THE COMMODORE AND CREw. 303 

baked biscuits, thin slices of bacon, tea and broiled trout, and 
we wondered if they ever tasted so good to others. Not if 
they caught them at the market. 
After dinner we pack in and are quickly off again up the 
lake; but first thing to do says the Commodore, ‘let us extin- 
guish the five,” and we leave it when sure, and not before. 
No smoke to be seen is not always a positive surety ; a most 
thorough wetting of the ground, and underneath a log as well 
as above; for should a spark be left, the wind rises and fans 
it to a flame, and away it goes, high, wide and lively. In 
building a fire in the forest, we should use judgment as to a 
safe place. It is always nice to get to a brook, stream or lake, 
for usually we want water for our tea or coffee; then it can be 
well wet down with our tea pail; if without a pail, in five 
minutes time one can make a bark cache; if no bark handy, 
we can use our hat; but if we think our hat is too good to be 
used for this, we have made a mistake in going out camping ; 
should have stayed at home, are not true sportsmen, and are 
doubly sure we have no business upon this man’s property. 
A fire left burning in an old stump will often last for days; 
also in loose ground filled with fibrous roots, when the breeze 
assisting, it sets fire to all around, spreading out, and away, 
on its often fearful quick run, destroying thousands and tens 
of thousands of dollars in property, all burned and lost simply 
for the want of an honest, manly thought; doing no one good, 
but the owner a cruel injury, which seems a poor recompense 
after trespassing upon his property. 
As the owners of the beautiful wild lands never have, and 
are kind enough yet, not to debar us from hunting in their 
forests, let us all be ever and always careful not to destroy, or 
be the means of destroying the lovely woodlands, for their 
