Is built between two logs, two rows of stones, or sods ([Figs. 98], [99], and [100]); between these logs the fire is usually built, using the sides as fire-dogs, or the sticks may be placed in the turkey-lay ([Fig. 100]), so that the sticks themselves make a fire-dog and allow, for a time, a draught until the fire is burning briskly, after which it settles down to hot embers and is in the proper condition for frying. For be it known that too hot a griddle will set the grease or bacon afire, which may be funny under ordinary circumstances, but when one is shy of bacon it is a serious thing. The
Ordinary Baking Fire Lay
Is shown by [Fig. 101]. In this instance, the frying pans being used as reflector ovens are propped up by running sticks through the holes in their handles.
THE AURES
Is a rustic crane made exactly of the same form as are the cranes of the old-fashioned open fire-places, but ingeniously fashioned from a carefully selected green stick with two forks ([Fig. 102]). The long end of the main branch is severed at A ([Fig. 102]), care being taken not to cut through the green bark, B ([Fig. 102]). The bark of the latter, B, is then bent over the stub, A ([Fig. 102]), forming a loop, C ([Fig. 103]), which is lashed with green bark to the main stick and slipped over the upright, D ([Fig. 104]). The fork at E braces the crane and holds it in a horizontal position, resting on a stub left on D for that purpose. How practicable this thing may be depends altogether upon the time and skill one has at one's disposal. One would hardly use the Aures for a single night camp, but if one were to spend a week in the same camp, it would be well worth while and at the same time very interesting work to manufacture a neat Aures crane for the camp kitchen. The next step in camp kitchen fires will include what might be termed the pit fires, which will be described in the following chapter.
You have been told how to select the firewood, make the kindling and start a fire in the preceding chapter on how to build a fire; all you have to remember now is that in certain particulars all fires are alike; they all must have air to breathe and food to eat or they will not live.
In the case of the fire we do not call the air breath, but we give it a free circulation and call it a draught. Wood is the food that the fire eats and it must be digestible, a fire with indigestion is a fire fed with punky, damp wood carelessly thrown together in place of well-selected dry split wood which the fire can consume cleanly, digest evenly, and at the same time give out the greatest amount of heat.