The Republican journal., 1896-08-20

season. A vigorous rubbing soon restor-
ed me to warmth again and the exhilarat-
ing after effects more than paid me for
my cold plunge. enjoyed my first break
fast in camp alone, as the other boys had
finished and were preparing to make
some repairs on the camp and howell
where the teams were to be kept, telling
me that after l had washed up the dishes
and swept out the camp, l could take my
gun and go out for cartridges, Rolfe
saying he drove up large flock out back
of the howell that morning and thought
would find them in the trees near by.
did not put any extra labor into the work
had to do that morning. | took my
double barrelled shot gun which Boston
man gave me a few weeks before in ex-
change tor tame coon, and started out
for dozen cartridges. ! soon found the
flock and brought down two as they flew
up into the trees, and l noticed where
two or three others went, and re-loading
my gun went in pursuit. l hunted for an
hour and had the satisfaction of carrying
five cartridges to camp. l soon had
them dressed and stuffed with crushed
hard tack and chopped onions, with a
small piece of butter and seasoning.
then sewed them up, covered each one
with several thicknesses of wet paper,
then l went to the shore of the lake where
| had noticed a bank of blue clay, and l Sc
cured several large Jumps and moistening
it made five balls about the size of small
pumpkins, these I carried to camp and
cut them through the center, scooping out
each half into which l put a partridge
and carefully put the halves together,
this made a crust of clay an inch or more
thick over each bird. These | carefully
placed in the bean hole leaving plenty of
Goals in the bottom, and covered with
more GOALS from the fire place, and await
ed results. 1t was two hours to dinner
time, and the only doubt felt was, that
it might not be long enough to do my
cooking. | had some misgivings as to
whether the clay would remain firm, or
crackle by the heat, and so cause my
birds to burn up. If all went we'll ex-
pected to surprise my brothers with
toothsome morse, the like of which had
never before been served in that camp, at
least. An hour later l prepared dozen
good sized potatoes, by wrapping them in
several thicknesses of wet paper, emitting
the clay covering, and put them N the
fire first covering them with ashes, then
with Goals. Rolfe soon after came in
from his work and saluted me with, Got
your cartridges ready for dinner, sonny?"
l told him they would be all ready by the
time he got his coffee made. "Going to
give us partridge stew are you," said he,
noticing the steaming kettle on the fire.
II have soup in the KETTLE replied, land
no doubt you will want more than your
share of it," 'It does smell NICE said he.
Il didn't know we brought celery and
onions. The onions without the celery
would have answered very we'll for your
stew" l remarked that soup was like
clear northwest wind, the oftener we had
it the better we enjoyed it. Well hustle,
sonny, and get the table set while at
tend to making this coffee. We will dip
the stew right out of the kettle into our
plates and you can keep it warm, for the
boys will be hungry when they get
in. | guess they are getting venison
for | have heard Johns rifle twice
up on the side of the mountain and Dan
and Steve have been shooting, too, off the
other way. John don't often waste anu
milton, but there is no knowing whether
Steve or Dan have got anything or not until
they get in. If the game was running it
would get into the next township before
either Of them got ready to shoot. ''That's
500 said Ben, who came in just in time to
hear ROlfes comment, but | bet my JAG
knife John has two deer hung up by the
gambrels. Let us have dinner, what's sonny
got in the bean hole?'' ''Roast partridge,
said ]. as | brushed the GOALS from the
Jumps Of clay with a wisp of cedar, MOTTO
ing with satisfaction that the clay cover
ing came out with scarcely fracture.
rolled them all out on the floor and care
fully broke open the clay shell of two of
a., Al i
the charred condition of the paper but on
it the skin of the bird fell off
with the last layer of paper, disclosing the
bird done to rich brown. ''Theres your
meat for the next ten days | remarked as
| placed the bird in Rolte's plate. You
see all it is necessary to do is to smite
the rock, when out will gush, not the
waters, but the most toothsome bird you
ever set your jaws to. Help yourself, Ben,
while fish out the potatoes: but you bet
ter eat soup first. These birds are the sec
ond course" The potatoes proved to be
equally well done with none of their rich
ness lost by cooking. The dinner was
voted I; grand success, even the soup was
given share OF the praise. Rolfe said, ''if it
WASH for taking you from school, sonny,
I'd have you in my camp this winter as
cook-in-c chief | could well afford to pay
you fifty dollars a month, for there's moth
ing that brings good honest labor out of
crew of lumbermen like good feed and
plenty of it. THAT is so'' said Ben, who
also had charge of a crew. Last winter l
provided the best l could buy to feed my
crew upon the Mopang and had a cook
who only knew how to fry tlapjacks. At
the end of week found my men getting
so | set the cook to swamp
ing roads and took his place myself until
| could send out and find competent
young man who knew how to cook and
season food to men S liking. He used often
to surprise the crew with some kind of
new dish, but he never got the science
down quite SO fine as sonny has. Now
just look at that partridge stuffed, sewed
up and chucked into that lump of clay
feathers and all and thrown into the fire.
Who would have thought the skin would
have peeled off with the clay and left the
body so rich and nice? If he was to go
into camp you would have to bid against
me to get him." Now all this praise was
much more than expected, though did
look for little, SO begged the boys who
could either of them get up good dinner
for thirty hungry woodsmen in less time
than l had for tive) to say nothing more
about it. | couldn't cook partridges inside |
of clay balls in the winter time anyway,
and as to making pies and bread should |
toto fns1 h1,f hnf