eath was a veteran woodsman who had come to swamping in his old age.
He knew the game thoroughly, but could never save his "stake" when Pat
McGinnis, the saloon man, enticed him in. Throughout the morning he had
kept an eye on the newcomer, and was secretly pleased in his heart of
the professional at the readiness with which the young fellow learned.

Thorpe resumed his coat, and fell in behind the little procession. After
a short time he came upon a horse and sledge. Beyond it the cookee
had built a little camp fire, around and over which he had grouped big
fifty-pound lard-tins, half full of hot things to eat. Each man, as he
approached, picked up a tin plate and cup from a pile near at hand.

The cookee was plainly master of the situation. He issued peremptory
orders. When Erickson, the blonde Swede, attempted surreptitiously to
appropriate a doughnut, the youth turned on him savagely.

"Get out of that, you big tow-head!" he cried with an oath.

A dozen Canada jays, fluffy, impatient, perched near by or made little
short circles over and back. They awaited the remains of the dinner. Bob
Stratton and a devil-may-care giant by the name of Nolan constructed a
joke wherewith to amuse the interim. They cut a long pole, and placed it
across a log and through a bush, so that one extremity projected beyond
the bush. Then diplomacy won a piece of meat from the cookee. This they
nailed to the end of the pole by means of a pine sliver. The Canada jays
gazed on the morsel with covetous eyes. When the men had retired, they
swooped. One big fellow arrived first, and lit in defiance of the rest.

"Give it to 'im!" whispered Nolan, who had been watching.

Bob hit the other end of the pole a mighty whack with his ax. The
astonished jay, projected straight upward by the shock, gave a startled
squawk and cut a hole through the air for the tall timber. Stratton and
Nolan went into convulsions of laughter.

"Get at it!" cried the cookee, as though setting a pack of dogs on their
prey.

The men ate, perched in various attitudes and places. Thorpe found it
difficult to keep warm. The violent exercise had heated him through, and
now the north country cold penetrated to his bones. He huddled close to
the fire, and drank hot tea, but it did not do him very much good. In
his secret mind he resolved to buy one of the blanket mackinaws that
very evening. He began to see that the costumes of each country have
their origin in practicality.