lay ,,out ,a ,,council ,,ground ,,the ,,council ,,fire ,there could be no more impractical plan for a place to speak than a circle with a big fire in the middle of it1 and that is the plan of all the council grounds4 ,the audience must be seated on the circumference of the circle1 and the ,master of ,ceremonies must stand necessarily with his face to the fire and his back to part of his audience1 or his back to the fire and consequently also to the part of the audience on the other side of the fire4 ,having had occasion over and over again to address the scouts at a council fire1 the writer has had all the discomforts impressed upon him many times4 ,as a rule1 the boys are enthusiastic1 and so are the men1 and the enthusiasm is most often displayed by the size of the fire2 the bigger the fire the greater the delight of the boys and the more difficult the position of the orator or ,master of ,ceremonies4 ,all this may be overcome1 however1 if in place of a circle the council grounds are laid out in an oval or an ellipse1 and the fire-place located near one end of the ellipse 7,fig4 #cga74 ,,how ,,to ,,describe ,,an ,,ellipse ,after you have decided upon the size of your council grounds1 drive two stakes ,a and ,b 7,figs4 #cfc and #cfe7 firmly into the ground2 then take a cord1 clothesline1 or some kind of twine 7,fig4 #cfb71 and tie the ends together1 thus forming a loop 7,fig4 #cfc72 put the loop over the two stakes ,a and ,b2 next make a marker stake ,c 7,fig4 #cff71 and with it draw the slack of the line taut as in ,fig4 #cfd4 ,the ellipse is marked out as in ,fig4 #cfe4 ,this is done by taking firm hold of the top of the stake and using care to keep the line taut while the marker walks around the ground scratching the earth with the point of the marking stick1 and allowing the cord to slip smoothly across the stick while the marking is being done 7,fig4 #cfd74 ,,what ,,is ,,an ,,ellipse8 ,an ellipse might be called a flattened circle4 ,if you take a tin can and press the two sides of the open end of it inwards1 it will form an ellipse4 ,the dictionary says that an ellipse is a conic which does not extend to infinity and whose intersections with the line of infinity are imaginary4 ,now that is a very lucid explanation6 ,i hope you understand it1 it is so simple1 but it is just like a dictionary to say such terrible things about a harmless ellipse4 ,to tell the truth1 ,i thought ,i knew all about an ellipse until ,i read this explanation2 but never mind1 we know what it looks like and if we do not know what it is1 we do know that there are a lot of things besides ellipses that do not extend to infinity1 and we also know that an ellipse is a practical form for a council fire in spite of the hard names the dictionary calls it4 ,this oval is really shaped like the body of a theatre and it gives the audience a chance to see what is doing on the stage1 and the people on the stage a chance to see and address the audience4 ,,how ,,to ,,divide ,,the ,,council ,,fire ,,ground ,this infinity talk has suggested to us a good idea1 so we must thank our highbrow dictionary while we lay our council ground out with the major axis 7the longest diameter7 extending due north and south1 and the minor axis 7the shortest diameter7 extending due east and west1 like any other well regulated council or lodge1 and we will put the fire-place near the southern end ,s 7,fig4 #cga71 while around the ellipse we will arrange the seats1 which may be of logs or stumps or sections of logs set up on end1 as ,i used in one of my camps1 or the seats may be rough plank benches1 or they may be ponchos spread upon the ground with the shiny side down to keep the dampness from the audience as it squats tailor-fashion upon the ponchos4 ,,the ,,four ,,courts ,are composed of shacks1 such as are shown by ,fig4 #cfg4 ,he-le-jah 7,fig4 #cga71 being the ,court of ,knowledge1 is the only court having an elevated platform1 or pulpit1 or speaker's stand 7,fig4 #cfh74 ,on each side of each court there should be a torch2 ,fig4 #cfi is what we will call the camp meeting torch2 ,fig4 #cgj is what we will call the steamboat torch2 it must be made by a blacksmith4 ,it is an iron basket supported by iron chains1 hung down from an iron band at the top of a staff2 the latter is shod with an iron point so that it may be thrust into the ground4 ,these fire baskets ,i have used with success in one of my camps4 ,but homemade torches are to be preferred 7see ,fig4 #cfi74 ,a hand torch 7,fig4 #cgc7 may be