386 THE STILL-HUNTER. 



wrapped around poles over a hole so as to make a 

 wigwam of it. 



I have tried sulphuric acid, lye, and the whole list 

 of agents contained in all the recipes, and find them 

 all useless nuisances. Some, such as the acid and lye, 

 will soon ruin a hide if used too strong or too long. 

 There is absolutely no chemical agent that will 

 enable you to dispense with stretching and rubbing 

 the hide hard and rapidly while it is drying. By 

 chemical agents you may make leather. But buck- 

 skin can be made only by mechanical means. Apply 

 the work and the other things are needless. With- 

 out the work they are unavailing. Excellent parch- 

 ment for patching may be made from a fawn-skin by 

 soaking it well with grease in the heat of the sun or 

 fire, washing out about a third of it in blood-warm 

 water, pulling the skin till white, then stretching it on 

 a board tight and allowing it to dry hard. Dress it 

 down with sand-paper and a knife-edge. 



It is but a few years since I would as soon have been 

 seen hunting with kid gloves, a " biled shirt," and 

 " plug" hat as with anything to eat about me. Most 

 hunters, I think, have the same stupid pride about being 

 " tough." But no man, no matter who he may be, can, 

 in hunting with the rifle, afford to despise the advan- 

 tage of being well fed. He may not feel weak or 

 faint, he may flatter himself that he is not hungry. But 

 want of food will be apt to affect his shooting never- 

 theless; especially if he has a hill to climb, a run to 

 make, or a very fine shot to make. Venison, cut in 

 strips half an inch thick, soaked a day in strong 

 brine, and dried in the camp-fire smoke or in the 

 chimney-corner at home, makes a very portable and 



