(Ebook) Camping's Top Secrets: A Lexicon of

Expert Camping Tips by Cliff Jacobson ISBN

9780762781850, 0762781858 download

https://ebooknice.com/product/camping-s-top-secrets-a-lexicon-of-
expert-camping-tips-10841344

Explore and download more ebooks at ebooknice.com

Here are some recommended products that we believe you will be
interested in. You can click the link to download.

(Ebook) Camping's Top Secrets: A Lexicon of Modern Bushcraft by Cliff

Jacobson ISBN 9781493062942, 1493062948

https://ebooknice.com/product/camping-s-top-secrets-a-lexicon-of-
modern-bushcraft-38380082

(Ebook) Boundary Waters Canoe Camping by Cliff Jacobson ISBN

9780762773442, 0762773448

https://ebooknice.com/product/boundary-waters-canoe-camping-11826402

(Ebook) Basic Illustrated Camping by Cliff Jacobson ISBN

9781493019151, 9781493012534, 1493019155, 1493012533

https://ebooknice.com/product/basic-illustrated-camping-47087206

(Ebook) Ultralight Backpackin’ Tips: 153 Amazing & Inexpensive Tips

For Extremely Lightweight Camping by Mike Clelland ISBN 9780762763849,
0762763841

https://ebooknice.com/product/ultralight-backpackin-tips-153-amazing-
inexpensive-tips-for-extremely-lightweight-camping-7043052
(Ebook) CAMPING GUIDE: Camping skill You Need (Field & Stream) by T.
Edward Nickens ISBN 9781616284152, 1616284153

https://ebooknice.com/product/camping-guide-camping-skill-you-need-
field-stream-33825772

(Ebook) Camping Utah: A Comprehensive Guide to Public Tent and RV

Campgrounds (State Camping Series) by Donna Ikenberry ISBN
9781493043163, 1493043161

https://ebooknice.com/product/camping-utah-a-comprehensive-guide-to-
public-tent-and-rv-campgrounds-state-camping-series-47215670

(Ebook) Field & Stream Skills Guide: Camping: Camping Skills You Need
by Nickens, T. Edward ISBN 9781681886398, 1681886391

https://ebooknice.com/product/field-stream-skills-guide-camping-
camping-skills-you-need-35142196

(Ebook) Moon Colorado Camping: The Complete Guide to Tent and RV

Camping by Joshua Berman ISBN 9781640498853, 1640498850

https://ebooknice.com/product/moon-colorado-camping-the-complete-
guide-to-tent-and-rv-camping-47085720

(Ebook) Let's Go Camping! From cabins to caravans, crochet your own

camping Scenes by Kate Bruning ISBN 9780857836519, 085783651X

https://ebooknice.com/product/let-s-go-camping-from-cabins-to-
caravans-crochet-your-own-camping-scenes-52675732
 A
An A to Z Lexicon
of Camping’s Top Secrets Revealed! FALCON Camping’s 25th

FALCONGUIDES®
GUIDE®
Top Secrets
Anniversary
Edition

A LEXICON OF EXPERT CAMPING TIPS

Camping’s Top Secrets

Camping’s Top Secrets goes beyond the scope of traditional camping books, revealing
Essential gear for every adventure: Outfit Your Mind®

hundreds of field-tested tips to enhance your next outdoor adventure. With clear
descriptions organized alphabetically for quick reference and even more handy tricks,
this fully updated edition by veteran camping consultant Cliff Jacobson divulges the
best-kept secrets based on a lifetime of knowledge and firsthand experience. This is an
essential reference for anyone who enjoys the outdoors—from the first time camper
to the experienced outdoorsman.

Get insider tips on:

• Forecasting the weather • Cooking and cookware
• Rigging a canoe or boat • Treating common ailments
• Treating drinking water • Using maps and GPS units
• Using tents and other types • Camping with kids
of shelters • Choosing camping clothes, boots,
• Dealing with animal and insect sleeping bags, and gear
encounters • And more!

Cliff Jacobson is one of North America’s most respected outdoors writers and
wilderness canoe guides. He is a canoeing consultant and the author of more than a
dozen top-selling books on camping and canoeing. He lives in River Falls, Wisconsin. FALCON
Front cover photo licensed by Shutterstock.com
GUIDES® 25TH
falcon.com
ANNIVERSARY EDITION

Back cover photos © Cliff Jacobson $19.95 / Canadian $21.95

FalconGuides ®
is an imprint of CLIFF JACOBSON
Globe Pequot Press
 Camping’s Top Secrets

Camping_TopSecs_Final_CS55.indd 1 1/11/13 2:43 PM

Camping_TopSecs_Final_CS55.indd 2 1/11/13 2:43 PM
 25th
Anniversary
Edition

Camping’s Top Secrets

A Lexicon of Expert Camping Tips

Cliff Jacobson

Camping_TopSecs_Final_CS55.indd 3 1/11/13 2:43 PM

 GUIDES ®
FALCONGUIDES
Copyright © 1998, 2006, 2013 Morris Book Publishing, LLC
Published in 1987 by Cliff Jacobson

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any
means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage
and retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted in writing from the publisher. Requests for
permission should be addressed to Globe Pequot Press, Attn: Rights and Permissions Department,
PO Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437.

FalconGuides is an imprint of Globe Pequot Press.

Falcon, FalconGuides, and Outfit Your Mind are registered trademarks of Morris Book Publishing, LLC.

All photos by Cliff Jacobson unless otherwise credited.

Illustrations: Robert Prince, Cliff Moen, Mary Ballachino
Text design: Sheryl P. Kober
Layout: Justin Marciano and Maggie Peterson
Project editor: Julie Marsh

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Jacobson, Cliff.
Camping’s top secrets : a lexicon of expert camping tips / Cliff
Jacobson. — 25th anniversary edition.
pages cm
Includes index.
ISBN 978-0-7627-8185-0
1. Camping. 2. Hiking. I. Title.
GV191.7.J33 2013
796.54—dc23
2012048427
Printed in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

The author and Globe Pequot Press assume no liability for accidents happening to, or
injuries sustained by, readers who engage in the activities described in this book. The health
information expressed in this book is based solely on the personal experience of the author
and is not intended as a medical manual. The information should not be used for diagnosis or
treatment, or as a substitute for professional medical care.

Camping_TopSecs_Final_CS55.indd 4 1/11/13 2:43 PM

 Contents Diapers and Diaper Pins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Duct Tape / Repair Tape. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii E
What! Another Camping Book?. . . . . . . . . . . viii Ethics in the Wilderness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

A F
Alum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Fabric Softener. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Anchor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Fire Making. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Animals—Bears and Other Beasts. . . . . . . . . . 2 First-Aid Kit and Procedures, by
Ax. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 William Forgey, MD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
First-Aid Tips for Common Problems. . . . . . 82
B Flashlights and Camp Lighting Devices . . . . 84
Baking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Forest Fires. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Bannock (Camp Bread) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Frisbee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Binoculars. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Boots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 G
Bottles and Food Tubes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 GPS (Global Positioning System). . . . . . . . . . 87
Bugs—Mosquitoes, Flies, No-see-ums,
and Ticks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 H
Bush Living, by Sharron Chatterton. . . . . . . 33 Hammocks for Camping. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Hand Cream and Lip Balm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
C Honey and Sugar—Good Medicine
Camera. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 for Wounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Canoe- and Boat-Rigging Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Hypothermia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Canteen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Cartop Carriers (Canoe Racks). . . . . . . . . . . . 40 K
Children (Tips for Camping with Kids). . . . . 43 Knives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Clothing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Knots, Hitches, and Lashings. . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Compass. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 L
Contact Cement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Lightning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Cooking and Food Ideas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Lyme Disease. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Cord and Cord Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Cozies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 M
Maps and Map Tricks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
D Monofilament Fishing Line. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Dental Floss. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Dental Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
N
Nalgene Bottle Trick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Desert Camping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Netted Bags. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

