2o8 The Book of Woodcraft 



through the mysterious southward-pointing passage of the 

 Pyramid." 



Out of Orion's left foot runs the River Eridanus, to 

 wander over the sky; and, crouching for protection at the 

 right foot of the Great Hunter, is Lepus the Hare. 



Now, how many constellations have you learned? In 

 the Indian Scouts you need ten. Ten sounds hard, but 

 here you have already got seventeen, and I think will have 

 httle trouble in remembering them. 



And why should you do so? There are many reasons, and 

 here is one that alone would, I think, make it worth while: 



An artist friend said to me once: "I am glad I learned 

 the principal star groups when I was young. For my life 

 has been one of wandering in far countries, yet, wherever 

 I went, I could always look up and see something famiUar 

 and friendly, something that I knew in the dear bygone 

 days of my boyhood's home, and something to guide me 

 still." 



PLEIADES AS A TEST OF EYESIGHT 



This star group has always been considered a good test 

 of eyesight. 



I once asked a group of boys in camp how many of the 

 Pleiades they could count with the naked eye. A noisy, 

 forward boy, who was nicknamed "Bluejay," because he 

 was so fond of chattering and showing off, said, "Oh, I see 

 hundreds." 



" WeU, you can sit down," I said, "for you can do nothing 

 of the kind." 



Another steadier boy said, "I believe I see six," and he 

 proved that he did see them, for he mapped them out 

 properly on a board with six pebbles. 



That boy had good eyes, because poor eyes see merely a 

 haze, but another boy present had better eyes, for he saw, 



