raggling along. The side packs,
containing commissary supplies, stood gaping, awaiting the cook. Frying
pans, coffee pot and "Dutch oven" appealed, as it were, for recognition,
so in one chorus the honor was thrust upon Jack to "get the first meal."
But he was a past-master in the art, notwithstanding he had not
officiated before in the presence of so "finnicky" an assemblage.

"Now, you ladies who have a cupboard full of clean dishes to use when
you commence to prepare a meal, and a table to prepare it on and a cook
book to guide you, and a sink for the trash, and shelves full of handy
ingredients, and when the meal is ready every dish has been used and
every utensil stands neglected with traces of its having fulfilled a
mission belonging to it, and who sigh because there are so many pots,
stewpans and table dishes to wash and dry after the meal is over,--just
watch the frontier method."

Jack had superintended the packing of the "mess box," so he knew where
all the supplies were. Seizing a stick, provided for the purpose, his
first act was just like that of a woman. He poked the fire, but in his
case it was to "draw out" a bed of coals on which he set the oven
skillet, a cast iron utensil about five inches deep, with long legs
under it and a bail and cast iron cover half an inch thick. The latter
he placed on the fire logs. Next he washed his hands, then put a
tablespoonful of coffee for each cup into a big pot and added cold
water. This was put on one corner of his bed of coals. Taking a six
quart pan he put in flour, some salt, a pinch of sugar, some milk--which
by good luck they had managed to capture at the last ranch--then some
baking powder, and stirred it all up with a big iron spoon until it was
stiff. The mixing was done on a convenient rock. Here Jack looked
suspiciously at the quizzical eyes which followed his every movement. He
washed his hands again, then with turned-up shirt sleeves moulded the
dough, adding flour until it was biscuit thick. Turning another pan
upside down he flattened a portion of the dough to the desired
thickness, then cut his biscuits square. The remainder of the dough in
the original pan was treated likewise where it was. Cutting off a piece
of bacon rind he "greased" his oven skillet thoroughly, placed the
biscuits therein, then put the hot cover upon the skillet and a
shovelful of hot coals on the cover. The coffee was just beginning to
boil, so he set the pot back on some hot as