THE WOLF HUNTERS 



the other, raised a couple of inches off the ground 

 by stones placed here and there under them. 



"Now pile your chips all round over the tires, 

 'bout a foot deep, an' then set 'em afire, an' the 

 breeze'll keep the fire a-boomin'; an' while the 

 tires is a-heating bring the wheels up here close by; 

 get that piece of old canvas out o' the wagon; cut 

 some strips from it long as you can git 'em, jist 

 the width of the felloes; get some of the tacks out 

 of the till of the mess-chest; put the canvas strips 

 on the outside of the felloes, draw 'em tight, an' 

 tack 'em here an' there as you go round the wheel 

 until you get about four thicknesses of canvas 

 on; then give the outside layer of canvas a little 

 wettin' so's it won't burn out afore we can git 

 the tire cooled off. Then lay the wheels down 

 handy to the fire, with a rock here an' there under 

 the rims to make 'em lay solid." 



When this had all been done: 



"Now get the shovel an' scoop out a little, 

 long hole in the ground close by an' keep it filled 

 with water. Bring the pick an' shovel an' spade 

 an' axe an' hatchet an' lay 'em handy. Then 

 fill all the buckets with water an' set 'em close 

 by." 



The wind kept the circle of buffalo-chips that 

 covered the tires blazing briskly, and by the time 

 the chips were nearly burnt out we could see that 

 the tires were red-hot and knew that they had ex- 

 panded enough to drop over the canvassed wheels. 



94 