made of pine1 spruce or cedar slivers and used for processions entering the council grounds2 this gives a thrilling effect4 ,in the diagram 7,fig4 #cgj71 the staff is short1 but it should be long enough to place the torch as high above the ground as a chandelier is above the floor at home4 ,fig4 #cgb shows the method of piling up the wood for the council fire4 ,the kindling wood is first placed upon the ground ready to light at a moment's notice2 over that the heavy wood is piled1 as shown in the diagram4 ,this fire should never be lighted with a match2 that is terrible bad form4 ,the use of flint and steel or a rubbing stick to make fire is the proper ceremony for such occasions4 ,fig4 #cgd shows how to make a fire box of sticks4 ,this is an aeroplane view of a fire box1 that is1 a view from above1 looking down upon it4 ,this box should be filled with sand1 clay or dirt1 upon which the fire is built4 ,fig4 #cge and ,fig4 #cgf show you how to lash the framework together4 ,fig4 #cgg shows how to put up the framework4 ,fig4 #cfi is the finished torch4 ,the idea of this torch is to have the light above the heads of the campers4 ,the trouble with a fire upon the ground is that while the flames give light they also hide part of the crowd1 and the smoke is always in someone's face4 ,this elevated torch is a brand new idea for this purpose4 ,it will be adopted all over the country and credited to all sorts of sources and people1 but you must remember that it was designed for the readers of this book4 ,if milled lumber is used in building the shacks for the four courts1 it should be camouflaged with paint or stain so as to look rustic4 ,it may be roofed with boards and the boards covered with tar paper1 or any of the modern roofing materials to be had1 but in that case the roof should be camouflaged by laying poles over the top of it1 or1 if poles are not available1 covering the top with sods4 ,you see the idea is this3 we are having a ,,council ,,fire--not something else--and we want the thing to look wild and rustic because that is part of the game1 and if we are compelled to go to the lumberyard for our material1 which most of us will have to do1 then we must conceal this fact as far as possible by camouflage4 ,in front of the ,south ,court on ,fig4 #cga is the fire-place made of flat stones set in the earth4 ,,council ,,fire ,,ceremonies ,on entering the council grounds always enter from the east1 salute ,too-le-ze1 the white wolf1 then go across the ,ghost ,walk with the sun to the ,west ,court1 and salute ,kor-le1 the bear2 about face and march back to the ,south ,court and salute ,too-winks1 the badger2 then about face and march up and salute ,he-le-jah1 the panther2 remain standing at salute until ,he-le-jah who is the commanding officer1 gives you permission to retire1 or gives you orders what to do2 then go back1 always moving along these walks like a soldier1 to your seat4 ,illustration3 #cgd1 #cge1 #cgf1 #cgg ,,details ,,of ,,camp ,,meeting ,,torch ,,stand ,,sand ,,box ,on ,sundays the council ground is a splendid place for holding religious services4 ,on such occasions the minister sits in the ,court of ,knowledge1 the ,north ,court on the right-hand side of the presiding officer1 and the two torches in the daytime are replaced by flags or banners4 ,the one on the right-hand side of the presiding officer must be ,old ,glory1 the one on the left the flag of the school1 the troop or the club to which the council fire belongs4 ,the center of the council fire may be occupied by a ,liberty ,pole1 which is the good old ,american name for the flag pole1 from which ,old ,glory flies4 ,never forget to respect the colors and greet them with the greatest ceremonial deference1 for those colors possess a magic quality2 they represent to you everything that is grand1 noble and inspiring1 and if you have any other kind of thoughts1 this country is no place for you4 ,remember that the council fire is ,american1 and we are proud to be called ,americans4 ,the walk1 or path from the east to the west is the ,ghost ,walk1 or the ,spirit's ,walk2 it is the path which ,indians believe the spirit takes after leaving the body1 an idea which was consciously or unconsciously adopted by our brave boys during the recent war and it explains what they meant when1 with bowed heads1 they reported that their bunky1 pal or friend had gone ,west4 ,the ,western ,court has the totem animal of the black bear2 the color of the court1 however1 is not black but blue1 blue from