CHAPTER XVI. 



THINGS TO AVOID. 



WINTER. 



Never leave your axe out doors all night. 

 Intense cold makes it exceedingly brittle, most 

 likely the first knot you put it into will cause a 

 gash in the blade and an axe is an essential part 

 of a trapper's outfit, and impossible to replace 

 when far from settlements. 



Never dry your snowshoes near the fire, but 

 plant them some distance away to be dried by 

 the frost. The fire acting on the dampness in 

 the knitting cooks the fiber of the leather and 

 causes the shoe to give out before its proper 

 time. 



Never, in very cold weather, carry your gun 

 by the barrel; if occasion caused you to fire it 

 off, the chances are the barrel will burst at the 

 place where your hand heated the iron. 



Never after wringing out your wet mocca- 

 sins place them near the fire to dry, but scrape 

 out any remaining moisture with the back of the 

 sheathe knife, stuff each shoe with brush and 

 hang at back of camp to dry gradually. 



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