238 



The Book of Woodcraft 



fingers; these are straight and spread; bring the knuckles 

 of the first finger to the mouth, then pass it down forward 

 to the left, meaning double or forked tongue. 



The second sign, meaning ^^very''' or '■'""oery much,'" is made 

 by striking the right fist down past the knuckles of the left 

 without quite touching them, the left being held still. 



Another useful sign is time. This is made by drawing a 

 circle with the right forefinger on the back of the left wrist. 

 It looks like a reference 

 to the wrist watch, but 



it is certainly much ^^ - y^ sign for 



older than that style of 1 ^^ very much 



timepiece and probably 

 refers to the shadow of 

 a tree. Some prefer to 

 draw the circle on the 

 left palm as it is held up 

 facing forward. 



If you wish to ask, 

 ''What time is it?'' You 

 make the signs Question, then Time. If the answer is 

 " Three o'clock," you would signal: 



Time and hold up three fingers of the right hand. 



Hours are shown by laying the right forefinger as a 

 pointer on the flat palm of the left and carrying it once 

 around; minutes by moving the pointer a very little to the 

 left. 



If you wish to signal in answer 3:15. You give the signs 

 for hours 3 and minutes 15. Holding all ten fimgers up f or 

 10, then those of one hand for 5. 



It takes a good-sized dictionary to give all the signs in 

 use, and a dictionary you must have, if you would become 

 an expert. 



I shall conclude with one pretty Httle Indian sign: First, 



