red
Caleb's purpose very well. But before Caleb had much more than begun his
dinner, Raymond had finished his, and, rising, said that he must go back
to his work.

"But, first, I will set your chimney a-fire," said he.

"No," said Caleb, "I want you to let me kindle it."

"You can't."

"Yes, I can," said Caleb; "I can get some birch bark."

"Very well; only if I go away to my work now, you must not come and
trouble me to come back again, because you can't get the fire a-going."

"No," said Caleb, "I won't."

So Raymond went back to his work, and Caleb finished his dinner.

At length, however, his potatoes and bread and butter were all gone, and
his apple cores he had pretty thoroughly scraped with his wooden spoon,
and thrown into the fire. So he got up from his seat, and prepared to
light his chimney. He took his plate for a slow match. It was pretty
large and stiff, and he thought it would burn long enough for him to
carry it from the fire to his chimney. He accordingly took hold of it
by one corner, and held the other corner into the flame, which was
curling up from a brand by the side of his fire.

But before the birch bark took fire, the flame of the brand went out,
and then Caleb looked around for another. The fire had, however, burnt
nearly down, so as to leave a great bed of embers, with the brands all
around it, the burnt ends pointing inwards, Caleb pushed some of these
into the fire, and soon made a blaze again, and then once more attempted
to set the corner of his plate on fire.

He succeeded. The corner began to blaze and curl, and Caleb rose and
moved along carefully, lest the wind should blow it out. This precaution
was, however, scarcely necessary, for the little wind that his motion
occasioned, only fanned the flame the more, and the part which was on
fire curled round upon that which was not, and thus formed a round and
solid mass, which burned fiercely.

Caleb walked along, the bark blazing higher and higher, and curling in
upon itself more and more, until, at length, he began to be afraid it
would reach his fingers before he could get to his chimney. He walked
faster and faster, and presently began to run. This fanned the fire the
more, until, just as he came within a few steps of his chimney, the
curling bark reached his fingers, and he tripped over a great root at
the very instant when he was dropping the piece of bark from his hands.
He came down upon all-fours, and the bark which was