Camping_TopSecs_Final_CS55.indd 5 1/11/13 2:43 PM

 Contents

P T
Packs and Packing Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 Tablecloth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Pillow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 Tarps (Rain Flies). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Tents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
R Tents: Classics You Can Make. . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Rain Gear. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118 Tent Site: How to Cope with a Bad One . . . 177
Ropes and Rope Tricks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 Tools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
S Towels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Saw (Folding) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 U
Shovel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 Ultraviolet Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Shower. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Signal Gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 V
Skis (Cross-Country). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 Vapor-Barrier Liners (VBLs) . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Sleeping Bags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Sleeping Pads, Air Mattresses, and W
Sleeping Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 Wanigans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Snow Glasses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134 Waterproof Bags and Boxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Snow Shelters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134 Water Treatment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Snowshoes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140 Weather Forecasting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Soaps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 Y
Solar Charger. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 Yard Goods and Repair Materials. . . . . . . . . 190
Sponge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Stool (Camp). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 Appendix A: Recommended Reading. . . . . . 195
Stoves. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142 Appendix B: Sources for.
Stuff Sacks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146 Recommended Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Survival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146 Glossary of Common Camping Terms. . . . . 200
Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
About the Author. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213

vi

Camping_TopSecs_Final_CS55.indd 6 1/11/13 2:43 PM

 Acknowledgments
In my book Expedition Canoeing: A Guide to encouragement and use of their photos: my
Canoeing Wild Rivers in North America, I wrote, friend Dr. Bill Forgey, for his practical tips
“Canoeing the wild rivers of the far north on wilderness medicine; Alv Elvestad (www
makes one understand why primitive man felt .pakboats.com); Gabriel Branby; Sharron
so close to God.” I am not a religious man, but Chatterton; Dan Cooke; Bob Dannert; Darrell
I have brushed with death often enough in Foss; Bill Friedlander; Toni and Ria Harting;
the bush to appreciate the caring spirits who Rod Johnson; Rob Kesselring; Paul Kirtley; Tim
guide my actions. I have spent nearly a lifetime Lynch and Mark Matheny; UDAP Industries
canoeing remote rivers in northern Canada and (www.bearspray.com); Derek Moore (SPOT LLC
neither I nor anyone in my charge has ever suf- and Globalstar); Jim Mandle; Heather Novaday
fered a serious illness or injury. I believe that Maier (HMS Wilderness Experience); Dick
I owe much of my good luck to a kindly spirit Person; Steve Piragis; Scott Power; Mike Rapatz;
who watches my back and helps me make wise Thomas Rapatz; Larry Rice; Larry Ricker (www
decisions. I often feel the presence of my “river .lhrimages.com); Tom Schwinghamer; Paul
angel,” and I wish to say thanks. Swanstrom; Tony Way; Alan Wenker; David
I also wish to credit and say thanks to Wescott, author of Camping in the Old Style;
the following people for their support and Wes Rusk; and my patient wife, Sue Harings.

vii

Camping_TopSecs_Final_CS55.indd 7 1/11/13 2:43 PM

 What! Another Camping Book?
Camping out has changed considerably since changed at all is knowledge of the sport. The
the good old days of pine-bough beds, bonfires, wise old scoutmaster who could sniff a coming
and fresh-cut trail shelters. No longer is it ethi- storm and rig a tight camp in a driving rain has
cal to shape the land to suit our whims. There all but been replaced by the well-meaning leader
are just too few wild places and too many of us! who atones the night in his pickup camper . . .
As a result, a whole new style of camping or more likely, doesn’t camp at all. Everyone, it
has evolved, one geared to the high-tech, light- seems, has plenty of gear to cope with the ele-
weight equipment of today. Forty-pound can- ments, but precious few know how to use it.
vas tents have been thoughtfully replaced by If misery loves company, you’ll find plenty of
equally spacious nylon models of one-fourth it in the backcountry. Just watch the campers
the weight. Camp stoves have taken over roll home (or to the nearest motel) at the first
where fires once ruled, and a deluge of new sign of rain. The notion that bad weather spells
fabrics—polypropylene, polyester pile, Orlon bad times afield is so firmly entrenched in the
acrylics, and Gore-Tex—have challenged tradi- minds of contemporary campers that it is prob-
tional fibers. Packsacks, hiking boots, rain gear: ably pointless for me to argue the truth in the
Everything has become lighter, more compact, pages of this book. Nonetheless, I shall try.
and reliable. Surprisingly good outdoor gear This book is not intended to take the place
can now be purchased at big-city discount of a sport-specific text on backpacking, canoe-
stores—testimony to the growing interest in ing, family camping, or the like. Rather, it details
camping out. Regrettably, even new technology hundreds of ideas and procedures that are never
has brought disappointments. Outdoor cloth- found in traditional camping texts—ideas that
ing and footwear have become more stylish and will make your next campout safer and more
less adapted for use in the wild outdoors. Tents enjoyable. Main topics have been alphabetized,
have become exotic, difficult to pitch, and less everything is indexed for your convenience, and
rainproof than old designs. And today’s thick- space-consuming anecdotes have been elimi-
bladed, serrated knives are better adapted to nated to make room for the obscure but impor-
cutting through metal doors than slicing salami tant things you really need to know.
and pine. Have we forsaken old ways that work Some of you may recognize procedures from
for fashionable new styles that don’t? my books Expedition Canoeing and Canoeing and
Amidst the generally welcomed improve- Camping: Beyond the Basics. These procedures are
ments in gear, the one thing that has not repeated here for the benefit of those who don’t

viii

Camping_TopSecs_Final_CS55.indd 8 1/11/13 2:43 PM

 Introduction

canoe. After all, the rules of backcountry com- What’s New in the Fourth Edition?
fort are the same whether you travel by foot, ski, In a word, plenty! What was intended as a light
canoe, or truck camper. Foul weather can make revision morphed into a substantial rewrite
you just as miserable in a state park campground with additional color photos. Why so many revi-
as on a remote canoe trail. sions when the basic tenets of camping haven’t
I encourage everyone who loves camp- changed in years? The answer is that if you take
ing to read Camping and Woodcraft, by Horace camping as seriously as I do, you are always on
Kephart, which was published in 1917; and the prowl for better ways and better stuff.
Woodcraft and Camping, by “Nessmuk” (George For more than thirty years, I outfitted and
Washington Sears), which appeared in 1920. guided canoe trips on remote rivers in north-
Fortunately, reprint editions of these old clas- ern Canada, where having one’s act together
sics are now available. The theme in both is is a tenet of survival and a prerequisite to hav-
that the old-timers were not bungling idiots ing a good time. Each new adventure tested
who slashed and trashed the backcountry. They old methods and encouraged me to think out-
knew it took a long time to build a bough bed side the box. When I discovered a better way,
or a snug shelter, so they devised surprisingly I adopted it immediately and threw past prac-
good (and ecological) alternatives. For exam- tice to the wind. Recently, I have diverted my
ple, Kephart carried a one-pound mattress tick; attention from Canada to the desert rivers of
Cal Rutstrum—author of The New Way of the the American West. Camping in sand where the
Wilderness (a must read!)—had a down-filled air available drinking water is soaked with silt and
mattress and a “convertible A-tent.” And every the critters scratch and bite has posed new chal-
woodsman felt that a light tarp was essential lenges. I am pleased to share what I’ve learned
for rain—something modern voyagers are just in a new section entitled Desert Camping.
beginning to admit. If you asked a turn-of-the- Finally, those of you who have read earlier
century woodsman for advice, he’d have been editions of this book have surely noticed that
more apt to tell you about the method than some of my recommendations have changed.
the gear. Now, as every modern camper knows, Good! That’s the price one pays for continued
the emphasis is on “things” not “skills.” At one learning.
of my seminars, a man wryly suggested that Here’s wishing you warm winds, fair
my camping ideas were old hat. “You’ve just weather, bug-free days, and enough good camp-
taken the good ideas of Nessmuk, Kephart, and ing skills to cope with the worst of times on the
Rutstrum and updated them with new technol- best of terms.
ogy,” he said. “Shhh,” I replied. “Promise me you
won’t tell a soul!”

