These were the days before matches were invented. Every one counted
on flint and steel for their fire, but the tinder was an essential,
and now a fire seemed hopeless; at least Rolf thought so.

"Nana Bojou was dancing that time," said the Indian.

"Did you see him make fire with those two rubbing trees? So he
taught our fathers, and so make we fire when the tricks of the
white man fail us."

Quonab now cut two pieces of dry cedar, one three fourths of an
inch thick and eighteen inches long, round, and pointed at both
ends; the other five eighths of an inch thick and flat. In the
flat one he cut a notch and at the end of the notch a little pit.
Next he made a bow of a stiff, curved stick, and a buckskin
thong: a small pine knot was selected and a little pit made in it
with the point of a knife. These were the fare-making sticks,
but it was necessary to prepare the firewood, lay the fire, and
make some fibre for tinder. A lot of fine cedar shavings,
pounded up with cedar bark and rolled into a two-inch ball, made
good tinder, and all was ready. Quonab put the bow thong once
around the long stick, then held its point in the pit of the flat
stick, and the pine knot on the. top to steady it. Now he drew
the bow back and forth, slowly, steadily, till the long stick or
drill revolving ground smoking black dust out of the notch. Then
faster, until the smoke was very strong and the powder filled the
notch. Then he lifted the flat stick, fanning the powder with
his hands till a glowing coal appeared. Over this he put the
cedar tinder and blew gently, till it flamed, and soon the wigwam