The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-09-25

quaintance going up to the north
woods to camp and hunt and fish for
a few days. I should like to go with
them. 1 think it would do me good"
"Of course it would, ard If I were
a man 1 should certainly go along
AS am not, 1 shall stay home and
run the house. I am feeling very
we'll this fall and shall be content to
You say I may go?" anxiously in
quired Mr.. BowSer.
why, of course. I will do all I
can to help you get ready. and hope
that you will have a good time"
Mr. Bowser looked at her in amaze
ment with mouth half open, and for
long minute he could not believe
that he heard Alright. Then he tim
idly said:
I'VE may be gone two weeks
ct hope you WILL was the reply.
eff five men of you are going to
camp out that long, you'll have to take
a cook with you"
oh, no, we shan't. It's all set
tied that I am to do the cooking.
That makes my share of the eX
penses the less, you know"
What can you cook?" was Querted,
with a smile of doubt.
IT don't profess to be a head cook,
but 1 can get meal to satisfy hun
cry men, Most of the food will be
canned stuff, and will simply have to
be warmed over. Any child can do
that"
well, I guess you will get along"
said Mrs. Bowser, after a silence.
Sure to-sure to, my dear. Every
thing will go as slick as grease, and
we'll all come back rolling fat. BY
George, but 1 wish we were to start
tomorrow! I haven't been in the
woods since I was a boy I want to
hear the leaves whisper-the squ1r-
rels chatter and the doe calling to her
fawn again. 1t will be tremendous
no from The routine OF Office
work"
Three or four days later Mr.. Bow
ser was off. He was armed with
new blanket, seven sorts or Imminent
and salves and he counted on killing
no less than five deer with his own
hands 1t would make venison scarce
and high for the rest of the state, but
it was everybody for himself when the
deer-killing season was on. Behold,
Mr. Rowser and his four companions
in a tent, set up in a dell in the forest.
There were no squirrels to CHATTER
the leaves were falling, instead OF
whispering, and if doe was calling
to her fawn, she was so far away that
they couldn't hear her. The woods
were rather damp. There were also
hundred thousand, mosquitoes to every
hunter.
1t was the forest, however, and after
a picked-up supper, the men sat
around the campfire and told stories
in true hunters style Your true nun
ter always lies, when ne smokes at the
campfire, and the Bowser crowd fol-
lowed suit. When the chill air of
evening had given them cold noses,
their supply of lies had run low, they
retired to their tent and on their beds
of balsam twigs. They slept the sleep
of mighty Nimrods-and then some
more.
Morning came with the gleeful notes
of the crow and the bluejay, and the
men walked forth from the tent and
patted each other on the back and
congratulated each other on being
alive.
Mr. Bowser's cooking was not quite
up to the mark for breakfast, but the
other four men were in a hurry to
bring down their first deer, and no
criticisms were made. He was left
to get a monday dinner, and scarcely
were they out of sight when he set
about it. 1t was unanimously agreed
that they should have a boiled, smok-
ed ham for dinner but they had not
brought along kettle large enough to
hold it, nor yet a saw to sever the
bone. Mr.. Bowser studied over the
problem for two or three minutes and
then solved it. He would boil that
ham by sections. One end of it would
go in the dish they had, and when
it was cooked. the other end would