ix

Camping_TopSecs_Final_CS55.indd 9 1/11/13 2:43 PM

Camping_TopSecs_Final_CS55.indd 10 1/11/13 2:43 PM
 Anchor

A
Alum
The water in many western US rivers and some
Canadian and Alaskan tundra rivers is too silty
to drink. If you attempt to filter out the silt,
your filter will quickly clog. For this reason, most
people just carry their drinking water in plastic
Alum is being used to settle this silty river water. Stirring will
jugs, but at roughly eight pounds per gallon, the continue for about 5 minutes until surface floc (it looks like
weight adds up quickly. A lighter solution is to snow) appears. The water will then be allowed to settle until
clear (about 20 minutes). Note the clear water in the green
use alum to settle the silt, then purify the clear bucket and the bottle of alum on the ground nearby.
water with chemicals or a filter. Alum is used in
home pickling to add crispness and as a settling
agent in water treatment plants. It is nontoxic 3. Use a long stick to very slowly stir the
and tasteless. Most pharmacies have it. A twelve- water. Stir in one direction only. Continue
ounce (340-gram) bottle contains enough alum stirring until a “flocculent precipitate” (it
to settle about twenty-four gallons of silty water. looks like snow) forms on the surface of
the water—it takes about 5 minutes.
Procedure 4. When you see the snow-colored
1. Fill your bucket with the silty water. precipitate, stop stirring. Allow the water
to settle for about 20 minutes. At the end
2. Add about a tablespoon (the measurement of this time, the water will be clear and the
isn’t critical) of alum per gallon of water. silt will have settled to the bottom.
5. Use a sierra cup or ladle to gently dip the
clear effluent from the top of the bucket.
You can now boil, filter, or chemically
treat this water to make it potable. I’ve
used this method to remove silt from river
water on the Green River, Rio Grande, and
Little Missouri River. It works great!

Anchor
Here’s a slick way to make a light, portable
“Chocolate malt”–colored water from the Green River in Utah. A anchor for fishing in a canoe. All you need is a
bucket of this silty water may need a day or more to settle. Use basketball net and a carabiner (an aluminum
the alum “trick” described here and you’ll have crystal-clear
water (ready for purification) in about 20 minutes. link used by mountaineers, available at most
Larry Rice camp shops). Tie off the net bottom with cord.

Camping_TopSecs_Final_CS55.indd 1 1/11/13 2:43 PM

 Camping’s Top Secrets

• Store food inside your car.

• Place food in a critter-proof container.
• Suspend food from a tree limb at least 15
feet off the ground.
Let’s look at these three methods.
Store food inside your car. Not a good plan!
Steven Thompson, a Yosemite National Park
biologist, says that mother bears teach their
young ones how to break into cars. They
insert their claws above the rear side door and
pull the door frame down to knee level. They
climb this “stepladder” into the car. Then they
claw through the backseat and into the trunk.
Bears have also developed tricks to break into
vans. They look for a van that has a car parked
close by, then they lean against the car for
leverage to bash in the van’s windows. Or they
break off the van’s bolted windows and get in
Bears are extremely smart and they are excellent climbers. A that way.
tree is not a safe place to store your food! Park rangers say that bears often break
Rob Kesselring
into cars that contain no food. Perhaps they
simply enjoy it. And why not? Animals like to
Fill the net with rocks, then gather the net have fun too!
perimeter and clip it together with the cara- Bears are extremely smart. Case in point:
biner. Attach a rope to the “biner” and you’re The BearVault 500 is a tough polycarbonate
set for action. container that was built to be bear-proof. It
You can also make an anchor out of the was tested on bears at the Folsom City Zoo
nylon mesh bags you buy at camping shops. in California and on grizzlies in Yellowstone
However, few of these bags are as tough as a National Park. None of the test bears could
basketball net. open it. But in New York’s Adirondack Park,
a shy female black bear named Yellow Yellow
Animals—Bears and Other Beasts figured out how to release the double-tab
lid to get at the contents. Then she set out
Protecting Foodstuffs to teach her friends! Scores of Adirondack
Each year thousands of campers lose food and bears are now successfully educated, and the
equipment to persistent critters. The common BearVault 500 is no longer recommended
advice is to protect foodstuffs by one of these for use in the Adirondacks. Interestingly,
three methods: some humans have to read the instructions

Camping_TopSecs_Final_CS55.indd 2 1/11/13 2:43 PM

 Animals

Plastic olive and pickle barrels will not discourage bears, but government-approved steel barrels will. The approved bear barrels
are heavy, strong, and not waterproof—they don’t have straps or handles that a bear can grab. Note the bear barrel to the right of the
author, which doubles as a handy table. Some national parks will provide these barrels (they come in different sizes) free of charge
to campers. A gravel-bar campsite along the Noatak River (Arctic National Wildlife Refuge) in Alaska.

in order to figure out how to open the lid on A plastic olive or pickle barrel (see photo on
this product! Again, I emphasize that bears page 182), like that preferred by canoeists and
are very smart. rafters, will protect foodstuffs from ravaging
Use a critter-proof container. A plastic or raccoons and ground squirrels, but it will not
metal ice chest will deter ravaging raccoons and discourage bears!
ground squirrels. Squirrels have sharp teeth Hang your food in a tree. Expert campers
and will bore right through a nylon packsack. usually do not store their food in trees to pro-
A thick-walled PVC plastic pipe with threaded tect it from bears. Instead, they seal their food
end caps makes a reliable “food safe” from bears. tightly in plastic to eliminate odors, then they
There are some commercial steel bear-proof remove the food from the immediate camp area.
containers that are heavy, bulky, and expensive. Setting food packs outside the campsite perim-
If you want to know the current technology, eter is usually enough to foil hungry bruins and
check with the managers of national parks like other animals. The rationale for this procedure
Yellowstone and Glacier, which have large popu- is based on the fact that bears are creatures of
lations of bears. habit—they quickly learn that camps, packs,

Camping_TopSecs_Final_CS55.indd 3 1/11/13 2:43 PM

 Camping’s Top Secrets

and tin cans contain food. In each campsite travel of odors), well away from the confines of
there is seldom more than one or two trees with campsites and trails. As an added precaution,
limbs high enough to deter a bruin. Bears aren’t separate food packs by 50 feet or more. Do not
stupid; they learn the location of these trees and put food packs in trees!
make daily rounds to secure whatever is sus- If you’re camping in grizzly or polar bear
pended from them. When they find something country, locate your kitchen at least 50 yards
(anything!) hanging from “their” tree, they’ll downwind of your tents. Naturally, cooking areas
get it down, one way or another. All black bears must be scrupulously clean—free of the last Rice
(even fat old sows) can climb to some degree. Krispie. Nonetheless, human odor is stronger
And cubs climb like monkeys. If momma can’t than most food smells: Don’t be surprised if the
get your food, the kids will! bear smells you before he smells your food!
Young grizzlies can “claw climb” like black If taking your food out of camp and hid-
bears until they are about 4 years old, when their ing it in the woods works, why don’t federal
hooked claws straighten out. Then they will “hug authorities support this method?
climb” trees, just like you and I. Adult grizzlies Mostly, it’s a matter of keeping people safe
have climbed trees and pulled people down! Polar (i.e., “people here, food over there, yonder in that
bears are the only bruins that don’t climb trees. tree”). If a bear gets your food, it’s no big deal; if
Steve Thompson at Yosemite says bears he gets you, it’s a very big deal! Federal authori-
have elaborate schemes for getting food. In an ties need a formula they can rely on—one that
article by Suzanne Charle for the Milwaukee keeps people and food at a safe distance.
Journal Sentinal (November 30, 1997), Thompson As mentioned, I never hang my packs in
de­scribed some of these schemes: bear country (it bears repeating that bears
climb trees!). And unless required by law, I
One time-honored precaution, hanging bags of don’t use bear-proof containers. But I keep a
food from a rope high in a tree, is now seen as scrupulously clean camp, and at night I put my
useless. Local residents call the food bags “bear food in a place where a bear is unlikely to see or
piñatas.” The bears chew off the rope that smell it—thick bushes, a tight grove of trees, a
has been attached elsewhere, or chew off the depression, beneath an evergreen tree, etc. The
branch that is supporting the bag. If the limbs bottom line is that if a bear can’t see or smell
are small, they’ll send the cubs out. If that your food (vacuum-sealing will eliminate most
doesn’t work, they’ll just climb above the bags, odors), he won’t get it! I’ve lived by my rules for
launch themselves out of the tree, and grab the forty years, and in that time, neither I nor any-
bags on the way down. one in my charge has ever lost food or equip-
ment to any animal. And that, friends, is the
Recommendation: Double-bag (in plastic) “bear” truth!
all foodstuffs, especially meats. If possible, ask
your grocer to vacuum-seal smelly foods. Or Bear Encounters
buy your own vacuum-sealing machine. Set Here’s the recommended procedure in the event
food packs on low ground (to minimize the you meet face-to-face with . . .

