Camping and woodcraft - Scoutmastercg.com

lUMAHAWK SHELTERS 231**In the high plain on the north side of the Missouri,and 40 yards from a steep bluff, we chosea dry situation; then describing a small circle ofabout 20 inches diameter, we removed the sod asgently and carefully as possible. The hole is thensunk perpendicularly for a foot deep, or more if theground be not firm. It is now worked graduallywider as wc descend, till at length it becomes six orseven feet deep, shaped nearly like a kettle, or thelower part of a large still, with the bottom somewhatsunk at the center. As the earth is dug, it is handedup on a vessel and carefully laid on a cloth, in whichIt is carried away, and usually it is thrown into theriver, or concealed so as to leave nc trace of it. Afloor of three or four inches in thickness is then madeof dry sticks, on which is thrown hay, or a hide perfectlydry. The goods, being well aired and driedare laid on this floor, and prevented from touchingthe wall by other dried sticks, in proportion as themerchandise is stored away. When the hole is nearlyfull, a skin is laid over the goods, and on thisearth is thrown and beaten down until, with the additonof the sod first removed, the whole is on a levelwith the ground and there remains not the slightestappearance of an excavation."Even after such precautions, caches sometimeswere discovered and dug into by wolves or by Indians'dogs. Another trouble was that they wereliable to cave in, if there were no trees with whichto timber them. Of course, they had to be situatedhigh enough to be out of reach of river overflows*Still, this method of storing supplies for the futurewas the best that could be devised in such a situation,,and generally it turned out all right. Even suchfood as dried fish was kept a long time uninjured inunderground caches lined with dead grass and hides..In the far wilderness a cache is considered sacredby all woodsmen, white or red ; hence it need notbe concealed from prying eyes and itching fingers.But in woods that are frequented by all sorts ofvagabonds and ne'er-do-wells, a hiding place forone's supplies must be well chosen to escape theattention of thieves or malicious people. For temporaryconcealment, a hollow log may do, In caseof such articles as cannot be gnawed into by rodents