Camping and woodcraft - Scoutmastercg.com

;THE CAMP-FIRE 229If forked stakes are not readily found in theneighborhood, drive straight ones, then split thetops, flatten the ends of the cross-pole and insertthem in the clefts of the stakes.You do not want a big fire to cook over. Manyand many a time I have watched old and experiencedwoodsmen spoil their grub, and their tempers, too,by trying to cook in front of a roaring winter campfire,and have marveled at their lack of commonsense.Off to one side of such a fire, lay your bedlogs,as above ; then shovel from the camp-fire enoughhard coals to fill the space between the logs withinthree inches of the top. You now have a steady,even heat from end to end ; it can easily be regulatedthere is level support for every vessel; and you canwield a short-handled frying-pan over such an outdoorrange without scorching either the meat oryourself.Fire for Baking.— For baking in a reflector, orroasting a joint, a high fire is best, with a backingto throw the heat forward. Sticks three feet longcan be leaned against a big log or a sheer-faced rock,and the kindling started under them.Often a good bed of coals is wanted. The campfiregenerally supplies these, but sometimes they areneeded in a hurry, soon after camp is pitched. Toget them, take sound hardwood, either green or dead,and split it into sticks of uniform thickness (say i)4-inch face). Lay down two bed-sticks, cross thesenear the ends with tvA^o others, and so on up untilyou have a pen a foot high. Start a fire in thispen. Then cover it with a layer of parallel sticks(aid an inch apart. Cross this with a similar layerat right angles, and so upward for another foot.The free draft will make a roaring fire, and all willburn down to coals together.The thick bark of hemlock, and of hardwoodigenerally, will soon yield coals for ordinary cookingṪo keep coals a long time, cover them with ashes,