230 RECREATION 



clothes on the branches, a feat few compound to the fleshy side of some 

 hunters and no tenderfoot has yet been skins, then doubling the raw side of the 

 able to accomplish. hides together he rolled them closely 

 As I have already said, Pete was a and placed the hides in a cool place 

 dude, but he was what might be called where they were allowed to remain un- 

 ci self-perpetuating dude, who never ran disturbed for several days ; when at 

 to seed no matter how long he might length unrolled the skins were still 

 be separated from the city tailor shops, moist. "Just right, b'gosh," exclaimed 

 for Pete was his own tailor, barber and Pete, as he took a dull knife and care- 

 valet, and the wilderness supplied the fully removed all particles of fat or 

 material for his costume. flesh which here and there adhered to 



In camp he was as busy as an old the hide. After this was done to his 



housewife, and occupied his leisure time satisfaction we both took hold and 



mending, stitching and darning. Many rubbed, mauled and worked the skins 



a morning my own toilet consisted of with our hands until the hides were as 



a face wash at the spring, but my guide soft and pliable as flannel. Thus was 



seldom failed to spend as much time the material for my winter clothing pre- 



prinking, as if he expected distinguished pared, 

 visitors. It took four whole deer skins to 



Instead of "Tenderfut," Big Pete furnish stuff for my buckskin shirt 



now called me "Le-Loo," which, I un- with its beautiful long fringes at the 



derstand, is Chinook for wolf, and I seams ; but the whole garment was cut, 



took so much pride in my promotion sewed and finished in a day's time, 



that I would not then have changed When it came to making the coat and 



clothes with the Prince of Wales ; I trousers, Big Pete spent a long time in 



gloried in my wild, unkempt appear- solemn thought before he was ready to 



ance ! begin work on these garments ; at 



Nevertheless, Big Pete declared that length he looked up with a broad smile 



he was the Hy-as-ty-ee (big boss), and and cried : "See here, Le-Loo, I've taken 



he forthwith pronounced my costume a fancy to them 'ere tenderfoot pants 



unsuitable for the approaching cold of your'n. Off with them now an' I'll 



weather. There was no disputing that jist cut out the new 'ns from the old 



Big Pete was Hy-as-ty-ee, and I agreed 'ns." In vain I pleaded with him to 



to wear whatever clothes he should make my trousers like his own ; he 



make for me, and can say with no fear would not listen to me, and this is why 



of dispute that if that ancient chump, that day of all days in the year I was 



Robinson Crusoe, had had a Big Pete walking around camp bare legged, 

 for a partner, in place of a man Friday, Big Pete Darlinkle was an expert 



he would never have made such a sight backwoods tailor, shoemaker and shirt- 



of himself with his outlandish goatskin maker, but these were but a few of his 



clothes and clumsy umbrella. accomplishments, not his trade ; he was 



From a cache in the rocks Pete first, last and always a hunter and 



brought forth a miscellaneous lot of scout. No matter what occupation 



trappers' stores, bone needles made seemed to engage his attention for the 



from the splints of deer's legs, elk's time it never interfered with his ability 



teeth with holes bored through them, to hear, see or smell, 

 and odds and ends of all kinds. I have known many men with a keen 



Among this stuff was a supply of sight, many men with acute organs for 



saltpetre and alum, and this was evi- hearing, but Pete is the only man I ever 



dently the material for which he was met whose olfactories were developed 



searching, for he at once proceeded to to a degree scarcely excelled by a dog. 



make a mixture of two parts saltpetre A strange man or animal could not ap- 



to one of alum and apply the pulverized proach him without detection even 



