Petersburg High School - Missile Yearbook (Petersburg, VA)

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30 THE M ISSILE comes upon the fire of a camper he al- most always finds himself welcome. VVhen men were more of woodsmen than they are now, friendships formed in this way were many and ,lasting Then after dark. as the campers gather round the blazing fire and talk, tell stories and jokes, and relate their own experience in different happenings there is evident again that feeling of a better understanding and companion- ship with each other. Perhaps at such a place it is the presence of the Great Spiritn whom the Hrst Americans wor- shiped that exerts this influence. What- ever it is, it is nevertheless there. My grandfather too is a great advo- cate of the open fire. When he had the hot-air system installed in our home, he kept the so-called old-fashioned fireplaces. I have seen him more than once, long after spring and warm weath- er had come, with a fire in the grate, merely, I believe, for the pleasure of making it himself and of sitting and reading by it. A chimney was once a very essential part of a house, but now some people scarcely use it for more than an an- tique decoration or as a place on which to tack the radio aerial. Every year up to a few years back the chimney and the fireplace at our house server another pur- pose around Christmas Eve. At that time the young folks, the very young ones who were ardent believers in the age-old tradition of Santa Claus, would write their Christmas letters to that old gentleman, would hold the let- ters above the flames of the crackling fire, and let the draft carry the mes- sages up through the chimney and, sup- posedly to the address, Mr. S. S. Claus, North Pole. All in all, the only fault I find with a fire is that my attempts to stay awake and study by it very often prove fruit- less, for an open fire has that strange effect of making me unusually drowsy and dreamy. After all, that is not so bad though, for sometimes I likiz to dream. R9 A TREE By Geraldine Beazley A great massive thing Like a temple stands firmly Upon the earth and pays Its tribute to God. It reaches high above us And breathes the pure air of heaven, Not knowing or even caring R9 THE MOUNTAIN CAMP By Catherine Rudy What men do. Marian Burton came to the door of the Burtons' cabin, and lifting the cow horn to her lips blew upon it a long blast. This meant, Come to breakfast. The sun had not as yet risen, but everybody was up and chores were finished. The yelping of dogs showed well that they knew the meaning of that horn blowing as well as did Marian's two brothers, Jaques and Gas- pard. The Buttons were early settlers in the

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32 THE M ISSILE North. In the winter the men followed, as most pioneers did, lumbering and trapping for a living. All winter the boys and Marian had been left alone to manage the home place. They had cleared the underbrush about their small cabin and were now lumbering on the hillside, getting ready for the drive of logs when the valley river would float them down to the far-off sawmill. Boys, I have all the sap buckets ready, announced Marian, piling hot cakes on her brother's plates. It's freeze and thaw weather right now, best time for sap flowing. VVe should com- mence to boil right away for more snow is on the way. Gaspard and I can't help with the sugaring this year. Maybe it will turn warm instead of more snow, so the logs must be in the river before then, spoke Jaques, loading maple syrup on his cakes. Oh, well, Miny, the Indian girl, and her little brother can help, replied Marian, throwing out scraps to their team dogs. Miny can tend the boiling, little Jo can find wood and I can take the sledge into the woods and collect sap. 'Snow is deep enough in the woods, Marian, and heavy in the passes. It is holding on this season, said Jaques. Good, exclaimed Marian, who was a sturdy girl of pioneer type, -unafraid of work, Indians, or even wild animals. The old bear was around last night, she announced. Saw his big flat tracks. Wouldn't you like to be home tonight instead of off in camp, just to watch for him, the old thief! I would, for one, replied Jaques. My, that old bear is a big one, he is going to do lots of mischief if we don't get rid of him. He's getting bolder all the time. Bears were, at that time, trouble- some to the settlers, carrying off' sheep and stock. Especially were they bold in spring, when, having lost motion through the winter, they came forth, preying upon everything. This old bear whom the boys named Clubfoot be- cause of his strange footprints, the result of his having lost a portion of one foot, was the worst animal in that section. The Buttons' sugar place was large, the trees covering one side of the moun- tain foothills. Sap gathering was diffi- cult for Marian, but with her dogs and sledge, the snow holding well, she worked hard from dawn until dark emptying wooden buckets, while Miny tended the two great iron kettles swing- ing from their weights where the syrup bubbled and had to be constantly Watched. Marian came in tired out, her leg- gings wet to the knees. Miny, you tend the kettles awhile, and I'll get a little rest, she said. Little Joe was already asleep. You wake me if I sleep too long, Miny. Everything was fixed for the night The dogs, back of the cabin, had been fed and had burrowed deep into the soft snow to sleep. It was very still about the camp, only the soft bubble and puffing of .the boiling syrup in the two great kettles went on gently, as the night came on. Finally, beneath one kettle the fire was dying out. Poor tired, Minyg she did not see that more wood was needed, for the Indian girl was fast asleep. Then out of the woods came a shuffling, swaying figure. No one saw it. It was big and black. Old Clubfoot, the bear! He had traced the fragrance of boiling maple sugar many miles. Uttering little whines and growls, the old bear came close to the silent sugar camp. The dogs were all asleep, buried deep in the snow. The little Indian girl, wrapped in her blanket propped against the shack, also slept. Clubfoot shuffled over towards the sugar kettles. Hot steam arose from one, but the other, as the bear put one Hat paw inside its rim, was about cold. The bear lapped his paw eagerly, one delicious taste was sufficient and the