one hand when you wished to change the position of the branch with the other,
and then let it rest on the ground again at the spot where you wanted the pole
to stay. You see, the great advantage of this was that, when you wished to see
how things were going on inside of the kettle, or to stop its boiling
instantly--you could just swing it away from the fire in no time, and not run
the risk of burning face or hands, or petticoats, if you belong to the
petticoat family.`

"Now," panted Tattine, for it was her turn to be breathless with running,
"I'll break the sugar if you two will make the fire, but Rudolph's to light it
and he's the only one who is to lean over it and put the wood on when it's
needed. Mamma says there is to be a very strict rule about that, because
skirts and fluffy hair like mine and Mabel's are very dangerous about a
fire," and then Tattine proceeded to roll the maple sugar in the brown paper
so as to have two or three thicknesses about it, and then, laying it upon a
flat stone, began to pound and break it with the hammer.

"Yes," said Rudolph, on his knees on the ground, and making balls of newspaper
for the foundation of the fire; "it's lucky for Mabel and me that fire is one
thing about which we can be trusted."

"I shouldn't wonder if it's the only thing," laughed Tattine, whereupon Mabel
toppled her over on the grass by way of punishment.

"No, but honest!" continued Rudolph, "I have just been trained and trained
about fire. I know it's an awfully dangerous thing. It's just foolhardy to run
any sort of risk with it, and it's wise when you make a fire in the open air
like this, to stand on the same side as the wind comes from, even if you
haven't any skirts or fluffy hair to catch."