Camp Mates in Michigan; or, with Pack and Paddle in the Pine Woods

by St. George Rathborne

  CHAPTER III

  THE JOY OF CAMPING OUT

  To tell the truth, none of them showed any signs of disappointmentbecause the labor of the day was done. It was no child’s play, urgingthe canoes against the volume of water the flowed down the Manistiqueon the occasion of their voyage. And as they had come out for fun,and not to earn a living with the paddle, the boys knew when they hadenough.

  So, after bringing the two boats ashore, they drew them partly out ofthe water at a place that seemed to have been just designed for thatvery purpose by a kind Nature, as the beach was shelving, and sandytoo, for a wonder.

  It was quickly decided just where the tent should be erected. Therewere a few general rules governing this part of the daily programme,which all of them knew by heart. First of all, it was necessary toselect ground that was not on the dead level, so that in case of a rainduring the night, the inmates of the tent would not find themselvesknee-deep in a flood. And with those clouds hovering in the southwest,they felt it wise to make assurance in this respect doubly sure on thisparticular night.

  Then the camp must be pitched away from any sort of swampy patch,which could not only breed mosquitoes by myriads, but prove malarialas well. And having an eye to the picturesque, the boys always saw toit that they could arrange the front of the tent toward the water. Itwas so pleasant to look out, and see the little waves dancing in themoonlight, as well as hear the musical gurgle so dear to the hearts ofall those who love the great Outdoors.

  And last, but not least, the tent must be within a reasonable distanceof the two canoes. There was no particular reason to suspect thatany damage might happen to the craft, either from accident, or themalicious designs of evil-minded persons; but since they must dependsolely on the mosquito boats, as they are often called, to carry themover the course they had charted out, and the walking was not at all totheir liking, it behooved Teddy and his camp mates to keep an eye onthem during the periods of their resting, between sunset and dawn.

  Each one of the three had his regular duties to perform. While thesewere sometimes changed around, so that things might not become toomonotonous, still, as a rule, Teddy and Dolph saw to erecting the tent,while Amos lugged the plunder from the canoes, packing it into camp,and after that started a fire.

  Amos dearly loved a fire. He seemed to be one of those boys who cansit for perhaps a solid hour, staring into the snapping blaze, with arapt look on his face; just as though he saw pictures there that gavehim infinite satisfaction. Who has not enjoyed this pleasure to someextent, while surrounded by the primitive forest; unless you have, youdo not know one half the joy of living?

  And after the fire was burning briskly, Amos was ready to attend toalmost any thing that chanced to come along. If either of the otherboys happened to be fishing he wanted to prepare the catch as it wasbrought in; so that sometimes Dolph used to declare that the troutflopped right from the water into the frying-pan; the span of theirexistence between the two was so brief.

  But tonight they did not think of fishing, though Dolph cast a wistfuleye along the brink of the river, and mentally noted several likelyspots which he meant to try in the morning, if the fates allowed. Butwith those threatening clouds spurring them on, it was decided thatthey had better get supper over with as soon as possible.

  “No telling,” Teddy had remarked, with a grin, “but what we’re in fora stormy night. I wouldn’t be surprised to find the lot of us holdingon to the guy ropes of this tent around midnight, like all get-out, tokeep the bally thing from kiting up in the trees. Then again, there maybe no wind, no rain, nothing at all. You never can tell. A fellow hasjust got to be _always prepared_ when he’s camping out; or sometimehe’ll get caught napping, and have a healthy old time hustling to savehis chattels.”

  Amos knew how to cook, for he had filled that position, or rather asan assistant, in a logging camp one winter. But of course, the roughfare the husky timber choppers need, differs vastly from such food asthe sons of rich men would be apt to take with them into the woods; andAmos had to learn a few new wrinkles, under the tutelage of the others,who were experienced hands at such things.

  Doubtless the woods boy had never in all his life sniffed coffee thathad the delicious aroma of that high-grade Java; and when it came totea, Amos, who had up to this time believed that to be a concoctiononly meant for old maids, discovered that a cup of fragrant Ceylon,made in the only proper way, was simply unequalled as “refresher,”after a hard day’s work.

  This is the way he went about making it; and any boy who cares to getthe best out of things, would do well to remember the simple directions.

  It would have been better if the campers had possessed a teapot madeof crockery but since that could never be thought of, since it was aptto be broken, and would weigh too much, they had to use the next bestthing, which was one made of pure aluminum.

  Taking this, when the water had come to a boil Amos poured a little inthe tea pot, to heat it, and then dashed it out. Then he put in theright quantity of tea, which in their case for three was a heapingteaspoonful; after which he poured a small quantity of the boilingwater over it, and set the pot near the fire, where the tea could“steep” or “draw.”

  Not more than seven to ten minutes later, he filled it with the hotwater, and the tea was ready to use. A very simple formula, butessential if the best results are wanted.

