146 FIFTY YEARS A HUNTER AND TRAPPER. 



now,' we started in to build deadfalls. The territory so far as 

 trapping was concerned was left to Bill and I, and we took in the 

 waters of Baley Run, the Portage, Conley Run and Hunt's Run, 

 as well as several lesser streams. As the Baley was the farthest 

 from our camp, Bill said we would put up the traps on that stream 

 first. Bill said that we would go at it man fashion, for we would 

 be compelled to get our grub from the trap line, for there was no 

 chance to take a wood job in that section of the country. I 

 suggested that we might get a job at the lumber camp, where we 

 sold the deer the year before, and get a few beans and a little 

 pork. I guess that Bill did not like the idea, for I remember he 

 only gave me a grunt for an answer. 



Say, boys, the question of pork and beans leads me to ask how 

 many of you who have a fireplace in your camp have a bean hole? 

 Now, Bill and I had one in our camp, and I tell you we thought it 

 fine and we did it in this way. We dug; a hole in one corner of 

 the fireplace about two and a half feet deep and about eighteen 

 inches in diameter, using the regular old style of bake kettle. This 

 is merely an iron pot, with a close fitting flange lid so as to seclude 

 all dust and ashes, and we used it in this way. We would first 

 rake a good lot of live coals from the fireplace into the bean hole, 

 having the beans already in the kettle. Then we would put the 

 kettle down in the hole and rake the hole full of live embers, being 

 careful to cover the hole over with plenty of ashes. 



We prepared the beans about in this fashion: After washing 

 we soaked them for about twelve hours. The water was drained 

 off and the beans were then put into the kettle with the necessary 

 trimmings, which consisted of a good chunk of pork put in the 

 center of the beans, and two or three smaller pieces laid on top, a 

 pinch of salt providing that the pork was not sufficiently salty. 

 A spoonful of brown sugar or rather a little baking molasses and 

 a little pepper. Now this kettle was allowed to remain three or 

 four days in the hole without disturbing farther than to cover 

 over occasionally with hot embers. You ask if beans are good 

 baked this way we guess yes. We have heard a great deal about 

 the famous Boston baked beans, but we wish to say that they are 

 not in it compared to beans, baked in a bean hole. 



