166 HIGHWAYS AND BYWAYS. 
kettle occupies the back of the arch, and is suspended 
from the short arm of a lever, that it may easily be 
swung off the fire when the liquid becomes a thin 
syrup. The syrup is strained into tubs, and then usually 
taken to the farm house and left a day to settle, and 
there “ sugared off” and caked. A bush of five hun- 
dred trees will require a storage capacity at camp of 
three or four hundred pails, and even then if there is a 
prolonged run, the boiling sometimes has to be kept up 
night and day for a whole week at atime. Now it is 
life in the woods in real earnest ; the camp becomes the 
home of some of the members who eat, sleep and read 
in the cabin. The arrangements for sleeping are of a 
primitive character—a bunk-of hay and a few blankets 
on the floor—but they are sufficient for the require- 
ments, as short naps are about all one gets during these 
night watches, as when two persons are left to do the 
boiling, the necessary labor will keep one continually 
busy; if greater numbers are present—and often there 
will be a rendezvous of a dozen men and boys—the 
camp will be too lively for any one to sleep. On these 
occasions there must be a “sugaring off” at camp, and 
a small kettle, perhaps brought to the woods surrepti- 
tiously and hidden away in some nook, is always in 
readiness for the purpose. This is a proper time for 
story telling, particularly stories of wild adventures 
with beasts and Indians, and the younger members lis- 
ten until they almost expect to see some wild animal 
pounce upon them, or a band of savages spring out of 
the dark woods and surprise the camp. 
