58 OUR PLUM-PUDDING. 



for a basin. The ingredients currants, raisins, and citron, 

 which we had carefully saved were then inspected, and the 

 first thing we noticed was a most lamentable deficiency in the 

 quantity, not more than half of what we had brought being 



found ; but of course no one had touched them. F 



said he had found a stray raisin or currant now and then, 

 and I had done the same, and had thought it was of no use 

 leaving it to be spoiled ; however, this could not account for 

 so large a deficiency. Then we found a good many percus- 

 sion caps, shot, powder, and other trifles among the fruit, but 

 we agreed that none of these were poisonous, so we picked 

 out as many as we could and left the remainder. Our chief 

 doubt was the eggs, of which we had brought four dozen packed 

 in bran ; but these were all unmistakably bad except four, which 

 were doubtful, so we gave them the benefit of the doubt and 

 put them into the bucket with 7 or 8 Ib. of flour, about Ib. of 

 currants, ^ Ib. of raisins, and some citron-peel. It struck me 

 that the proportions might not be correct, but it was the best 

 I could do. I then added about 2 Ib. of suet, cut fine, and a 

 small tin of baking-powder; it was our last, and I had my doubts 

 about its strength, so I put it all in and poured in a lot of water 



and stirred it for about an hour, F taking a turn now and 



then. We then put the pudding into the bag, sewed it up, and 

 deposited it in the camp kettle, which we placed by the fire so 

 that it should not boil too rapidly. 



All this had been done two days before Christmas day, so as 

 to have plenty of time, and the event showed that we had not 

 begun too soon. When we went to bed we left the kettle beside 

 the fire all night and recommenced boiling the pudding in the 

 morning ; but the cooking only seemed to harden it, so that in 



