ow Scheat and Markab, hand in hand, watch for the stragglers--
Bringing up the rear of all the Fifty Stars that have passed by.
The Sun Clock
When you have been able to find the North Star it will be very easy to
set up a sun-dial. This device is not so valuable now as standard time
is universally used. If you know the difference between "sun time" and
standard time, the sun-dial can be referred to with a fair amount of
accuracy and many people regard it as a curiosity.
Select a place where the sun shines all day and the ground is level. Set
up a post or stake perpendicular and firm. At night go and "sight" a
straight stick at the North Star and fasten it securely. This stick will
now be parallel to the axis of the earth and its shadow will fall at the
same line on any given hour no matter what season of the year it may be.
At noon by the sun the shadows of the slanting stick and the upright one
will coincide. This gives you the "sun noon" and the time by a standard
watch or clock will tell you what correction to apply to your dial to
convert its time into standard. Having once established the noon, or "no
hour" mark the I, II, III, IV, V, and VI with stakes. Then calculate the
correct sun time of VI A.M. by your standard watch and stake out the
morning hours. Halves and even quarters can be marked between if you
wish.
A flower dial can be made by having your upright post a pretty tall
one, say ten or even twenty feet, and planting rows of flowers like
spokes of a wheel along the hour lines. It may be possible even to
select such as are likely to open at or near the indicated hour. The
entire semicircle of pegs will also make a pretty finish with tall
ornamental foliage plants or shrubs.
PRACTICE
_Make a sun-dial on the ground, mark the hours with stones or sticks,
and see if it shows the time every day._
AMONG THE STARS
Scouts must be able to find their way by night, but unless they practise
it they are very apt to lose themselves. At night distances seem much
greater, and land-marks are hard to see.
When patrolling in dark places, keep closer together, and in the dark or
in the woods or caves keep in touch with each other by catching hold of
the end of the next Scout's staff.
The staff is also useful for feeling the way.
WINTER EVENINGS.--_Cut out a quantity of little stars from stamp edging.
Take an old umbrella, open, and stick the stars inside it, in the
patterns of the chief cons
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