Camping and woodcraft - Scoutmastercg.com

230 CAMPING AND WOODCRAFTor with bark which will soon burn to ashes. Inwet weather a bed of coals can be shielded by slantingbroad strips of green bark over it and overlappingthem at the edges.Fire in a Trench.— In time of drought wheneverything is tinder-dry, or in windy weather, especiallyif the ground be strewn with dead leavesor pine needles, build your fire in a trench. This isthe best way, too, if fuel is scarce and you must deoendon brushwood, as a trench conserves heat.Dig the trench in line with the prevailing wind.The point is to get a good draught. Make the windwardend somewhat wider than the rest, and deeper,sloping the trench upward to the far end. Linethe sides with flat rocks, if they are to be found, asthey hold heat a long time and keep the sides fromcrumbling in. Lay other rocks, or a pair of greenpoles, along the edges to support vessels. A littlechimney of flat stones or sod, at the leeward end,will make the fire draw well. If there is somesheet-iron to cover the trench a quite practical stoveis made, but an open trench will do very well ifproperly managed.The Hunter's Fire.— Good for a shiftingramp in the fall of the year, because it affords firsta quick cooking fire with supports for the utensils,and afterwards a fair camp-fire for the night whenthe weather is not severe. Cut two hardwood logsnot less than a foot thick and about six feet long.Lay these side by side, about fifteen inches apartat one end and six or eight inches at the other.Across them lay short green sticks as supports, andon these build a crisscross pile of dry wood and setfire to it. The upper courses of wood will soonburn to coals which will drop between the logs andBet them blazing on the inner sides. (If the bedlogs were elevated to let draught under them theywould blaze all around, and would not last long.)After supper, lay two green billets, about eight'Hches thick, across the bed logs, and aut nisht-wood