say that when in the woods he rarely
prepared his food after any other fashion, and that so cooked, with the
addition of a little salt, it was invariably deliciously flavoured--in
short, a dish fit for a king.

Recalling these things, I told the lads they need not concern themselves
with such matters as cots and culinary utensils--that I would take those
matters in hand. I realise now, in the light of subsequent events, that
I spoke o'erhastily; but, inspired with confidence by my readings, I
felt no doubt whatever regarding my ability to master such emergencies
as might arise.

As for tents, I said that with the aid of a small axe I could within a
few minutes, by following certain directions given in "The Complete Boy
Camper," construct commodious and comfortable lean-forwards. The work in
question had spoken of these edifices as lean-tos, but I preferred the
word lean-forwards as being more grammatical and more euphonious as
well.

With a few parting admonitions from me concerning the costume, personal
toilet appendages, the hour of leaving, and so on, the meeting then
broke up, the boys scattering into the darkness with ringing halloos of
unalloyed happiness, all very refreshing to hear, while I wended my
homeward way filled with not unpleasing reflections of the prospect
before me.

However, these thoughts were soon dissipated, for the intervening days
were so filled with labour that I preserve but an indistinct and blurred
recollection of them. Just when I was sure that every imaginable
contingency had been provided for, some other item, unforeseen until
then, would crop up. I was kept busy revising and enlarging my list of
needful articles and scurrying about here and there among tradespeople,
finally staggering home at twilight laden with parcels and quite on the
verge of exhaustion. Really it was very annoying.

Even with the coming of night there was no surcease, for such was my
sense of my own responsibilities that my sleep was much broken. I would
wake with a start from troubled slumber to remember something of
importance that I had until that moment entirely forgotten. I developed
a severe headache and became so distraught that to the simplest
questions I made strangely incongruous answers. Once, at eventide, on
Mrs. Dorcas' coming into my study to enquire what I would have for
breakfast the ensuing morning, I mechanically answered, to the no small
astonishment of that worthy person: "Spruce boughs!"