Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-07-24

HIIST TAU CCiS
sticks to smoke l let them smoke
for several hours. after which they
would keep for days.
When l had an abundance of rasp-
berries 1 would spread them out on
pieces of bark to dry and shrivel up.
In this way l preserved many berries.
By this time 1 was satisfied in my
mind that l would not suffer physical
ly from the experiment. l had fire
and shelter and was getting enough to
eat Already l began to feel that |
would never again think of such a
thing as calling it Off" but that l
should be able to stick it out the full
time. Perhaps it was because | had
the companionship of "a fire.
Fire was my greatest asset in the
woods by far. With fire you have
got about everything. 1t would be diff
ficult--in fact, do not believe a man
could get along for any length of time
in the wilderness without it. First of
all, it aids you in a hundred ways.
Next, it is a comfort-a wonderful
comfort.
When l made my fire bigger l would
say to myself, Here, l am making
room for another fellow" Then for
hours l would sit in front of it, think
ing of my friends and of the outside
world. From time to time L would
oil lyin N
self. The mere fact that l felt that
imaginary people were there made it
so much easier TO be alone.
AS a comfort producer fire is second
to nothing in the world. AS | look
back on it now it seems as if it did
about everything for me.
Ofttimes | would run across Il log,
which was to heavy for me to carry.
| would get busy making a fire beneath
it and burn it in two. Then. if the
pieces were still too large. | would
burn them in two again and so on un-
til l had chunks light enough to
carry.
hadn't been in the forest long be-
fore the vision of Il bow and arrow
danced before me. l realized that it
would, of course, require Il lot of pa
tience to make such Il weapon. but |
knew could do it. Until ! could OBJ
tain some rawhide | knew ! should
have to use the twisted lining of the
inner bark of the cedar for string.
But. such as it was. it would be vastly
better than nothing.
Here the fire came to my aid again.
In the midst of Il tangle created by the
uprouting of Il maple tree which as it
fell had crashed into Il hOrnbcam, car
rying ii with it, | found Il hornbcam
silver, which ! knew was the best
kind of wood with which to make my
bow. such Il stick in the rough haSn' I
the slightest resemblance to Il bow.
Then l built Il fire and let the stick
burn for awhile. turning ii now and
then To get an even char. With Il
sharp rock | would then begin To
Scrapc off the char. after which proc
ess the stick would be returned To the
fire until Il new char had burned. |
Scraped and Charrcd that stick until |
had reduced il to one inch in thick
ness. And all the while the fire had
been seasoning ii nicely for me. With
the rocks | smoOthcd and rounded it
perfectly. When it was done | had a
formidable weapon. which aided me
greatly in after days.
II would be impossible for me to
enumerate the things fire will do for a
man if he will only let it and steer it.
| 1t will cook his food. as ii cooked
mine. If there are vicious animals in
| the forest it will keep them away. All
man would have To do, if attacked,
would be to throw Il burning brand