But Paul had figured on this during the previous visit made here. He had even marked off the position he wished every tent to occupy, and this made it easier.
Many of the scouts were really proficient in erecting the canvas shelters, and in a very brief time the scene began to present quite a martial appearance, such as half a dozen tents in a bunch must always make.
Each had a waterproof fly over the whole, which was calculated to shed rain if let alone. Besides there were a couple of other open covers put up, which would be useful in case of rain, one for storing things, the other as a mess tent, where meals could be partaken of in comfort, despite the weather.
After that three fires were started, one for each patrol. These were not of the big, roaring kind that usually serve campers as their means of cooking. Later on they expected to have one such, around which to gather, and tell yarns, and sing their school songs; but the cooking fires must be built along entirely different lines.
A hole was dug in the ground, with a frontage toward the wind. When this was pronounced deep enough a fire was carefully kindled in it, and fed with small stuff until it could take stronger food. So by degrees the depression became filled with red cinders, sending off a tremendous heat,
yet not showing more than fifty feet away. An enemy might pass it by twice that distance, without discovering it was there.
Besides, one could cook over such a fire with comfort, and not scorching both face and hands in the effort.
Paul had learned the trick from an Indian with whom he once camped; and ever since that time he had never made a big, roaring blaze when he wanted to cook.
That was only one of dozens of useful things those Stanhope boys would pick up while on this wonderful hike into the wilderness. Wallace Carberry had a lot of information packed away in that big head of his, and there would be plenty of occasions when he could help Paul out in accomplishing things in the proper way.