k on the under side of such a tree would be reasonably dry
and would make excellent fuel. He found one that had been shivered by
lightning, and from the south side of this he chopped off bark and
chips. The girls carried these to the fallen uptilted tree.

In the meantime, the guide had searched for and found several pine
knots. From these Tom whittled shavings from their less resinous ends,
leaving the shavings on the sticks. He set these knots up like a tripod
under the fallen tree, small ends down and the shavings touching.

"We will now strike a match and you shall see whether or not we know how
to build a fire under present conditions. Grace, how do you think you
would strike a match with nothing dry to strike it on?" he teased.

"I do not believe I should strike it," answered Grace.

"Hold your hat over me," he directed, getting down on his knees. Tom
placed the head of the match between his teeth and jerked the match
forward through the teeth, cupped the match in his hands until the flame
of the match ran up its stick, whereupon he applied it to the shavings.

The pine knots flickered, then flamed up, snapping and shooting out
little streamers of reddish fire. Bark and splinters from the leaning
tree were placed about the knots, and in a few moments they had a
cheerful fire.

"Cut two saplings and spread the blanket for a backing," said Tom,
nodding to the guide.

Joe sharpened one end of each sapling and forced them into the ground
back of the log, and on the saplings she stretched one of the wet
blankets.

"Girls, in all our campaigning we haven't learned much, have we?"
demanded Anne. "Had it not been for Tom we should have sat all night in
misery and wetness. I think we are going to learn something on this
journey."

"It strikes me that we have already learned a few things," observed Miss
Briggs.

Lieutenant Wingate recovered rapidly, and when able he began searching
about to discover what had hit him but could find nothing.

The clothing of the party under the influence of that red-hot fire soon
dried out, and the spirits of the Overland Riders rose in proportion.
Acting upon Elfreda's suggestion that they make an effort to salvage
their supplies, Tom and Hippy prepared pitchpine torches, and all hands
repaired to the scene of their late camping place.

"Look! Oh, look!" cried Emma, as they came within sight of it. Not a
vestige of the camp was left. Logs lay about everywhere, some almost
stan