<h2><SPAN name="x" id="x"></SPAN>CHAPTER TEN<br/> <small>FOR THE HONOUR OF THE BLACK BEARS</small></h2>
<p class="noi"><span class="dropcap"><span class="dropcap2">“</span>W</span>HO wants to sail over to Rosemary and bring
back some burlap bags of hay?” called
Fred, one rather cloudy morning when every one
felt undecided about doing anything on account of
the weather.</p>
<p>The three younger boys hastily volunteered and
were told to get ready.</p>
<p>“Say, this is a case of sou’westers and oilskins,
boys,” called Fred, when he saw them coming from
the bungalow with caps and sweaters.</p>
<p>“Why do you need hay—we haven’t a horse or
cow to feed?” questioned Dudley.</p>
<p>“Never mind,” replied Billy; “who knows what
sort of a wild animal may be prowling around the
island pretty soon.” As he spoke with a certain air
of knowledge he buttoned a sou’wester strap high
under his chin.</p>
<p>“Say—I bet I know!” laughed Paul, eyeing Billy,
then Fred carefully.</p>
<p>“What?” demanded Dudley.</p>
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_171" id="Page_171">171</SPAN></span>
“We’re going to stuff a bear for the Mishi-mokwa
game, aren’t we, Fred?”</p>
<p>“Right you are! We will, if Elizabeth will help us
with the sewing of the burlap,” replied Fred.</p>
<p>“Oh, is that why you picked over that iron junk in
Belfast and bought all those sharp-ended rods for
spear points?” added Paul.</p>
<p>“When can we make it and have our first game?”
asked Billy.</p>
<p>“The sooner we get started the sooner we will have
the bear finished, and the rest depends upon that!”
replied Fred.</p>
<p>When Uncle Tom heard about the project he willingly
donated the burlap bags and hay. Trixie, very
curious as she stood in the drizzle in her checked skirt,
begged the boys to tell her all about the bear-spearing
game.</p>
<p>“You’re going to be invited to the next Council and
then you’ll see how to do it,” replied Billy.</p>
<p>“When will that be?” asked Trixie.</p>
<p>“Next Thursday afternoon at three o’clock,” said
Fred.</p>
<p>“And then the Honour of the Black Bears will be
upheld!” declared Billy.</p>
<p>“Now what do you mean by that,” again asked
Trixie.</p>
<p>“Just come to the Council and find out,” was all
Billy would say.</p>
<p>But Fred explained. “You see, Billy and I really<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_172" id="Page_172">172</SPAN></span>
belong to the Black Bear Tribe when we are home so
we are going to challenge all of the members of the
Pentagoet Tribe here and the visitors to a Bear
Spearing contest. You can join the others if you like
and try to beat our score.”</p>
<p>Trixie followed the boys to the shore and waved
farewell until they were out of sight in the misty
morning. Then she sat on the steps oblivious alike
of her damp skirt and the drops of moisture that
sparkled on her curls, longing for a camp-life and the
simple fun of the Woodcrafters. Finally she realised
she was becoming thoroughly wet from the fine rain
so she went dolefully back to the house.</p>
<p>At Sunset Island, all hands watched Fred construct
the bear. He found he would not need Elizabeth’s
help for the sewing as his practice with sailor’s
palm and needle came in good even if the stitches were
uneven.</p>
<p>What a ludicrous creature it was when completed!
A loop of rope for a tail, another for a nose, and a
third on the middle of the back. Billy and Paul
helped to swing the beast from between two tall
birches and Dudley took the first fling of a spear
at it. Dudley had occupied himself in trimming into
a wooden spear one of the small standing dead firs
that crowded the underbush of the island.</p>
<p>This gave Fred an idea.</p>
<p>“Say, boys, each one of you can make a lot of those
kind of spears and we might use them for practice.”</p>
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_173" id="Page_173">173</SPAN></span>
“That’s right! The old bear will last longer than
if we used the iron spears on him,” added Billy.</p>
<p>As night came on the fog shut in again and Fred
called the boys from their spear-making to look after
their tents for the night. That evening the bungalow
fire made a cheery spot to gather about, for the dampness
out-of-doors was chilly and unfriendly.</p>
<p>“Do you think it will be foggy all day to-morrow?”
asked Dudley.</p>
<p>“I don’t think so, but we musn’t kick if it is, as we
have had fine weather right along,” replied Fred.</p>
<p>“I know of a fine game to play in foggy weather!”
