Camping and woodcraft - Scoutmastercg.com

32 CAMPING AND WOODCRAFT—evergreen shrubs with your hands to build a kennelof some sort, but its slope must be steeper than 45°to do any good. If you find old logs from whichsheets of bark can be peeled with a stick whittledwedge-shape at one end, you can make a pent-roofover your bed. Slope some sticks from the far sideof the big log that serves as windbreak, forward overyour bed, weight them down with rocks or a heavystick, and shingle the bark over the upper ends. Butyou are in for a night of it—the best you can doallfor the lack of what "Nessmuk's" scoffers calledhis "limber-go-shiftless pocket axe." With the likeof it you could build a good shelter of bark or ofbrowse, such as will be described in a future chapter.Among my most valued possessions is a tiny Colclessertomahawk, of 8-ounce head and 2^ inchbitt, which, with hickory handle and home-madesheath, weighs only three-quarters of a pound. Iseldom go anywhere in the woods (unless in marchingorder with a heavier axe) without this little trick.It is all that is needed to put up a satisfactory shelterwherever there is hemlock or balsam, or bark thatwill peel, while for other service I use it oftenerthan I do my jackknife.Fire Without Matches.—So far I have takenfor granted that you have matches and that they aredry. Damp ones, by the way, may be restored byrubbing through the hair ;or, place a match betweenthe palms of your hands, with its head projecting atrifle, and roll it briskly back and forth; in a shorttime it will be dry enough to light.But suppose you have no matches. Well, with ashotgun the task of making fire is easy ; with a modernrifle, or pistol, that uses jacketed bullets, it isnot so easy, because the bullet is hard to get out ofthe shell—still you can manage it by cutting lengthwisethrough the neck of the shell and prying thebullet out.First make allpreparations needed to ensure suc-Build up vour woodcess when vou get the flame.