aying, he took out his knife, and cut down a small, slender maple,
which was growing near him, and trimmed off the top and the few little
branches which were growing near the top. It made a slender pole about
five feet long, with smooth but freckled bark, from end to end. He then
made a little split in one end.

"There, Caleb," said he, "take that, and stick a piece of birch bark in
the split end; then you can carry it, and let it curl as much as it
pleases. Or, if that fails, put a large piece of birch bark directly
upon the fire. Then, as soon as it begins to burn, it will begin to
curl, and then you must put the end of the stick down to it, in such a
manner that the bark will curl over and grasp it, and then you can take
it up and carry the roll upon the end of your pole."

"Very well," said Caleb, "there are two ways."

"There are two ways," repeated Raymond.

"Now, if both these fail, you must put on a good many fresh sticks upon
the fire, with one end of each of them out. Then, as soon as the ends
which are in the fire have got burnt through, take up two of them by the
ends that were out of the fire and lay them down at the foot of the
hollow tree, close to the wood you have got together there. Then come
back and get two more brands, and lay them down in the same way, and be
careful to have the burnt ends all together. So you must keep going back
and forth, until you find that the brands are beginning to burn up
freely in the new place."

Caleb took the maple pole and went back to his fire. He tore the
salt-cellar in two, and this made two very good small strips of bark.
He pulled open the split end of his pole, and carefully inserted one of
them, and then, holding it over a little flame which was rising from a
burning brand, he set it on fire. The bark was soon in a blaze, and it
writhed and curled as if it were struggling to get away; but it only
clung to the end of the pole more closely; and Caleb, much pleased at
the success of his experiment, waved it in the air, and shouted to
Raymond to look and see.

He then walked slowly along, stopping every moment to wave his great
flambeau, and shout; and so, when at last he reached the hollow tree,
the bark was nearly burnt out, and the fragments were beginning to fall
off from the end of the pole. He then thrust it hastily under the heap
of fuel, which had been collected in the tree; but it was too late. It
flickered and smoked a minute or two, and finally went