274 THE IDYL OF THE SPLIT-BAMBOO 



paraffined-muslin bag. Also take along on these lit- 

 tle side-trips some bits of trench torch; one piece 

 supplies sufficient fire to heat water or make coffee. 

 These torches are made by rolling newspapers into 

 a tight cylinder of about an inch in diameter, past- 

 ing the outside sheet to hold all, sawing into two- or 

 three-inch lengths, and then boiling them for five 

 minutes in parafEne. Or you can make them of 

 burlap or any coarse cloth soaked in most any grease. 



It is quite desirable that your provisions be pro- 

 tected from the depredations of ants and other woods 

 pests, prominent among which is the porcupine. Ef- 

 fectual against crawling vermin will be the simple 

 expedient of making a skeleton table of small boughs, 

 having legs about a foot long to raise it above the 

 ground. Have each leg resting in a tin can, fill the 

 cans with water, and store your provisions on this 

 table in the commissary tent. A securer plan is to 

 store them upon a covered shelf suspended in mid- 

 air by wire attached to a horizontal limb of a tree. 



Have everything neat as a pin about your camp, 

 burying all refuse that won't burn. You inevitably 

 will leave behind unmistakable signs of having 

 camped in the spot, but don't expose yourselves to 

 the diagnosis of having " picnicked " there. Every 

 true lover of the woods is scrupulously careful about 

 the disposition of lighted matches, and about quench- 

 ing all fires after they have served his purpose; the 

 Game Commission and the Forest Service have not 



