Camp Venture

Pai

to be built. Jack directed two of the boys to saw out a space nine feet wide for the fireplace, first securing the logs in position by nailing

gth cordwood in our fireplace, and we'll make room for plenty of it in front of a big back log. In earlier times an open wood fire place was the only heating apparatus people had, and they managed very wel

ned to the Do

t fre

s at forty-six, and before noon this little skim

house as soon as possible, and of cou

can warm our hands from time to

drop out. You see it freezes and then when a thaw comes the whole thing goes to pieces. So I'm

he clay into a soft plastic mud. By the time that this was well started the two who were to saw out a fireplace opening had finished that task, and Jack set all at work f

howing something like skill in this work, "if

ix or seven feet long. With these they made a sort of crib work outside the house at the

Then he called for mud and with it filled in the space between the clapboards and the crib walls behind. Then he set another tier of clapboards and added

away, but very slowly because no air can get behind them, and in the meantime

ack, consisting of cribwork of sticks split out for the purpo

not stopped on this third day for dinner, but had contented themselves with cold bites left over

d Jim Chenowith as they sat down

des that the fireplace must have at least twenty-four hours in which to dry before we can build a fire in it. You're always in

chairs made, and we shall be much more comfortable in the house than out here under the cliff where it is very uncomfortably wet and muddy since

ow is to make beds, chairs an

our chopping into the valley below. Fortunately there is a straight slide down the mountain, free from trees and landing at the right place. I

, "If we begin to chute sticks down th

an acre or so of level ground. Our timbers will go down there with the speed of cannon balls, but when they get there they'll slow up as the descent grows gentler, and stop on the level ground. Now I've arranged with the railroad people that

to keep tab on their counts and measurements? Must

here. As for cordwood, every time we have sent down ten cords I am to send down a slab indicating the amount. All these markings of mine will be verified below, of course, and when we go down in the spring the contractor or, rather, his agent with whom I made our bargain-for I didn't meet the contractor himself-will settle with us. He knows us only as a single source of supply, and will credit everything we send d

how are we to estimate the amount

sure it before we send it down, just as we'll count ou

at the sound of something that seemed t

e was a repetition of t

. "That's a fellow that I don't care to tackle w

sked Ed Parmly and Jim

from the Doctor's hands, slipped off his boots a

he commanded, "and don'

supplies with him, but depending exclusively upon his gun for the means of subsistence. Then he had come home heavily burdened with wild turkeys, squirrels, opossums, raccoons and game of every other species that the mountains afforded. In

ill no response from little Tom. Several minutes later came three rapidly succeeding

of you, and b

hich the voice came, the Doctor carrying

overed with blood and manifestly fainting. Only a few feet away lay the panther, shot three times through the body but still

g at the foo

arges of buckshot were quickly driven into

ittle Tom. Throwing his torch upon

uickly as you can. I must have light

, the Doctor discovered that the beast had dealt him two vicious blows with his horridly armed claws, one te

e than here." Then he gave a few hurried directions as to the best way of carrying the wounded boy,

ove all his clothing as quic

he Doctor carefully

know enough of anatomy to deliver his blows in vital parts. Tom will get well, but he's fainting

ooner was it done than Tom revived. After

lows finish

; "but it's you old fellow, th

r than that, we're rid of him. If I hadn't shot him he would have dropped from a tree upon so

or two with a surgical needle. "But the main thing," the Doctor expounded, "is to cleanse and disinfect the wounds. Nature itself," he added, "will repair any wound that does not involve a vital part, if it is cleansed and kept clean. The danger a

s the inflammation and blo

gerous inflammation is due to the presence of microbes in a wound. The moment the Doctors found that out they set to work to kill the microbes. They studied them under the most powerful microscopes. They tried all sorts of experiments with them till they learned how to kill t

us some illustrations

you are intereste

them. So, also, as to my hands. Before touching Tom's wounds I thoroughly scoured my hands in a solution of corrosive sublimate, so that they might not carry any possible infection to the scratches. All that is aseptic surgery. In the hospitals, where all conditions can be controlled they do this aseptic business completely. First of all, they have an operating table made of glass, which absorbs nothing and could be easily and perfectly cleansed after each operation by mere washing with water. But not content with that they scour the table with a disinfecting solution immediately before every operation. Then the surgeon, his as

a panther, or a mountain lion-or whatever else you choose to call it, for it bears all those names and some others. And I knew what it was after. It want

for lunch. And yet it is a fool in some ways. It suffers itself to grow enthusiastic now and then, though that is very r

e very dim light till I got a good view of him, crouching on a limb, and evidently planning to spring upon me and accept me in lieu of the venison. Then I fired three bullets through him with that splendid repeating rifle of yours, Doctor, and then I had an illustration of the old adage about 'the ruling passion' being 'strong in death.' For, instead of dropping to the ground, as I had expected him to do, the beast sprang twenty or thirty feet forward and attacked me with his hideously lon

our beds over there in the new house, but surgery is now so exact a science that I think I can promise you an entire

e to resolve half his age away! Doctor, I never met any other boy of only sixteen years old who knew ha

re was no call upon him that night or for ma