The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1930-08-01

abounded, and whose rich gloss
fur would serve admirably TO
feH.
Every fifth animal that the,
brought me | told them shoulC
be mine, that | might obtain ma
terial for a hat for myself ant
their mother.
The boys at once agreed to thi'
arrangement, and began the man
ufacture of the traps, which were
all so made that they should xii
the rats at once, for | could moi
bear the idea of animals being
tortured or imprisoned.
While they were thus engaged
I applied myself to the manufac.
ture of porcelain. / first cleaned
the pipeclay and tale from all
foreign substance, and made them
ready to, be beaten down with
water into a soft mass, and then
prepared my molds of gypsum
plaster. These preparations were
at length made, and the molds
received a thin layer of the por-
celain material. When this was
partly baked, l sprinkled over it
a powder of colored glass beads
which | had crushed, and which
looked very pretty in patterns up
on the transparent porcelain.
Some of my china vessels
cracked with the heat of the
stove, some were very ill-shaped;
but, after many failures, l sue
ceeded in producing a set of
white cups and saucers, a cream
jug, a sugar-basin, and half a
dozen small plates.
l must allow that my china was
far from perfect; the shape of
some of the vessels vas faulty,
and none were really transparent;
nevertheless, the general appear
nee gave great satisfaction, and
when the plates were filled with
rosy and golden fruit resting on
green leaves, and fragrant tea
filled the cups, it greatly added
to the appearance of the table.
CHAPTER XIV
Scarcely had l completed my
pottery, when great black clouds
and terrific storms heralded the
approach of another winter. The
rainy season having set in, we
we're compelled to give up u
daily excursions.
Even in the spacious house
we now occupied, and with
our varied and interesting employ
ments, we yet found the time
dragging heavily. The spirits of
all were depressed, and even oc-
oasional rapid rides, during a par
.ial cessation of the rain. failed
permanently to rouse them. Fritz,
IS we'll as l, had perceived this,
md he said to me:
Why, father, should we not
make a canoe, something swifter
ind more manageable than those
vessels we as yet possess? l often
ong for a light skiff, in which
might skim over the surface of
he water"
The idea delighted all hands,
tut the mother, who was eve
lappy when we were on the sea,
declared that our chances of
lrowning were, with the pinnace '
nd the canoe, already sufficiently I
reat, and that there was not '
he slightest necessity for our 7
dding to these chances by con- {
tructing another craft which '
yould tempt us out upon the per- {
element. My wife's fears /
Tere, however, speedily allayed, t
Or / assured her that the boat
intended to construct should be 7
flimsy cockle-shell, but as safe C
nd stout a craft as ever floated v
pom the sea. The Greenlander's a
ajack / intended to be my model, i
nd / resolved not only to occupy Il
lie children, but also to produce s
strong and s~erviceable canoe a
masterpiece of art. o
The boys were interested, and o
lie bodybuilding was soon in OPP II
alton. We constructed the skel-
ON of whalebone, using split p
amboo canes to strengthen the n
deS and also IN form the deck. "
hich extended the whole length Il
the boat, leaving merely a fl