384 THE STILL-HUNTER. 



log of hard wood eight or nine feet long and six or 

 eight inches thick, having about two or three feet of 

 smooth hard surface on one side of one end, is fast- 

 ened in the ground (under a root or something) 

 so that the smooth end is about waist-high. Two 

 auger-holes may be bored in it near this end and 

 legs inserted. The hide thrown over that and held 

 fast by pressing it with the waist against the end of 

 the log, is in condition to clean. 



The knife must have a scraping edge and not a cut- 

 ting edge. A rib of a horse or cow, back of a draw- 

 knife, etc., may be used. But the best is the back of 

 the blade of a common table-knife. Drive the blade 

 lengthwise and half its depth into a piece of stick 

 about eighteen inches long so as to leave two good 

 handles on the stick. With a few minutes' trial you 

 will get the proper stroke with this. 



A hide will generally " grain" better the way the 

 hair runs. But the "grain" will stick in spots, and 

 sometimes you must run over it in different direc- 

 tions. Each side should be run over twice, so as to 

 insure good cleaning. Clean them alternately. 



When cleaned, a hide may be softened at once. But 

 if in no haste, let it dry and resoak it for a day. Then 

 pull, haul, and stretch it in every part until it all be- 

 comes white. Continue this until it is dry, rubbing 

 out between the knuckles all places that show signs 

 of stiffening. Should it be too hard to work soft the 

 first time, resoak it and rub dry again. Sometimes 

 this must be repeated two or three times. Stiff spots 

 can, however, be moistened separately afterward by 

 laying a damp cloth on them and rubbing them dry 

 separately. The stretching of the fiber on a large 

 hide is often no trifling matter. Pressing and saw- 