the blue ,pacific2 the totem object is a blue mountain4 ,the walk from the south to the north is the ,path of ,knowledge2 anyone traveling that trail is seeking further knowledge of the benefits of woodcraft1 nature and the big outdoors2 the totem animal of the ,north ,court is the ,american panther1 cougar or mountain lion2 the color of the ,north ,court is yellow or black1 the latter representing the long arctic night4 ,the ,southern ,court has the badger for its totem animal1 and the red mountain for the totem object2 red is its totem color4 ,thus we have white for the totem color of the east1 meaning light1 peace and purity2 red for the south1 meaning violence1 disturbance1 auction1 danger1 revolution1 love and life4 ,this color is both stimulating and disturbing to man1 animal and plant4 ,perhaps when we read of the turmoil that is constantly disturbing our southern border1 we may think that the ,indians had a knowledge of the real meaning of red when they made the totem of the south a red mountain4 ,red is the ruling color1 the king of color1 the dominant color1 the strong color1 and symbolizes the blossoming of plants and is the color of berries and fruit4 ,red tints the spring leaves and stains the fall leaf4 ,in the spring the thickets and tree trunks are tinged with red2 they are blushing1 so to speak1 as ,ruskin says1 in order to show the waiting of love4 ,red is emphatically a masculine color1 a ,,man',s ,,color4 ,blue is a feminine color2 it stands for sentimental affections1 blue light has a depressing effect and creates nervousness4 ,black is the ogre among colors2 it devours every other color2 sometimes the ,north ,court is black2 black stands for war and death1 and yet the path to the north is the path of knowledge4 ,it may be that some of the ,indians used black for the north because they may have noted that climate affects the color of birds and animals4 ,according to ,frank ,chapman1 the famous ornithologist at the ,museum of ,natural ,history in ,new ,york1 the animals of the humid climate of the northwest are especially dark in color4 ,if you use yellow for the north color1 yellow means laughter and mirth4 ,notwithstanding the fact that we use yellow as a sign for contagious disease1 women suffragists and cowardice1 a yellow light makes a gathering cheerful and merry2 so in approaching the ,north ,court you may sing4 ,the ,indian names for the four courts are ,too-le-ze1 the east1 for the south ,too-winks1 for the west ,kor-le1 and for the north ,kon-win4 ,he-le-jah is the ,indian name for the panther or mountain lion that guards the north mountain4 ,now then you have the symbolism2 in other words1 know what these things stand for1 and that will give a meaning to your ceremony around the council fire4 ,since red means life and black means death1 possibly the ,indians have placed a deep significance on the path from the ,red ,court to the ,black ,court1 from life to death6 when they call it the ,path of ,knowledge4 ,at any rate1 we will take it as we find it and adapt ourselves to the suggestions these meanings give us4 ,we will claim that colors are the spirits1 fairies or what not who govern the council fire4 ,wit-tab-bah is the name of the fire itself or the fire-place4 ,when the fire is built1 placed near the ,southern or ,red ,court1 it gives the chief1 the captain1 the superintendent1 or the scoutmaster1 who occupies the ,north ,court1 a space in front of him big enough to accommodate his audience4 ,the real way to illuminate1 or light up1 the council grounds is by having ,,torch ,,fires ,erected at each of the four courts4 ,these fire torches at the four courts1 if kept replenished with dry wood1 will light up the council grounds and give a most picturesque and wild appearance1 and at the same time will not interfere with the ceremonies nor will they scorch the back or face of the speaker4 ,wit-tab-bah may be used on occasions when the crowd is not large4 ,no council fire anywhere within the borders of the ,united ,states should open without the pledge to the ,american flag1 and the reciting in unison by all present of the ,american creed4 7,see page #bfh47 ,the council should close with the singing of ,america4 ,especially should these ceremonies be gone through with when the assembly is composed of many young people1 because what ,george ,washington said in his farewell address is as true to-day as it was a hundred years ago4 ,against the insidious wiles of foreign influences ,i conjure you to believe me1 fellow