228 WHAT TO DO IF LOST IN THE WOODS 



pieces of wood together, and this is what we were 

 after. I am sorry to say that I cannot recom- 

 mend it as a fire maker, but it is a fine warmer, 

 because after a few minutes working the perspir- 

 ation would be running down our faces. By us- 

 ing a block of wood as a base and another piece as 

 a drill, with a loose cord and bow, we managed 

 to get smoke, but I never saw any fire, probably 

 because we could not keep up the exercise long en- 

 ough! A lens and a piece of punk is a better 

 way if there is a clear sun, the only drawback be- 

 ing that in winter the sun is often invisible. Our 

 "Montagnais" Indians take great pride in their 

 skill in woodcraft and rather look upon their 

 white brother as a tenderfoot. In my rambles in 

 the woods we often camped, met and lived with 

 them. One evening we had a visit in our camp 

 from some of them who were in the vicinity and 

 they were puzzled on seeing our fire block and 

 drill to know what they were for. I explained 

 the matter and they said that they had never 

 heard of fire being so obtained in their tribe. 

 Different methods were then discussed, when to 

 their astonishment I claimed I could either burn 

 their fingers or light a fire with a piece of ice. 

 They all thought that this was a joke, and when 

 I maintained that it could really be done, one of 

 them offered to bet his best beaver skin that it was 

 impossible. I told him to come next day about 

 noon, if fine, and to bring his skin, when I would 



