ne end.

Now he took out the spruce roots, soft and pliant, and selecting a lot
that were about an eighth of an inch in diameter, scraped off the bark
and roughness, until he had a bundle of perhaps ten feet of soft, even,
white cords.

The bark was laid flat and cut as below.

The rounding of A and B is necessary, for the holes of the sewing would
tear the piece off if all were on the same line of grain. Each corner
was now folded and doubled on itself (C), then held so with a straddle
pin (D). The rim was trimmed so as to be flat where it crossed the fibre
of the bark, and arched where it ran along. The pliant rods of birch
were bent around this, and using the large awl to make holes, Quonab
sewed the rim rods to the bark with an over-lapping stitch that made
a smooth finish to the edge, and the birch-bark wash pan was complete.
(E.) Much heavier bark can be used if the plan F G be followed, but it
is hard to make it water-tight.

So now they had a wash pan and a cause of friction was removed. Rolf
found it amusing as well as useful to make other bark vessels of varying
sizes for dippers and dunnage. It was work that he could do now while he
was resting and recovering and he became expert. After watching a fairly
successful attempt at a box to hold fish-hooks and tackle, Quonab said:
"In my father's lodge these would bear quill work in colours."

"That's so," said Rolf, remembering the birch-bark goods often sold by
the Indians. "I wish we had a porcupine now."

"Maybe Skookum could find one," said the Indian, with a smile.

"Will you let me kill the next Kahk we find?"

"Yes, if you use the quills and burn its whiskers."

"Why burn its whiskers?"

"My father said it must be so. The smoke goes straight to the All-above;
then the Manito knows we have killed, but we have remembered to kill
only for use and to thank Him."

It was some days before they found a porcupine, and when they did,
it was not necessary for them to kill it. But that belongs to another
chapter.

They saved its skin with all its spears and hung it in the storehouse.
The quills with the white bodies and ready-made needle at each end are
admirable for embroidering, but they are white only.

"How can we dye them, Quonab?

"In the summer are many dyes; in winter they are hard to get. We can get
some."

So forth he went to a hemlock tree, and cut till he could gather the
inner pink bark, which, boiled with the quills, turned them a dull