citizens1 the jealousy of a free people ought to be constantly awake1 since history and experience prove that foreign influence is one of the most powerful foes of republican government4 ,there is no reason why we should not have a lot of fun at the council fires1 and at times it may even be riotous fun1 but always ,american fun1 and the patriotic spirit should never for a moment be forgotten1 nor yet the poetic spirit which links us up in bonds of sympathy with all created things so that we may1 with seriousness1 recite the ,,indian ,,invocation ,o ,great ,mystery1 we beseech thee4 ,that we may walk reverently ,beneath ,lah-pah our brothers1 the trees4 ,that we may step lightly ,on ,kis-so our kinsmen1 the grasses4 ,that we may walk lovingly ,over ,loo-poo-oi-yes our brothers1 the rocks4 ,that we may rest trustfully ,where the ,o-lel-le bird sings-- ,beside ,ho-ha-oe1 the talking waters4 or this1 ,weave for us1 ,o ,great ,mystery1 ,a bright blanket of wisdom2 ,make the warp the color of ,father ,sky1 ,let ,he-koo-las1 the sun-woman4 ,lend her bright hair for the weft4 ,and mingle with it the red and gold threads of evening4 ,o ,great ,mystery2 ,o ,mother ,earth6 ,o ,father ,sky6 ,we1 your children1 love the things you love2 ,therefore1 let the border of our blanket ,be bending ,ku-yet-tah1 the rainbow4 ,and the fringe be glittering ,nuk-kah1 the slashing rain4 or with abandon we may sing1 or chant the song of the elves1 ,f,oh1 we are the fays1 oh1 we are the elves4 ,who1 laughing at everything1 laugh at ourselves4 ,if ,fortune's wheel is broke4 ,why1 we can put a spoke in it4 ,misfortune hits no stroke1 ,but we can put a joke in it4 ,the owl can do our thinking4 ,as he sits awinking1 blinking4 ,we act from intuition1 ,fun and mischief is our mission2 ,solemn duty1 we have none of it4 ,what we do is for the fun of it2 ,fun is none too light to prize1 ,thought is naught but fancy's flight4 ,folly's jolly1 wit is wise1 ,laughter after all is right4 ,,footnote3 ,f ,from unpublished verses by ,captain ,harry ,beard4 ,,chapter ,,xiv ,,ritual ,,of ,,the ,,council ,,fire ,,program ,,of ,a ,,council ,,fire ,,invocation ,,the ,,pledge ,,and ,,creed ,,of ,,all ,,americans ,,appeal ,,chapter ,,xiv ,,ritual ,,of ,,the ,,council ,,fire ,,the ceremonies of the ,council ,fire may be conducted with the accompaniment of pageantry to any extent desirable4 ,at the ,council ,fire of the ,dan ,beard ,outdoor ,school1 the officers dress in costume2 not masquerade costumes but the real ones4 ,,the ,,man ,,of ,,the ,,north1 who attends to the ,northern ,lights1 is garbed in the blanket clothes of a northern lumberman and carries an axe4 ,,the ,,man ,,of ,,the ,,east1 who attends the fire where the sun maidens dwell1 may be arrayed in the clothes of one of our ,pilgrim fathers4 ,,the ,,man ,,of ,,the ,,west1 who attends the fire of the ,blue ,mountain1 is decked in the fringed buckskin clothes of the trapper1 plainsman1 or mountaineer4 ,,the ,,man ,,of ,,the ,,south1 who guards the fire of the ,red ,mountain1 is dressed in the picturesque costume of a ,mexican with a high-crowned sombrero4 ,the seats of the different courts are draped with the colors of the courts4 ,,program ,,of ,a ,,council ,,fire ,the guests enter and take their seats1 then the ,herald enters dressed in the costume of a scout1 a frontiersman1 or a medicine man1 according to the plan of the particular ,council ,fire4 ,the ,herald faces the north from his stand in the center of the council ground and blows assembly call1 or a blast on a cow's horn1 then wheels about and faces the east1 then the south and then the west1 and at each he blows assembly4 ,with the last notes and the last call the ,scouts1 ,woodcrafters1 ,pioneers or students enter the circle1 marching single-file around until the circle is complete1 and they stand opposite where they are to sit4 ,the ,herald now blows a fanfare and the officers march into the council ground with the colors and the color guard4 ,the officers group themselves around their ,chief1 the ,scout ,executive1 the ,scout ,commissioner1 the ,headmaster or the man in authority at the ,north ,court4 ,,invocation ,the ,leader1 or head officer1 steps forward and throwing both hands up in a gesture of appeal1 in which he is imitated by the assembly1 he repeats3 ,weave for us1 ,o ,great ,mystery1 etc4 7as already given74 ,then he cries3 ,four ,winds of the ,earth1 we have saluted you6 ,wind of the ,north1 from whence come our snow and ice1 ,wind of the ,east1 from whence