  Of course, some readers might scoff at paying so much attention tosmall things; but nearly every lad who has camped out, as so manythousands of Boy Scouts are now doing for the first time every summer,discovers that half the pleasure of the outing springs from suchlittle things being properly done. No efficient and painstaking scoutmaster will think of allowing his boys to do things in a careless,happy-go-lucky way. And once they learn the pleasure of knowing the_right_ methods, there is no fear of them doing anything else. A boywho knows better will turn up his nose at coffee improperly made, andshame the careless cook into decent methods.

  Besides the tea, the three camp mates had what Teddy called a“canoeist’s delight.” It was really a stew or “hodge-podge,” being amixture of several “left-overs” from previous meals. There was somecorned beef hashed up, some Boston baked beans, a little canned corn,and a few pieces of bacon, with the balance of the drippings that hadnot been thrown away, but preserved in the can the corn had come in.And with healthy appetites backing them up, the three boys were readyto agree that never did any dish at the family table satisfy themone-half so well as this wonderful concoction.

  The chances are, that had it been placed before either Teddy or Dolphwhen at home, with a snowy tablecloth on the table, and silver and cutglass around, they would have sniffed at it suspiciously, and orderedit taken away at once. But it was different here. Their looks weremore than a few times directed toward the largest sized kettle in theoutfit, which had been used to cook the mess, as though their one fearwas whether there would be enough for a third helping all around.

  Teddy took considerable pride in that aluminum outfit. He had paid around sum for it, too. It was intended for six people, because Teddysaid that there was never any knowing how many might sit around thecampfire on occasion; and being a big-hearted generous fellow, he wasbent on all having enough.

  The several kettles all nested in one another, as did the cups; andwith the numerous other things comprising the complete outfit, it madean appearance to quite take the eye of a camper.

  Amos kept them well shined too. He did not like to see the aluminumdiscolored, and was forever polishing the kettles and coffee and teapots with a preparation that came with the outfit.

  “The biggest mistake we made,” declared Teddy, as, having finishedsupper, they sat around, helping Amos clean up, “was about Amos here.”

  Dolph looked up quickly, a puzzled expression on his face; and even thewoods boy smiled as he waited to hear the other explain; though he knewonly too well that Teddy Overton was too fond of him to say anythingmean.

  “How was that?” Dolph asked.
<
br />   “Why, I should never have thought of allowing Amos to come alongwithout his fiddle, as he calls his violin,” the lumberman’s son said.“He thought it might be in the way in the canoe; but I know he missesit terribly. I’ve seen him sigh when he sits there, looking into thefire; and every time I’ve known what was on his mind. He found hisfingers just fairly itching to hold that bow of his, and work it acrossthe strings.”

  “Why, I didn’t know Amos played the violin,” remarked Dolph, lookinginterested.

  “Well, he doesn’t—only the fiddle. They’d laugh to have a fit if youcalled it anything but that in a logging camp. And Amos used to bethe most popular boy all through the winter, when the men were out inthe snow woods cutting timber. He had to play for them every singlenight. They never seemed to get tired of hearing Money Musk, ArkansawTraveler, and all those old pieces. And I tell you, Amos can just makehis fiddle _talk_. He had it along when we spent several weeks in thesepine woods before; and night after night we used to have a regularmusicale by the light of the fire. Why, I’ve seen the little chipmunkscome stealing along, with their ears cocked up, as though they weretaking it all in; and one night a raccoon fell off the branch of atree, nearly on top of Amos. I always said that the music had made himdizzy, it was so sweet. But there, let’s drop that subject. It makesAmos homesick, I guess, to remember how he won’t be able to touch afiddle again for a whole month.”

  An hour later, and the three boys were taking things easy. The stormclouds did not seem to have crept up any farther that they could see,and as yet it was a question no one could decide, as to whether theywould be visited by a storm during the night, or not.

  Amos has been getting another armful of wood to throw down near thefire, so they would have plenty, if it was thought advisable to keepthe blaze going, for frequently these Michigan summer nights feelpretty cool around about two o’clock; and it is nice, if one comes outto take a look at the weather, to see a cheery fire going.

  With the wood still in his arms, the lumber camp boy bent his head inpassing the others; and in a low but very distinct voice uttered a fewsentences that gave both Teddy and Dolph a thrill:

  “Don’t jump, or show any signs of excitement, either of you,” was whatAmos said in a whisper, “but there’s a man hiding behind those bushesjust above our boats; I saw him duck down as I came nearer; but I neverlet on the least bit that I’d glimpsed him. Better just change yoursets a little, so as to be nearer your guns, boys. And when you’reready, Teddy, give the word, so I c’n grab up mine. I don’t like thelooks of things, that’s what.”

  All of this Amos muttered while he was rustling the wood, and laying itdown piece by piece, in a heap near the fire.