WHAT TO DO IF LOST IN THE WOODS 229 



not only burn his hand, but would give him the 

 secret as well. Sure enough, the next day he was 

 on time, but not alone. The whole family had 

 come to witness the magical performance. I had 

 prepared in the meantime a nice clear piece of ice. 

 Out of this I shaped with my knife a lens of about 

 three inches in diameter, which I polished by rub- 

 bing it over with the palm of my hand. When 

 ready, I took hold of his hand, and concentrating 

 the rays of the sun on it, I soon, of course, burned 

 him. In his unbelief he had held his hand so 

 long in that position that I raised a blister on it. 

 I then lighted a piece of punk and a tire by the 

 same method, as promised, and claimed the skin, 

 which the Indian said he was glad to give in ex- 

 change for this secret. I presume that after that 

 he won some bets from his friends. With the old 

 style flint lock gun it was also easy to get fire by 

 placing powder in the pan with a piece of dry 

 cotton or even with damp cotton if one was care- 

 ful to rub it well previously with dry powder. 

 With the percussion cap gun or the breech-loader 

 it requires more care. Take a piece of camp cot- 

 ton, rub it well with dry powder, then load into 

 the gun or cartridge about half a dram of powder 

 and place your prepared cotton over it as a light 

 wad. Have some punk or dry, decayed wood 

 ready, besides what wood and kindling you may 

 want, and when you have discharged the gun and 

 picked up the rag you will find it on fire. After 

 that It is only a matter of fanning to get a blaze. 