come our clouds and rains1 ,wind of the ,west1 from whence comes our sunshine1 ,wind of the ,south1 from whence comes our warmth1 ,send us your men to guard the mystic fires4 ,the ,men of the ,north1 ,east1 ,west and ,south1 now step in front of the ,chief1 and he directs them to ,see that the mystic fires are blazing4 ,the fires1 having already been carefully prepared1 are now lighted by the fire-keepers under the direction of the men of the ,four ,winds1 and the latter return and report to the ,chief in the following manner3 ,chief4444 ,man of the ,north1 you whose mighty axe bites to the heart of the pine1 ,are the mystic ,northern ,lights burning at ,kon-win8 ,is ,he-le-jah1 the ,mountain-lion1 on guard on the yellow mountain of the ,north8 ,man of the ,north4444 ,chief1 the ,medicine fire has been lighted1 the ,mountain-lion is guarding the yellow mountain of the ,north1 ,all is well4 ,chief4444 ,man of the ,east1 is the ,medicine ,fire at ,too-le-ze blazing8 ,is the ,white ,wolf on guard at the ,white ,mountain1 where the sun-maidens dwell8 ,man of the ,east4444 ,chief1 ,too-le-ze blazes in the ,east1 the ,white ,wolf is on guard4 ,wah-tab-bah1 the robin1 shields the fire1 ,all is well4 ,chief4444 ,man of the ,west1 man of the plains and mountains1 does the mystic fire at ,kor-le blaze8 ,is the ,black ,bear guarding the ,blue ,mountain1 where the sun sets8 ,man of the ,west4444 ,chief1 ,kor-le is ablaze1 the ,black ,bear's growls may be heard in the torrent that guards the ,blue ,mountain4 ,all is well4 ,chief4444 ,man of the ,south1 how blazes the fire at ,too-winks8 ,has the ,red ,badger come from its burrow to stand guard on the ,red ,mountain8 ,man of the ,south4444 ,chief1 ,too-winks flames to the sky4 ,the ,red ,badger is on guard4 ,all is well4 ,the ,color ,guard now enters1 marches up to in front of the officers and all stand at salute4 ,the ,color ,guard with colors about faces and the guests and all present recite in unison3 ,,the ,,pledge ,,and ,,creed ,,of ,,all ,,americans ,i believe in the people of the ,united ,states1 ,i believe in the ,united ,states form of government1 ,i believe in the preamble of the ,declaration of ,independence1 ,i believe that all men are created equal1 that they are endowed by their ,creator with certain inalienable rights1 among which are ,life1 ,liberty1 and the pursuit of ,happiness4 ,i believe in our ,government of the ,people1 by the ,people and for the ,people1 a government whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed1 a ,sovereign ,nation of many ,sovereign ,states1 a ,democracy in a ,republic1 a perfect ,union1 one and inseparable4 ,a ,union which will live because of the vital principles of ,freedom1 ,equality1 ,justice1 ,humanity and ,kindness which it contains1 and for which ,american ,patriots have willingly sacrificed their lives and fortunes4 ,i therefore believe that in order to respect my own manhood ,i must love my country1 support its ,constitution and obey its ,laws2 also that ,i must respect its ,flag1 and defend it against all enemies4 ,after which may come the ,scout oath1 ,pioneer oath or ,camp-fire oath1 as the case may be4 ,then the command is given to spread ponchos1 followed by the command squat6 when all the ,scouts1 ,woodcrafters1 ,pioneers1 or students squat tailor-fashion upon their ponchos1 and the guests seat themselves on the benches which have been provided for them4 ,following this comes the address by the speakers1 the entertainments and exhibitions of woodcraft1 scoutcraft1 or handicraft1 the games1 and other entertainment2 then follows the awarding of honors4 ,after which all stand to sing ,america4 ,then the ,chief or ,leader steps forward and repeats the following ,,appeal ,o ,great ,mystery1 we beseech thee 7as previously given7 and ends up with the benediction1 in which he uses the ,indian phraseology3 ,may the ,great ,mystery put sunshine in all your hearts4 ,good-night4 99 99 99 99 99 ,transcriber's ,notes3 ,obvious punctuation errors repaired4 ,the text sometimes had very narrow spaces between words this was not retained4 ,varied hyphenation was retained4 ,page ii1 quad changed to quod 7objectum quod complexum7 ,page #ajc1 ,rodger changed to ,rodgers 7,washington1 ,george ,rodgers ,clark7 ,page #acg1 an upside down #a was present in the number #aib4 77,fig4 #aib71 then put a loop7 ,page #ahi1 illustration of a ,pack ,train ,outfit is missing letters for ,q and ,r4 ,page #bjb1 confortable changed to comfortable 7a very comfortable mattress7