The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1930-05-23

Uent Oh the road, as Helen Ii
ed this invaluable discovery TO
my wife. She was no less delight
ed than l was.
Bring me the leavesi" she ex-
claimed. ooh, what a delightful
discovery No one shall now be
clothed in rags; just make me a
spindle, and you shall soon have
shirts and stockings and trousers,
all good homespun! Quick, Fritz,
and bring your mother more
leavesi"
We could not help smiling at
her eager zeal; but Fritz and Err
nest sprang on their steeds, and
soon the onager and buffalo were
galloping home again, each laden
with a great bundle of flax. The
boys dismounted and deposited
their offering at their mothers
feet.
Capital" she exclaimed. 81
shall now show you that | am not
at all behindhand in ingenuity.
This must be retted, carded, spun,
and woven, and then with scis-
sors, needle, and thread I will
make you any article of clothing
you choose"
We decided that Flamingo
Marsh would be the best spot
for the operation of sleeping or
"retting" the flax, and next morn
ing we set out thither with the
cart drawn by the ass, and laden
with the bundles, between which
sat Franz and Knips, while the
rest Of us followed with spades
and hatchets. | described to my
boys Is we went along the pro-
cess of retting, and explained to
them how sleeping the flax leaves
destroys the useless membrane,
while the strong fibers remain.
AS we were employed in max
ing beds for the flax and placing
It in them, we observed several
nests Of flamingo. These are most
c%uriously and skillfully made of
glutinous clay, so strongly thar
they can neither be overturned
nor washed away. They are form
ed in the shape of blunted cones,
and placed point downward; at
the upper and broader end is
built a little platform to contain
the eggs, on which the female
bird sits, with her long legs in
the water on either side, until
the little birds are Matched and
can take to the water. For a
fortnight we left the flax steep,
and then taking it out and drying
It thoroughly in the sun, stored
It for future use at Falconhurst.
Daily did we load our cart with
provisions to be brought to our
quarters: manioc, potatoes,
cocoanuts, sweet acorns, sugar
canes, were all collected and stor-
ed in abundance-for grumbling
thunder, lowering skies, and sharp
showers warned US that we had
no time to lose. Our corn was
our animals housed, Il
provisions stored, when down
came the rain.
To continue in our nest we
,ound impossible, and we were
obliged to retreat to the trunk,
where we carried such of our do
nestle furniture as might have
been injured by the damp. Our
lwelling was indeed crowded: the
animals and provisions below, and
beds and household goods
US, hemmed us in on ev-
Try side; by dint of patience and
,etter packing, we obtained, suff1-
,ient room to work and lie down
by degrees, too, we became
accustomed to the continual
Of the animals and the
imell Of the stables. The smoke
rom the fire, which we were oc-
:asionally obliged to light, was
lot agreeable; but in time even
hat seemed TO become bearable.
To make more space, we turn
d such animals as we had cap
ured, and who therefore might
,e imagined to know how to
.hift for themselves, outside dur
ng the daytime, bringing them
Inder the arched roots only at
light. To perform this duty Fritz
nd l used to sally forth every
.vening, and as regularly every
Yening did We return soaked to
he skin. To obyiate this, the
mother, who feared these continu-
j wettings might injure our
contrived waterproofs: she
rushed on several layers OF
aouLckouc over stout shirts, to