Camping_TopSecs_Final_CS55.indd 4 1/11/13 2:43 PM

 Animals

Black Bears remained in their trees for 5 hours before mak-

Blackies are timid and will ordinarily run away ing good their escape.
at the first smell of you. Bears don’t see very
well—what most people interpret as a “charge” If you are up a tree and a bear climbs after
is usually nothing more than simple curiosity. you, poking it in the face with a branch is a
Screaming, blowing whistles, and other noise- proven plan. Remember, bears climb as well
making will usually send a wild bear running, but as you!
an experienced camp bear will remain oblivious If you are attacked by a predacious black
to the racket. bear, fight like mad! Do not play dead with a
The best plan is to hold your ground, spread determined black bear! Use all your might—
your arms wide (so you look bigger), talk and whatever tools (knife, ax, rock, log) you
authoritatively but unthreateningly, and back have—to fend off the attack.
off slowly. Do not run! Take off your pack and To retreat or fight: Your reaction will depend​
put it on top of your head. Place a child on your on whether the attack is defensive-​aggressive or
shoulders. Group your friends together. Bears predatory. A bear in a defensive-aggressive mode
are intelligent bullies. They assess their odds of is trying to protect its interests—its young or
success and go for it if they think they have the food source. Basically, the bear just wants to get
upper edge. Do whatever you can to make your- you out of the way (eliminate the threat) and as
self look bigger and more powerful. quickly as possible get back to what it was doing
The danger signs are “woofing” and “clack- before you appeared. In this type of attack, you
ing.” If the bear goes “woof, woof, woof” and are best off to play dead and thereby indicate
you hear loud hiccuping sounds with the clack- you are no threat. The bear may rough you up
ing of teeth, the situation is deteriorating. The some, but if you stay still, it will usually leave
bear is mad and unpredictable. If you can beat quickly.
a path to safer ground or climb a tree, do it. A predatory attack is another matter. Here,
But remember, your safe haven better be close you are the food and you will survive only if you
because you can’t outrun the bear by far! fight like mad. The old advice to “play dead with
The pamphlet Bears Are Dangerous, pub- a grizzly and fight back with a black bear” was
lished by the Government of the Northwest based on the fact that most black bear attacks
Territories, recounts a story of two young are predacious while most grizzly attacks are
people who hiked to Hidden Lake outside of defensive-aggressive. In any case, you will have
Yellowknife, in Canada’s Northwest Territories: just seconds to determine the true motive of a
bear attack.
Suddenly, a black bear appeared, forcing the
campers to climb trees. The bear ate all the food Grizzlies
in camp, then it attempted to climb the trees
• Grizzlies have been clocked at 45 miles
in which the two campers were hiding. They
per hour on flat terrain. No way can you
managed to keep it away by striking it with
outrun one. Grizzlies are shy animals;
branches. Finally the bear left, but the campers

Camping_TopSecs_Final_CS55.indd 5 1/11/13 2:43 PM

 Camping’s Top Secrets

they will usually run away from you.

Nonetheless, grizzlies are king of the hill
in their domain—it’s doubtful you can
bluff them. I was once charged by three
grizzlies on the open tundra of Canada
and I can vouch for the effectiveness
of this procedure: Talk in a moderate,
nonthreatening tone to the bear as
you slowly back away. Do not make eye
contact! Let the bear know that you made
a mistake and are trying to skedaddle.
• If the bear runs toward you, interpret
this as curiosity, not a charge. Remember,
bears don’t see very well, and they can’t
smell you if you’re downwind.
• When the bear is within 50 feet, drop
to the ground, face down, nose in the dirt,
Bears can be scary when they come into your camp. This big
and clasp your hands tightly behind your grizzly was just 25 feet away when the photo was snapped. Note
head. Spread your legs wide so the bear that his ears are up and he’s listening—considering his options.
can’t turn you over easily. Note: Until We “talked” for more than a minute; then he stately walked
away. Along the Fond du Lac River, northwestern Saskatchewan.
recently the recommended method was
to assume a tight fetal position, hands
What if you see a bear who doesn’t see you?
behind the head. I did this, and it worked
Simply leave the area as quickly and as quietly
for me. Discouraging bears is not an exact
as possible. It’s best if you don’t advertise your
science!
presence.
Research by Stephen Herrero, author of
Bear Attacks: Their Causes and Avoidance (see Polar Bears
appendix A), suggests that the “face down” plan Good luck! These are fast on the flats and they
is best. Herrero found that the face is where can swim 4 or 5 mph for hours on end in ice
most serious injury occurs. If the bear bites and water. They will, on rare occasions, eat human
claws you, try to remain quiet and passive. If flesh. They have been known to stalk humans.
the bear tries to flip you over, do a complete roll Nonetheless, most polar bears will do their best
and maintain the face-down position. You will to steer clear of you. It’s best you do likewise.
probably survive the attack. You cannot intimidate or outrun these animals.
In case you’re wondering, “my” grizzly bear And in their habitat there is usually no place to
came within a dozen feet, checked me out, then hide. You are at their mercy.
hightailed it over the next hill. “Your” bear will I have had several scary polar bear
likely do the same. encounters on my canoe trips to Hudson Bay.

Camping_TopSecs_Final_CS55.indd 6 1/11/13 2:43 PM

 Animals

The most frightening was when a huge male You are safer to sleep inside a tent than on
bear slid down a muddy riverbank and fol- open ground, especially in grizzly country.
lowed my canoe across a rapid to the oppo- Evidently, the big bears mistake a human in a
site bank. I quickly snubbed the canoe ashore, sleeping bag for their natural food.
jumped out, and grabbed my rifle, praying I Women who are menstruating may be at
would not have to shoot. The bear swam to greater risk from bear attacks, though there
within a dozen feet of me, looked straight at is no clear evidence to support this. Stephen
me, then turned and continued downstream. Herrero addresses this topic in detail in his
It was quite a rush! acclaimed book Bear Attacks. Bear-wary travel-
ers will want to read it!
Some General Protective Thoughts Pepper spray (sometimes called “bear mace”)
Bears don’t like large numbers of people. Two peo- contains 2 percent oleoresin capsaicin and deriv-
ple are more likely to be attacked than six. If atives—the flaming ingredients in red pepper. If
a bear comes into your camp, huddle together properly used, it will stop nearly all bears all the
and spread your arms wide, so as to make a time. Herrero observed that even a dangerous
large presence. Do not throw rocks at the bear, mother with cubs will run away from the spray
as advised in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area more than 80 percent of the time. Herrero did
training film Leave No Trace—A Wilderness not find a single case where spraying a bear with
Ethic. I did this once years ago, and the bear pepper enraged it and made it more aggressive.
nearly had me for dinner. Regrettably, space The large, one-pound can sprays up to 30
does not permit details. feet; pocket-size models go half as far and
deliver less pepper. Get the largest can you can
find! A belt holster with a fast release is essen-
tial. Bear mace won’t do you any good if it’s
locked away in your pack or dangling from a
belt clip you can’t quickly unsnap.
Here’s some pepper spray advice:
• The effect on the bear may be temporary,
so leave immediately after discharging
the pepper. Black bears (but not grizzlies)
often develop a tolerance for the spray
over time. A black bear that has been
sprayed before may not be discouraged
when sprayed again.

Polar bears are fast on the flats, and they can swim 4 to 5 mph for • Everyone in your group should use their
hours on end in ice water. They move silently. Most people who spray simultaneously.
have survived polar bear attacks said they never heard the bear or
saw it coming! This photo was taken on a canoe trip at the mouth • Be sure that the wind is not blowing in
of the North Knife River where it flows into Hudson Bay.
your face when you spray!

