Tattine | Page 7

you lifted the weight with one hand when you wished to change the position of the branch with the other, and then let it rest on the ground again at the spot where you wanted the pole to stay. You see, the great advantage of this was that, when you wished to see how things were going on inside of the kettle, or to stop its boiling instantly--you could just swing it away from the fire in no time, and not run the risk of burning face or hands, or petticoats, if you belong to the petticoat family.`
"Now," panted Tattine, for it was her turn to be breathless with running, "I'll break the sugar if you two will make the fire, but Rudolph's to light it and he's the only one who is to lean over it and put the wood on when it's needed. Mamma says there is to be a very strict rule about that, because skirts and fluffy hair like mine and Mabel's are very dangerous about a fire," and then Tattine proceeded to roll the maple sugar in the brown paper so as to have two or three thicknesses about it, and then, laying it upon a flat stone, began to pound and break it with the hammer.
"Yes," said Rudolph, on his knees on the ground, and making balls of newspaper for the foundation of the fire; "it's lucky for Mabel and me that fire is one thing about which we can be trusted."
"I shouldn't wonder if it's the only thing," laughed Tattine, whereupon Mabel toppled her over on the grass by way of punishment.
"No, but honest!" continued Rudolph, "I have just been trained and trained about fire. I know it's an awfully dangerous thing. It's just foolhardy to run any sort of risk with it, and it's wise when you make a fire in the open air like this, to stand on the same side as the wind comes from, even if you haven't any skirts or fluffy hair to catch."
"Here's some more wood, grandfather," said Mabel solemnly, dumping an armful down at his side; "I should think you were eighty to hear you talk," and then Mabel had her punishment by being chased down the path and plumped down rather hard in the veriest tangle of brambles and briars. It chanced, however, that her corduroy skirt furnished all the protection needed from the sharp little thorns, so that, like "Brer Rabbit," she called out exultingly, " 'Born and bred in a briar-patch, Brer Rudolph, born and bred in a briar-patch,'" and could have sat there quite comfortably, no one`knows how long, but that she heard the maple sugar go tumbling into the kettle. And then she heard Tattine say, "A cup of water to two pounds, isn't it?" Then she heard the water go splash on top of the maple sugar. Now she could stand it no longer, and, clearing the briars at one bound, was almost back at the camp with another.
By this time the fire was blazing away finely, and the sugar, with the help of an occasional stirring from the long-handled spoon in Rudolph's hand, soon dissolved. Dissolving sometimes seems to be almost a day's journey from boiling, and the children were rather impatient for that stage to be reached. At last, however, Rudolph announced excitedly, "It boils, it boils! and now I mustn't leave it for a minute. More wood, Mabel! don't be so slow, and, Tattine, hurry Philip up with that ice," but Philip was seen at that moment bringing a large piece of ice in a wheelbarrow, so Tattine was saved that journey, and devoted the time instead to spreading out one of the pieces of wrapping-paper, to keep the ice from the ground, because of the dead leaves and "things" that were likely to cling to it.
"Now break off a good-sized piece, Tattine," Rudolph directed, "and put it on a piece of paper near the fire," but Tattine knew that was the next thing to do, so what was the use of Rudolph's telling her? It happens quite frequently that people who are giving directions give too many by far.
"Now, Mabel," continued the drum-major, "will you please bring some more wood, and will you please put your mind on it and keep bringing it? These little twigs that make the best fire burn out in a twinkling, please notice," but Mabel did not hurry so very much for the next armful; since she could see for herself there was no great need for haste. Rudolph was simply getting excited, but then the making of maple-wax is such a very responsible undertaking, he could not be blamed for that. You need to stop its boiling at precisely the right moment, else it suddenly reaches the point where, when