the throat and breast and removed the entrails
without causing any repulsion in Ruth. When it was ready, Ruth admitted
that she knew she could do the work the next time without a qualm.

The cookstove the scouts were so proud of was a remarkable affair--even
Mr. Gilroy admitted that. Mrs. Vernon had discovered a heap of fine flat
stones, such as a surveyor uses for his "corners," and these were used.
The largest stones were placed against a tree that would act as draught
to the fire, and the mound was built up until it was a convenient height
to use without bending uncomfortably low, as is necessary with
campfires.

Through the center of this mound was a well, and on four sides of the
rounded mound were windowlike openings backed with tin; in these niches
various pots or pans could be kept hot while other viands were cooking
on top of the stove.

The top was made of a sheet of thin stove-iron which the Captain had
brought from home, and near the bottom of the mound was a tipping-stone
upon which the fire was laid. When the fire was out, its ashes could be
removed by tipping the flat stone over and letting the cinders fall to
the bottom, where they could be raked away quite easily.

This opening provided draught for the fire, and at the back, from the
fire-stone, an opening had been left, and here to several feet above the
top of the stove, a length of stove-pipe carried all smoke out and above
the heads of the scouts.

The girls had also built a fireless cooker in the ground just beside
their stove, where fish, or any article needing steady heat, could be
placed. This cooking-pit was constructed after the plan adopted by most
scouts, and described fully in the manual.

While Ruth and Betty were busy preparing the chicken, Mrs. Vernon built
a good fire in the stove, and had several of the girls heat the stones
in the fireless cooker, to be ready for use.

Mr. Gilroy had donated several fine lake trout that day, so these were
cleaned and washed and placed in the cooker-pit, where they would need
no watching but be done to a turn when wanted.

The chicken was cut up for a fricasee, and diced onions and potatoes
were prepared to add to the boiling liquid about an hour before serving.
This would provide not only soup for the first course, but chicken with
dumplings for a third course. They proposed having the fish with butter
sauce for the second course.

Just as Julie added the diced potatoes, Hester exclaimed, "