Camping_TopSecs_Final_CS55.indd 7 1/11/13 2:43 PM

 Camping’s Top Secrets

don’t like to be sprayed with pepper, but

they do like the taste of it.
• If you must field-test a can of pepper
spray, wash it thoroughly with soap and
water afterward and clean the nozzle
with rubbing alcohol before you take it
on a camping trip. The slightest pepper
residue will attract bears. Better yet,
buy a “practice can” (it doesn’t contain
pepper) to perfect your aim.
Pepper spray is legal in Canada. Still, your
spray may be confiscated if the customs official
believes you have no need for it. Say you’ll be
camping in bear country and you should have
no problem. Counter Assault (www.counter
assault.com) and Pepper Power (www.bearspray
.com) (see appendix B) are the most popu-
lar brands. Get the largest size possible (at
least eight ounces/230 grams) so you’ll have
enough pepper for several shots. Concealable,
personal-size pepper spray containers are ille-
gal in Canada.
Pepper spray is more effective on bears than guns! In one study
of forty cases, 58 percent of humans who shot attacking bears Guns or pepper spray? Dominic Domenici,
received some injury. But only 8 percent of those who used a US Fish and Wildlife Service officer, believes
pepper spray were harmed. Pepper spray must be available
when you need it; the holster (left) is a must! The rubber band
that pepper spray is far more effective than
on the trigger provides “belt-and-suspenders” security. guns. He says that in one study examining forty
cases, 58 percent of humans who shot attack-
• If possible, stand behind a tree when ing bears in Wyoming and Montana (outside
you spray. The tree will break the bear’s national parks) received some injury by the
impact or at least cause it to slow down. bears. But only 8 percent of those who used
Fire the first blast when the bear is about pepper spray were harmed.
10 feet away. P.S. “Bear mace” works even better on
human attackers than on bears! This said,
• Try to spray the bear in the face when its
be aware that pepper spray is not 100 per-
mouth is open or it is inhaling.
cent reliable. Studies suggest that it may not
• Don’t practice with your pepper spray (or work against enraged animals or seriously
spray tents, canoes, or other objects with starved ones that are determined to eat your
it) in hopes of repelling bears. The bears food (or you!). And it may not discourage a

Camping_TopSecs_Final_CS55.indd 8 1/11/13 2:43 PM

 Animals

drug-enraged human attacker who is bent on Internet search engine and you’ll be deluged
destruction. with choices.

Always Remember A Final Note

Desk-bound environmentalists would have you
• Never approach a fresh kill or cubs.
believe that all wild animals are harmless, while
• Don’t sleep in fishing clothes. Clean fish Rambo survivalists will suggest otherwise.
away from camp. Dispose of fish entrails Facts indicate that you are more at risk when
in the water; wash slime off your boat; crossing a four-lane highway than in a face-
establish kitchens downwind of camps. to-face encounter with a bear. Nonetheless,
some critters, like some people, are plainly
• Wear a hat or bandanna when cooking
crazy and quite unpredictable. So beware of
to reduce the accumulation (and smell)
the small percentage of bears who don’t share
of grease in your hair. Freeze-dried foods
your live-and-let-live philosophy. Don’t overre-
are relatively odorless.
act to bear encounters; just follow the recom-
• Never feed a bear. mended guidelines. And be aware that you are
much safer in seldom-traveled wilderness than
• If you see a bear in the distance but the
in heavily used national parks where bears are
bear doesn’t see you, retreat quietly.
used to the sight of people and the taste of
Calling attention to yourself could mark
their garbage.
you as a target.
For more information about bears, refer to
the recommended reading list in appendix A.
Electric Bear Fence
I’ve spent thousands of nights in bear coun-
try and I’ve never had a serious problem. Still,
sleeping out when bears are about is very
frightening for some people. Perhaps the most
restful solution is to surround your camp with
an electric bear fence. They range in size from
just big enough to surround a small tent to
large enough to enclose a camp. A basic back-
packing model will weigh about three pounds
and emit about 6,000 volts when touched—
enough to discourage the biggest bear. Prices
start at about $250 for a “tent size” model.
Small fences are generally powered by D-cell
batteries. Larger units may use six- or twelve- The “Bear Shock” Electric Fence from UDAP Industries (www
.bearspray.com) really works! The model pictured here weighs
volt batteries. There are even some solar-pow- less than four pounds and encloses a 27 x 27-foot area.
ered options. Type “electric bear fence” on your Mark Matheny

Camping_TopSecs_Final_CS55.indd 9 1/11/13 2:43 PM

Exploring the Variety of Random
Documents with Different Content
“Friends,” his tone took on its former vigor, “you see me
here very comfortable indeed. Rugs, chairs, a fireplace,
a stage—all very snug. All these were purchased with
money received for one act plays written for the radio.
That contract is ended; the money is nearly gone. Two
more months and unless some fresh triumph comes
along these,” he spread his arms wide, “all these must
leave me.”

“But they will not.” Petite Jeanne gripped his arm 79

impulsively. “They shall not. We will help you keep
them. Yes! Yes! And you shall have much more that is
truly beautiful. You shall see!”

80
 CHAPTER X
THE HOLE IN THE FLOOR

Many times, as they journeyed homeward that night,

Petite Jeanne cast apprehensive glances over her
shoulder. More than once, as some object appeared to
move in the darkness, she felt a great fear gripping at
her heart, and had it not been for the presence of her
staunch companion she would doubtless have gone
fleeing into the night.

The cause of her fear, the gypsy god, was safely tucked
away under her arm. This did not allay her fear. It only
served to increase it, for had she not seen the shadow
cast upon Angelo’s windowpane? And had she not
recognized that shadow as belonging to the very gypsy
who had pursued her in the darkness of that very
morning?

“It is very strange about this gypsy god,” she said to 81

Florence, as with a sigh of relief she sank into the
depths of her own easy chair in their own little room.
“One does not understand it at all. This god has been in
the possession of the gypsy tribe of Bihari, my gypsy
stepfather. As chief of the tribe he has watched over it
for many years. Bihari is not in America. If he were I
should know. Good news travels far in the wide world of
the gypsies.

“And if he is not here, why is the God of Fire in this

land? There can be but one answer. The tribe of Bihari
would never part with so priceless a possession. It has
been stolen and sent to America.”

“And then lost in the express.”

“You are quite right.”

“But who would steal it?”

“Who can say? Perhaps a gypsy who hates Bihari. There

are many such. Perhaps only some sight-seeing
Americans. There are some who would steal the Arch of
Triumph in Paris as a souvenir if they could.”

“But is it so wonderful?” Florence’s tone was cold. Petite 82

Jeanne had placed the strange object of their discussion
upon the mantel. There, far from the glow of a fire, the
thing seemed hideous, smoke-blackened, dead.

“Who can tell all?” Petite Jeanne’s voice trailed off into a
weary silence.

When she spoke again it was as with the lips of a

philosopher:

“Who can know all? The gypsies believe that the fire
dance and this god give them strength and courage,
that their sick are healed, that by these their fortunes
are mended. There are those who have been to many
schools and who should know much more than the poor,
wandering gypsies, but they believe in even stranger
things.
“I only know that this god, this God of Fire, is very old
and that I believe in his power because I was taught to
do so as a child.

“But the gypsies of America desire this god!”

She sprang suddenly to her feet and began pacing the

floor.

“Why,” exclaimed Florence, “they can’t even know it is

here!”

“One of them does. He saw it smiling in the fire to- 83

night. I saw his shadow on the windowpane. He will tell
others.”

“You saw him?”

“It could have been none other. I recognized him

instantly. His coat, his curious hat, his profile, were all
visible.

“But we must guard this god well. We must keep him in

hiding.” She went to the door and locked it. “I must
have him for our opera.”

“But you could have a model made of clay. You could

use that on the stage. No one would know. Few stage
properties are real.”

“No! No!” The little French girl held up hands in protest.

“Never! I will dance only before the true God of Fire.”

“Then,” said Florence calmly, “you will run a great risk.

Some of the gypsies will attend the play. They are fond
of drama. This one you saw will see the god. He will
have it at any cost.”
“It may be so,” said the little French girl, dropping into a 84
chair and folding her slender hands. “But truly, my
friend, there is no other course.”

“Well!” Florence sprang to her feet. “Since we are to

have his Reverence, or his Highness—or how do you
speak of a god?—we must find him a safe resting place.
Where can we hide him?”

