“Is your name Raften?”

“No, sir.”

“Air ye owt o’ kin?”

“No, sir.”

“I don’t want no truck with a Raften, but what do ye want to know?”

“We built a wigwam of bark, but it’s no good, but now we have a big canvas cover an’ want to know how to make a teepee.”

“A teepee.  H-m—­” said the old man reflectively.

“They say you’ve lived in them,” ventured Yan.

“Hm—­’bout forty year; but it’s one thing to wear a suit of clothes and another thing to make one.  Seems to me it was about like this,” and he took up a burnt stick and a piece of grocer’s paper.  “No—­now hold on.  Yes, I remember now; I seen a bunch of squaws make one oncet.

“First they sewed the skins together.  No, first thar was a lot o’ prayin’; ye kin suit yerselves ’bout that—­then they sewed the skins together an” pegged it down flat on the prairie (B D H I, Cut No. 1).  Then put in a peg at the middle of one side (A).  Then with a burnt stick an’ a coord—­yes, there must ‘a’ been a coord—­they drawed a half circle—­so (B C D).  Then they cut that off, an’ out o’ the pieces they make two flaps like that (H L M J and K N O I), an’ sews ’em on to P E and G Q. Them’s smoke-flaps to make the smoke draw.  Thar’s a upside down pocket in the top side corner o’ each smoke-flap—­so—­for the top of each pole, and there is rows o’ holes down—­so (M B and N D, Cut No. 2)—­on each side fur the lacin’ pins.  Then at the top of that pint (A, Cut 1) ye fasten a short lash-rope.

[Illustration:  CUT I.—­PATTERN FOR A SIMPLE 10-FOOT TEEPEE]

[Illustration:  CUT II.—­THE COMPLETE TEEPEE COVER—­UNORNAMENTED]

“Le’s see, now.  I reckon thar’s about ten poles for a ten-foot lodge, with two more for the smoke-flaps.  Now, when ye set her up ye tie three poles together—­so—­an’ set ’em up first, then lean the other poles around, except one, an’ lash them by carrying the rope around a few times.  Now tie the top o’ the cover to the top o’ the last pole by the short lash-rope, hist the pole into place—­that hists the cover, too, ye see—­an’ ye swing it round with the smoke-poles an’ fasten the two edges together with the wooden pins.  The two long poles put in the smoke-flap pockets works the vent to suit the wind.”

[Illustration:  1st set up tripod]

In his conversation Caleb had ignored Sam and talked to Yan, but the son of his father was not so easily abashed.  He foresaw several practical difficulties and did not hesitate to ask for light.

“What keeps it from blowin’ down?” he asked.

“Wall,” said Caleb, still addressing Yan, “the long rope that binds the poles is carried down under, and fastened tight to a stake that serves for anchor, ’sides the edge of the cover is pegged to the ground all around.”

“How do you make the smoke draw?” was his next.

[Illustration:  2nd set up and bind other six poles]