27^ INEFFECTUAL ATTEMPT TO LIGHT A FIRE. 



certain internal gnawings began to intimate the 

 propriety of supplying the organs of digestion 

 with some occupation which might keep them 

 from quarrelling among themselves. Oh ! thought 

 I, for a cheerful fire, and a warm comfortable 

 meal ! Accordingly, having managed to col- 

 lect a beggarly account of wet branches, we 

 applied ourselves, with laudable zeal, to ignite 

 and blow them into a flame. The moss and 

 shrubs were saturated, and would not burn ; 

 but it was fondly imagined that, by dint of per- 

 severance and relieving each other quickly, the 

 dwarf birch might be importuned into a blaze. 

 We puffed, and it smoked — again, and it 

 lighted — still more, and it went out: the puff- 

 ing was renewed — it looked cheerful, and 

 wanted only a little more coaxing. " The least 

 thing in the world," said one, blowing gently, 

 though at the distance of a yard. " Mind 

 what you 're about," cried another, — " there ! it 

 will go out, — it's all over." " Oh ! get out of the 

 way, let me come," bawled a third ; and thrust- 

 ing himself forward, applied himself to the work 

 with such vigour and force of lungs, that the 

 few embers yet living flew scattered about like 

 the sparks of an exploded cracker. " We can- 

 not make a fire," said my servant to me, who 

 had been latterly a passive though not an un- 

 interested spectator of the proceeding ; " but I 