A careful scrutiny of their narrow quarters revealed no

safe hiding place.

“Your trunk? My dresser drawer? Under the mattress?”

Petite Jeanne sighed. “May as well set him up here in
the middle of the floor.” She placed the figure on the
polished pine floor.

“But see!” Florence leaped forward. “Some one has cut

a hole in the floor. I wonder why?”

“Some dark secret’s hidden there,” the little French girl

whispered.

Florence had spoken the truth. In the very center of the

floor three boards had been cut through twice. The
pieces between the cuts, each some ten inches long,
had been rudely pried up by the aid of some
instrument. Something had undoubtedly been done;
then the boards had been pounded back in place.

“Here!” exclaimed Florence, reaching for a heavy iron 85

poker that stood by the fireplace. “Let’s have a look.”

Her first attempts to pry up the boards were

unsuccessful. The poker slipped, then bent. When Petite
Jeanne supplemented her labors with a broken case
knife their labors were rewarded. The short length of
board sprang from its place.

Eagerly they pressed forward to look, and bumped their

heads together doing so. Then they dropped back in
their places with a merry laugh.

The hidden secret was no secret at all. The house,

being a very old one, had been erected before the
coming of electric lights. When installing the lights the
electricians had found it necessary to open the floors of
the upper rooms in order that they might install lights
for the lower floors.

“Oh!” Florence sighed. “What a disappointment!”

“No!” cried Petite Jeanne. “See what we have found!” 86

“Found! What have we found?” Florence stared.

“We have found a safe place of hiding for my ancient

friend, the God of Fire. How sweet! We have only to lift
the boards, lower him to the laths below, batten down
the hatch once more, and there you have him as snug
as a diamond in a new setting.”

“You’re keen!” Florence put out a hand to pat her

friend’s blonde head. “Now we can sleep in peace.”

And so they did, awakening at a late hour to a world of

sunshine and high hopes. Nor is there reason to believe
that his Highness objected in the least to the darkness
of his place among the beams and plaster.

87
 CHAPTER XI
HAPPY DAYS

Happy days followed. Petite Jeanne, whose circle of true

friends in this great world had been pitiably small, found
her horizon greatly enlarged. Truly the day of
adventures in Merry’s cellar and out in the park while
she danced the sun up from the depths of the lake had
been her lucky day. For one might well have gone about
the city of three million souls holding a lamp before
every face without finding the equal to that brave trio,
Angelo the playwright, Swen the maker of melodies and
Dan Baker the beloved vagabond of the stage.

Happy days they were, and busy ones as well. Each 88

evening found them assembled in Angelo’s studio. In
order that they might talk as they ate, they brought
dinner along. Each member of the little group
contributed something. Swen provided chops, steaks,
oysters or fish; Angelo added such strange viands as he
could devise, curious hot Mexican dishes, rich
preparations from his native land, or unthinkable
Russian mixtures; Florence and Petite Jeanne arrived
each evening with apple-squares, date-tarts or some
other form of tempting dessert; Dan Baker practiced the
ancient and all but lost art of coffee brewing so skilfully
that after drinking they all felt that dawn was on the
point of breaking, and they were ready to walk out into
a dewy morn.

Wild, hilarious, dizzy hours followed. Was a light opera

ever before produced in such a fantastic fashion?

Angelo was continuously prepared with fresh script. This

dark-eyed youth was a worker. Swen kept pace with
musical compositions.

And how Swen could beat out those melodies on the

battered piano reposing in the corner!

When it was music for her dance Petite Jeanne, bare- 89

footed, bare-armed, with eyes shining, sprang into
motion with such abandon as made her seem a crimson
cardinal, a butterfly, a mere flying nothing.

How Swen would throw back his blonde mane and

laugh! How Dan Baker shook his old head and sighed
with joy!

“Our play!” he would murmur. “Our play. How can it fail?

With such an angel of light even Heaven would be a
complete success.”

So for hours they labored. Testing music, words, lighting

effects, dances, everything, until their heads were dizzy
and their eyes dim.

Then, as the blaze flamed up in the broad fireplace,

they cast themselves upon Angelo’s rugs of wondrous
thickness and softness, and sighed deep sighs of
content.

“How wonderful it is to have beautiful things!” Jeanne

exclaimed, as on one of these occasions she buried her
white hands in the thick, velvety surface of a Persian
rug.

“Ah, yes!” Angelo sighed. “When you are sure you are to
keep them.”

“But they are your own.” 90

“Oh, yes. Now they are mine. They belonged to some

one else before me. They may belong to others. The
success of our play, that alone, will make them secure.
My happiness, yours, all our joy depends upon that.” A
shadow fell across his dark face.

This shadow reminded Petite Jeanne of a wider shadow

that had been sweeping over the wondrous land men
called America. For long years this land had known such
joyous prosperity as no land before had ever known.
But now, as if struck by some mysterious blight, this
prosperity was falling away. Factories had been closing.
Streets that once were thronged with shoppers, were
thronged no more. Stores and shops were all but
deserted. Wise men said, “Prosperity will return. It is
just around the corner.” Yet it did not return at once.

And Petite Jeanne, sensitive soul that she was, ever

conscious of the woes that come to others, was touched
by the signs of fear and distress that she saw all about
her.

When she spoke of it to Angelo he, too, appeared 91

distressed, not for himself, but for others.

“This will make no difference to our play,” was his

optimistic pronouncement. “When hard times come, the
people feel the need of amusement, diversion, more
than before. Only one playhouse in our city is dark.”
“If so, where is our play to open?” Jeanne asked quickly.

“Leave that to me.” He shrugged. “Plays come. Plays go.

A house dark to-night will be aglow to-morrow. I have
friends. Once our light opera is on, it will go on forever.”

So they labored and hoped, shouted, danced, sang,

dreamed, despaired and hoped again, only at last to go
creeping away in the wee small hours to seek sleep.
And the morning hours knew them not. So passed
fourteen happy, busy, delirious days.

All this time the light opera was taking form. At the
close of Act I the gypsy caravan, with Petite Jeanne and
Dan Baker riding on burros, departed for Paris.

In Paris Petite Jeanne and her amiable substitute for the 92

bear danced in the beautiful public gardens. There,
surrounded by noble statues and flowering trees, they
were discovered by the chorus who at this time were
dressed in bright smocks, posing with brushes, stools
and easels as artists from the Latin Quarter.

They joined the pair in a beautiful “Dance of the

Flowers,” and then lingered to sketch Dan Baker, Petite
Jeanne and their burros. Meanwhile Dan Baker
entertained Petite Jeanne and all who cared to listen
with one of his wondrously impossible tales of fairyland:
America across the seas.

Scarcely were the sketches completed, the tales brought

to an end, than a stranger, stepping from the throng of
onlookers, denounced Dan Baker as an impostor and
accused him of being one of the richest men in America.
The ancient wanderer resented the accusation. A fight
ensued in which a burro assisted the aged dancer to win
a victory by butting his adversary over and then sitting
on him.

Millionaire or no millionaire, Dan Baker adopted Petite 93

Jeanne as his daughter. The next scene found them in a
beautiful private garden, all their own, still dancing.

A young hero appeared. He found Jeanne dancing

barefooted before a fountain and fell madly in love with
her.

They were interrupted by the chorus, now doing a

nature dance to spring, and arrayed much as spring
damsels are supposed to be dressed.

A villain appeared in the shadows. He had discovered

that Petite Jeanne, who had lived after the death of her
parents with wandering gypsies, was rich in her own
name. He, a terrible apache, proposed to kidnap her.

The plot grew apace. Dan Baker told one more story
while the villain stood not ten feet away, ready, if need
be, to stab him.

The fool of the play, a young Scotchman who missed

every golden opportunity because he held his pennies
too tightly gripped, appeared.

By the aid of the chorus, now dressed as wild and 94

terrible apache damsels, Petite Jeanne was kidnapped.

The fool barely missed eternal glory by rescuing her. He

took a three cent subway car instead of spending a
whole nickel on the plush seated car boarded by the
villain and his band.
The last scene was in a stone paved, walled court of a
fearsome secret prison, where Dan Baker, who had
become a voluntary prisoner, revived the fainting Jeanne
with one more romantic tale.

