He next scraped and shredded a lot of dry Cedar wood like lint.  Then making a hole half an inch deep in the ground, he laid in that a flat piece of Pine punk, and across this he set the fire-board.  The point of the pin or drill was put in the pit of the fire-board, which he held down with one foot; the lace was given one turn on the pin, and its top went into the hole of the stone the boys brought.  The stone was held firmly in Caleb’s left hand.

“Sometimes,” he remarked, “when ye can’t find a stone, a Pine knot will do—­ye kin make the socket-hole with a knife-point.”

Now holding the bow in his right hand, he began to draw it back and forth with long, steady strokes, causing the pin to whirl round in the socket.  Within a few seconds a brown powder began to run out of the notch of the fire-board onto the punk.  The pit increased in size and blackened, the powder darkened, and a slight smoke arose from the pit.  Caleb increased the pressure of his left hand a little, and sawed faster with the right.  The smoke steadily increased and the black powder began to fill the notch.  The smoke was rolling in little clouds from under the pin, and it even seemed to come from the heap of powder.  As soon as he saw that, Caleb dropped the bow and gently fanned the powder heap.  It still smoked.  He removed the fire-board, and lifting the punk, showed the interior of the powder to be one glowing coal.  On this he laid the Cedar tinder and over that a second piece of punk.  Then raising it, he waved it in the air and blew gently for awhile.  It smouldered and then burst into a flame.  The other material was handy, and in a very short time they had a blazing fire in the middle of the new teepee.

[Illustration:  THE RUBBING-STICKS FOR FIRE-MAKING]

All three were pictures of childish delight.  The old man’s face fairly beamed with triumph.  Had he failed in his experiment he would have gone off hating those boys, but having made a brilliant success he was ready to love every one concerned, though they had been nothing more than interested spectators of his exploit.

[Illustration:  RUBBING-STICKS—­FOR FIRE-MAKING (See Description Below)]

Two tools and two sticks are needed.  The tools are bow and drill-socket; the sticks are drill and fire-board.

1.  The simplest kind of bow—­a bent stick with a stout leather thong fastened at each end.  The stick must not spring.  It is about 27 inches long and 5/8 inch thick.

2.  A more elaborate bow with a hole at each end for the thong.  At the handle end it goes through a disc of wood.  This is to tighten the thong by pressure of the hand against the disc while using.

3.  Simplest kind of drill-socket—­a pine or hemlock knot with a shallow hole or pit in it. 3a is under view of same.  It is about 4-1/2 inches long.

4.  A more elaborate drill-socket—­a pebble cemented with gum in a wooden holder. 4a is under view of same.