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Updated: May 10, 2025
I don't know as it ever lost me any sleep." Half an hour later, as they sat by the fire that Yan made with rubbing-sticks, he said, "Say, Woodpecker, I want to tell you a story." Sam grimaced, pulled his ears forward, and made ostentatious preparations to listen. "There was once an Indian squaw taken prisoner by some other tribe way up north.
They need no rubbing-sticks and no drill to kindle fresh flame. They touch the seed on the box, and, lo, like a miracle, fire bursts forth from the wood spontaneous. Tu-Kila-Kila comes, to behold this miracle." The warriors hung back with doubtful eyes for a moment. Then they spoke with one accord, "Tu-Kila-Kila shall decide. Tu-Kila-Kila! Tu-Kila-Kila!
"Better go slow and sure about that fire. It'd be awfully unlucky to have it fizzle for the first time." "That's so," replied Yan, with the same sort of superstitious dread. "Say, Sam, if we could really light it with rubbing-sticks, wouldn't it be great?" "Hallo!" The boys turned, and there was Caleb close to them. He came over and nodded. "Got yer teepee, I see?
Well, that's what the Injuns would call a 'grand coup, and Caleb's face wore the same pleasant look as when he made the fire with rubbing-sticks. "What's a grand coup?" asked Little Beaver. "Oh, I suppose it's a big deed. The Injuns call a great feat a 'coup, an' an extra big one a 'grand coup. Sounds like French, an' maybe 'tis, but the Injuns says it.
He sought for a dried Balsam Fir, cut the rubbing-sticks, made a bow of a slightly bent branch, and soon had a blazing fire, to Peter's utter amazement, for he had never seen the trick of making a fire by rubbing-sticks. After drinking some tea and eating a little, Pete felt more encouraged.
He wanted it all in truly Indian style, but the Trapper remarked, "Jest as well to have some tinder and a thong along when you're in the woods, but matches is handier than rubbing-sticks." Blackhawk and Bluejay returned with two pails of dirty, tepid, swampy water. "Why, that's all there is!" was their defense.
It was soft and useless; another and another at intervals, till thirteen; then, despairing, I laid the last two on a stone in the weak sunlight, and tried to warm myself by gathering firewood and moving quickly, but it seemed useless a very death chill was on me. I have often lighted a fire with rubbing-sticks, but I needed an axe, as well as a buckskin thong for this, and I had neither.
"Well, they don't," admitted Yan, humbly. "But I haven't a flint and steel, and don't know how to work rubbing-sticks, so we just got to use matches, if we want a fire." "Why, of course we want a fire. I ain't kicking," said Sam. "Go ahead with your old leg-fire sulphur stick. A camp without a fire would be 'bout like last year's bird's nest or a house with the roof off."
He made an excuse to wander out there, but of course Caleb was gone. "Fire up," Sam presently called out. Yan was the chief expert with the rubbing-sticks, and within a minute or two he had the fire going in the middle of the teepee and Sam set about preparing the evening meal. It was eaten rather quietly, and then the boys sat down on the opposite sides of the fire.
But winter was near and she could not get home before it came. So she set to work right where she was. "She made a wigwam of Birch bark and a fire with rubbing-sticks, using the lace of her moccasin for a bow-string. She made snares of the inner bark of the Willow and of Spruce roots, and deadfalls, too, for Rabbits.
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