Meanwhile, the hero, at the head of a brave band of

gendarmes, who in the end proved to be the chorus in
disguise, stormed the secret prison and rescued the fair
gypsy maid.

The truth of her riches was revealed to Jeanne. She

wept on the hero’s shoulder. Then she and Dan Baker,
joined once more by the chorus—this time in the most
gorgeous of filmy French creations—danced the wild
Dance of the Fire God beneath the moon while the
ancient god, lighted in some magical way, beamed and
grimaced at them from the dark.

Such was the rough outline for the opera, presented by 95

Angelo.

“Of course,” he added many times, with a smile, “the

young hero may turn up later with a rich, pompous and
irate mother who does not purpose to marry her son to
a gypsy. There may be many other complications. But
we shall iron them out one by one.

“Fortune is with us in one respect. The plot of a light

opera is never very closely knit. So long as there is
music and dancing, mirth and song, all is well. And that
we shall have in superabundance.”

“But where are we to get the donkeys?” Petite Jeanne

asked on one occasion.

“My dear!” exclaimed Dan Baker. “Nothing is easier.

There are nearly as many donkeys on the stage as off
it.”

The laugh went round.

When it had subsided Angelo said: “I know where there

are two burros, in a vacant lot on the west side. They’ve
been on the stage in vaudeville. One is trained to bowl a
man over and sit on him.

“So, you see,” his grin broadened as he turned to Dan 96

Baker, “I have written that part expressly for him, just
as I have for the other donkeys in the cast.”

The laugh was now on Dan Baker. He responded by

narrating one more fantastic yarn, and the work went
on.

Then came the night when Angelo exclaimed over the

last wild dance, when even Florence joined in the ballet,
“It is enough! To-morrow I go to seek a producer. To-
night, before you sleep, say a little prayer for our
success.”

Let us hope no one will be shocked when we declare 97

that on that night, long after Florence was lost in
slumber, Petite Jeanne crept from the warm bed to the
cold floor, pried up the loose boards, drew forth the
hidden God of Fire and whispered to him some words
that sounded suspiciously like a prayer. For, after all, you
must recall that Petite Jeanne was more than half gypsy.
Besides, she was dreadfully in earnest. For had she not,
in an impersonal way, come to love very much the fiery
little composer, the blonde-maned musician and, most
of all, the appealing old trouper, he of long gray locks
and plaintive, melodious voice? For these more than for
herself she wished the light opera to be a great and
lasting success.
98
 CHAPTER XII
A FACE OF GRAY STEEL

Angelo had a few well chosen friends in the world of

stage people. As soon as offices were open the next
morning, his card was presented to one of these. An
hour later, with a bulky manuscript under his arm and a
letter of introduction in his pocket, he entered the lobby
of a second office.

He was ushered at once into the presence of a broad

shouldered, rather dull, but quite determined appearing
man who sat in a swivel chair before a birch-mahogany
desk. In another corner of the room sat a tall, dark,
young man whose face had the appearance of having
been moulded out of chilled gray steel.

“It’s a light opera,” said Angelo, placing his manuscript 99

on the desk. “If you’ll let me tell you about it I am sure
you will be able to decide at once whether or not it will
fit the Blackmoore Theatre.”

The stout man nodded.

Angelo began to talk. As he continued to talk he began

to glow. He was full of his subject.

“Wait!” The stout man held up a hand.

“Drysdale,” he said to the gray, steel-eyed man, “you
had better sit in on this.”

Gray Steel arose, dragged a chair forward and sat down.

“All right.” The stout man nodded to Angelo.

“Shall—shall I begin over again?”

“Not necessary. Drysdale is clever. Takes a thing in the

middle, and works both ways.”

Angelo talked and glowed once more. For fully half an

hour, like a small car on a country road at night, he
rattled and glowed.

“What do you think of it?” the stout man demanded,

when the recital was finished. “Drysdale, what do you
think? Find a chorus, right enough. Know one right now.
House is dark. What do you think?”

“Paris.” Gray Steel Face cupped his chin. “Americans go 100

wild over Paris.”

“Sure they do, just wild. They—” Angelo’s flow of

enthusiasm was cut short by a glower from Gray Steel
Face.

“Mr. Drysdale is our director,” the stout man explained.

“Directed many plays. Very successful. Makes ’em
march. You’re right he does!”

“Gypsy stuff goes well,” Drysdale continued. “But who

ever heard of taking a gypsy for a star? She’d need
training. No end of it.”

“Oh, no! She—”

“We’d have to read the script. Have to see them
perform.” Drysdale gave no heed to Angelo. “Say you
bring ’em here to-morrow night, say eight o’clock.”

“No stage,” said the stout manager.

“We—we have a small one,” Angelo explained eagerly.

“Come to my studio, won’t you? There you’ll see them
at their best.”

“What say, Drysdale?”

“We’ll be there. Mind! Eight sharp. None of your artistic 101

foolishness!”

Next night, the two men did see Petite Jeanne and Dan
Baker at their best.

Was their best good enough? The face of the director

was still a steel mask. He conferred with his manager in
the corner of the room for half an hour.

In the meantime Angelo perspired profusely. Petite

Jeanne felt hot and cold spasms chase one another up
her back, but Dan Baker sat placidly smoking by the
fire. He was an old trouper. The road lay always before
him.

But for Angelo and Jeanne hopes had run high. Their
ambitions were on the altar. They were waiting for the
fire.

“We’ll have a contract for you by eleven o’clock to-

morrow,” said the stout man, in a tone as unemotional
as he might have used to call a waiter. “Drysdale here
says it’s a bit crude; but emotional stuff—got some pull,
he believes. Office at eleven.”
Petite Jeanne could scarcely await their departure. 102
Hardly had the door closed when, in true French
fashion, she threw her arms about the old trouper and
kissed him on both cheeks. Nor was Angelo neglected.

“We’re made!” she cried joyously. “The footlights, oh,

the blessed footlights!” She walked the young composer
about the room until she was dizzy. Then, springing like
a top, she landed in a corner by the fire and demanded
a demi-tasse of coffee.

As they drank their coffee Angelo was strangely silent.

“I don’t like what they said about the opera,” he
explained, when Jeanne teased him. “They’ll want to
tear it all to pieces, like as not, and put in a lot of half-
indecent stuff.

“And that theatre,” he sighed. “It’s a frightful old barn of

a place. Going to be torn down to make way for a
skyscraper next year, I’m told. I hope you may not hate
it too much.” As he looked at Petite Jeanne two wrinkles
appeared on his high forehead.

“Oh, the Paris Opera,” she laughed. “That was but a

small bit. I am sure I shall be quite deliriously happy!”

It was thus that she left Angelo’s studio. But the 103
morrow, a gray day, was to find them all in quite
another mood.

When Angelo returned to the studio next day at noon,

he was in a sober mood.

His eyes lighted as he found a small table standing

before the fire, spread with spotless linen and piled with
good things to eat.
“This,” he said, taking Petite Jeanne’s hands in his own,
“is your doing.”

“Not entirely, and not hardly at all,” laughed the little

French girl. “I’m a poor cook, and a very bad manager.
You may credit it all to Florence.”

Florence, at that, stepped from the shadows. For once

her ready smile was not forthcoming.

“Florence!” he exclaimed in surprise. “How is it you are

here? I thought you were at your work at the gym.”

“There is no more gym,” said the girl soberly. “It has

been turned into a lodging house for those poor
unfortunates who in these sad times have no place to
sleep.

“Of course,” she added quickly, as a mellow tone crept 104

into her voice, “I am glad for them! But this leaves me
exactly flat; no job, and no prospect of one for months.”

“No job? Of course you have one!” Jeanne placed an

inadequate arm about Florence’s ample waist. “You will
be my stage ‘mother’ once more.”

At this they turned an inquiring glance upon Angelo. For

once it seemed he had nothing to say.

The meal was half finished before he spoke about the

matter nearest all their hearts. When he did speak, it
was in a very indirect manner. “In this world,” he began
quite soberly, “there’s very little real generosity. People
who have money cling to it as if it had power to carry
them to the very gates of Heaven. Those who have
nothing often feel very generous, but have nothing with
which to prove the genuineness of their feeling.
“Generosity!” He almost growled. “You read a lot about 105
it in the papers. Capital agrees to do this. Big money is
ready to do that. Wages shall be kept up. Those who
are in tight places shall be dealt with in a generous
fashion. That’s what they give out for publication.

“What they’re really doing, many of them, is

undermining the uncertain foothold of those who have
very little. They’re cutting wages here, putting on
screws there, in secret, wherever they dare. And our
friendly enemy, the manager, who wants our light opera,
old Mr. Rockledge,” he declared with a flourish, as if to
conclude the whole matter, “is no exception.”

“Didn’t he give us a contract?” asked Petite Jeanne, as

her eyes opened wide.

“Yes. A contract. But such a contract! He said we could

take it or leave it. And old Gray Steel Face nodded his
head and snapped his steel jaw shut, so I took it away;
but we needn’t sign if we don’t care to.”

The remainder of the meal was eaten for the most part 106
in silence. Just as they finished, Swen and Dan Baker
entered. They had been for a long stroll along the lake
front, and had dined at a place which Swen had found
where they could get genuine black bread and spiced
fillet of sole.

“What luck?” Swen demanded.

“Rotten!” Angelo threw the contract on the table. “Read

it and weep!” The others crowded around to do so.

A silence, broken only by the rustle of turned pages,

ensued.
As the perusal was concluded Jeanne’s face was a
brown study. Florence, who had read over her shoulder,
was plainly angry. Baker neither smiled nor frowned.
Swen smiled.

“Well,” Swen drawled, “since this is to be our first

production, and success will keep the wolf from the
door for six months to come, I don’t see that it’s so
worse. One success calls for another. And it’s on the
second that you have a chance to tell ’em where they
get off.”

“I think,” said Petite Jeanne quietly, “that Swen is right.

It means renewed hope for all of us. Winter is at our
door. There are no turnips in our cellar, nor hams in our
smoke-house.” She thought of the old days in France.

“That’s me,” agreed Dan Baker.

Since Florence had no contract to sign, she said 107

nothing.

“Then,” said Angelo with a sigh, half of relief and half of

disappointment, “we sign on the dotted line. To-day we
visit the theatre. To-morrow rehearsals begin. The thing
is to be put on as soon as it can be whipped into shape.
Every day a theatre is dark means a loss to its owners.”

They signed in silence. Then, drawing chairs before the

fire, they sat down for half an hour of quiet meditation.
Many and varied were the thoughts that, like thin
smoke, passed off into space as they lingered there.

108
 CHAPTER XIII
THE CIRCLE OF BRASS

They entered the theatre together at four o’clock that

afternoon, Angelo, Dan Baker and Petite Jeanne. It was
a damp, chilly, autumn day. Jeanne had caught the
mood of the day before they entered. There was
nothing about the empty playhouse to dispel this
disturbing gloom. The half light that was everywhere, a
small—bright torch of a lamp here and there boring
sharply into the darkness—revealed the threadbare,
neglected interior of the place. The floor of the stage
creaked as they ventured to walk across it. Row on row
of plush seats lay dimly before them. The few that were
lighted were soiled and faded. The once gay gilt of box
seats had cracked off in places, showing the white
beneath. The great velvet curtain drooped woefully.

“How dismal!” Jeanne spoke before she thought. 109

“My dear,” said Dan Baker, stepping before Angelo to

conceal his look of pain, “it is not the house, but the
people that make a theatre. The glowing, pulsating
throng of living beings. This is a theatre. Picture this
broad stage filled with dreams of beauty and grace.
Catch a glimpse of the gay costumes. Listen to the
songs and laughter.
“And yonder,” he spread his arms wide as if to take in a
great multitude, “yonder are the people, hundreds,
thousands! Are they less colorful, less gay? Not one
whit. For this is their happy hour. Fans, flowers, smiles,
color, laughter, beauty. ‘A thing of beauty is a joy
forever.’ No, no, my child! On our great night you will
not see the faults of this poor, gray old house that has
known the joys and sorrows of three generations of
human souls, and which is now standing among tall
skyscrapers waiting its destruction; you will see only the
gracious people who have come to catch the glow of
light and joy that is our opera.”

As Petite Jeanne looked at him her heart glowed with 110

fresh fire. To her at this moment the aged trouper, with
his flowing locks and drooping hat, was the noblest
work of God.

“Thanks, old timer,” said Angelo. His tone was husky as

he gripped Dan Baker’s hand.

Jeanne said never a word, but as she touched his hand

ever so lightly, he understood even better than if she
had delivered an oration.

Her dislike of the ancient theatre, with its narrow, ratty

dressing rooms, its steep, worn stairways and its smell
of decay, was dispelled. But with the manager, the
director, the actors she had not met before, as well as
the chorus, it was quite another matter. To her distress
she found that they, one and all, treated her quite as an
outsider. Dan Baker, too, was quite outside their circle.
He understood it, and did not care. Having been a
trouper, he realized that in companies such as these
there were those who “belonged” and those who did
not.
But poor, friendly, hopeful, big-hearted Jeanne, though 111
she was to have a leading part in the play, had intended
from the first to be a friend to them, one and all. And
behold, none of them would accept her offering.

Members of the chorus might be engaged in an

animated conversation, but let her join them and their
gayety ceased while they moved silently away.

Not many attempts were made before the sensitive soul

of the little French girl curled up like an oyster in a shell.
But it was an aching little heart, at that.

“Why? Why?” she demanded of her conscience, and of

her confessor, Dan Baker.

“My child,” the aged dancer smiled faintly, “they live in

what might be called a golden circle. The circle is
complete. None may enter. It is the way of the stage.

“You cannot understand,” he said gently, “for you have 112

not long been a trouper. You could not know that they
were all practically born on the stage; that their fathers
and mothers, yes and their grandparents before them,
were stage people. They have traveled together, some
of them, for years. As they moved from city to city, the
people of each city were only an audience to be
amused. They have made the audience laugh; they
have made it cry. But always they have thought of that
audience as a great lump of humanity. Not one
individual in that lump cared for one of them in a
personal way. Only among their own group have they
found companions. Little by little a strong bond has
been formed. Hemming them in, it keeps others out.
That is their golden circle.”
“It is a most wretched circle!” cried Jeanne with a touch
of anger. “It is not a golden circle, but a circle of brass,
brass about their necks; the sign of slavery.”

After this Jeanne made no further attempts to mingle

with her fellow workers. When not on the stage she sat
in a corner, reading a French novel.

But her cup of woe was not full. She had hoped to 113
dance her native dances from the gypsyland of France,
just as she had learned them there. This was not to be.
The director, the tall, dark, youngish man, he of the
chilled steel face who never smiled, had a word to say
about this. The dances, he decreed, were not right.
They must be changed. A girl named Eve, head of the
chorus, must teach Jeanne new steps.

Eve taught her, and did a thorough job of it. Born on the
west side, Eve had made her way up by sheer nerve
and a certain feeling for rhythm.

No two persons could be more unlike than this Eve and

our Petite Jeanne. Petite Jeanne was French to the tips
of her toes. She loved art for art’s sake. Beauty and
truth, sweetness and light, these were words of infinite
charm to her. Had the same words been pronounced to
Eve, she would have suspected the speaker of
pronouncing a spelling lesson to her. Eve lived for one
thing only—applause. It had been the thunder of
applause that had caused her to set her foot on the first
round of the ladder to fame. That same thunder had
kept her toiling year after year.

Petite Jeanne cared little for applause. When she went 114
before an audience it was as if she said to those
assembled before her, “See! Here I have something all
Welcome to our website – the ideal destination for book lovers and
knowledge seekers. With a mission to inspire endlessly, we offer a
vast collection of books, ranging from classic literary works to
specialized publications, self-development books, and children's
literature. Each book is a new journey of discovery, expanding
knowledge and enriching the soul of the reade

Our website is not just a platform for buying books, but a bridge
connecting readers to the timeless values of culture and wisdom. With
an elegant, user-friendly interface and an intelligent search system,
we are committed to providing a quick and convenient shopping
experience. Additionally, our special promotions and home delivery
services ensure that you save time and fully enjoy the joy of reading.

Let us accompany you on the journey of exploring knowledge and

personal growth!

ebooknice.com