hinted Mrs. Remington.</p>
<p>Instantly, she had every one’s attention—as she
knew she would.</p>
<p>“The wood-boxes need a new supply and so many
valiant Woodcrafters about here ought to be valiant
woodchoppers for a change!” said she.</p>
<p>“Oh piffle! what a game!” sniffed Paul.</p>
<p>The others all laughed at his disgusted look but
Fred said, “We’ll do it, mother! Of course it’s a
great sacrifice of valuable time, but we would throw it
away recklessly for <em>you</em>!”</p>
<p>“I am happy to have such generosity shown me,
seeing that I am the only one who ever sits before the
big fireplace!” laughed Mrs. Remington.</p>
<p>As she seldom had time to sit down with the others
when they told stories and played games before the
great fire, the children appreciated the sarcasm. And<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_174" id="Page_174">174</SPAN></span>
the following morning every available container was
filled full of chopped wood.</p>
<p>The morning was foggy so, the wood-boxes attended
to, the boys fished off the float-stage for
lobster bait. Sculpins and flounders were caught and
by this time the mist began lifting. The Captain
thought they might row out to the traps to bait them
and before the last lobster trap was baited and heaved
over the side of the boat, the sun shone out. A little
breeze from the west soon scattered the remaining
curls of fog and the day turned out to be dazzlingly
bright.</p>
<p>For all their patient working the boys found nothing
but crabs and star-fish in the traps that morning,
and they began to fear that the lobster supply around
Sunset Island had been exhausted.</p>
<p>“I’ll tell you what we’ve got to do, we’ve got to
change the traps and put them over towards the Isleboro
side,” said Dudley. “I saw a lot of trap-buoys
over that way.”</p>
<p>“Don’t you know those fishermen would gladly set
their traps here if it wasn’t for us being on the
island?” asked Billy.</p>
<p>And the Captain added: “Bill’s right; and some of
these men say they’re goin’ to come and set their traps
here anyway.”</p>
<p>“You’d think that all the refuse from fish that we’ve
been throwing out from our fish-drying work would<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_175" id="Page_175">175</SPAN></span>
have attracted the lobsters long ago, wouldn’t you?”
ventured Billy.</p>
<p>“They’re queer critters, all right,” admitted Captain
Ed.</p>
<p>“I guess it will be clear for the bear-spearing to-morrow,
after all,” Paul said, looking at the blue sky.</p>
<p>“I’ll finish my last iron spear-head to-night and be
all ready for it,” added Fred.</p>
<p>Supper over that evening, Fred worked on the
spear-head while the other boys tried various ways of
tying knots. As the Captain was a master-hand at
that craft, he was appealed to and when the boys had
been taught to tie some sailor-knots he showed them
several trick knots which caused great interest. Then,
Mrs. Remington showed them how to do the string
trick called “Throwing the Fish Spear.”</p>
<p>The following day was clear and sunny and the
usual attendance at Council was counted upon by the
Islanders. But they were in for a surprise.</p>
<p>When the guests began to arrive, a number of
strange launches were seen in the wake of the Orion.
It was then learned that neighbouring cottagers of
Aunt Edith’s had heard of the fun and entertainment
provided at a Woodcraft Council and had begged permission
to be invited to the next one held on Sunset
Island.</p>
<p>A hearty welcome was extended the visitors and the
Council opened. When the tally of the last Council
was read the guests laughed at the account of the<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_176" id="Page_176">176</SPAN></span>
poetry contest. Then came the call for report of
scouts.</p>
<p>Billy saluted. “Oh Chief! I have to report that
being desirous of obtaining a photograph of a young
fish-hawk, or osprey, in a nest on Spruce Island, I
climbed the tree carrying Paul’s kodak on my back.
I found the young osprey dead, hanging dismembered
upon a branch below the nest. I could not determine
whether this was due to an accident or not. Evidently
the bird had been dead some time. I found the
tails of seven flounders in and about the nest, also the
remnants of other fish.”</p>
<p>“I also found a piece of bamboo netting woven into
the nest. I managed to climb above and snap a photograph
of the nest and dead bird but I regret to say
that it was a failure. The film was returned with
nothing but blurs on it, so I think I made a mistake in
focussing properly.”</p>
<p>A discussion ensued over the possible cause of the
death of the osprey and the suggestion of accident was
decided to be the plausible one.</p>
<p>Uncle Tom made a report on the presence of porcupines
in his apple-orchard and asked the help of
some brave hunter to help exterminate them. Billy
instantly volunteered and was accepted, providing he
came alone. Mr. Charlton knew that Billy was perfectly
trustworthy with firearms, but accidents can
easily happen when a number of boys are taken along.</p>
<p>“Oh Chief! I have an offer to lay before the parents<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_177" id="Page_177">177</SPAN></span>
and guardians here present. I will train the boys
in target-shooting and offer a prize to that one who
excels at a given time,” now added Uncle Tom.</p>
<p>“How, How!” echoed around the Council Ring at
this news.</p>
<p>The vote was unanimous on the part of the younger
faction so Fred put it to a motion.</p>
<p>“Oh Chief! I move that a committee be formed
of parents to deliberate over this plan,” said Mrs.
Remington.</p>
<p>“Second the motion!” added Mrs. Farwell.</p>
<p>On the final vote the motion was carried that the
mothers form a committee to report later—not necessarily
to the Council but to Uncle Tom or Fred.</p>
<p>The time devoted to the granting of honours now
arrived and Elizabeth sprang to her feet.</p>
<p>“Oh Chief! I have a claim to present in behalf of
another.”</p>
<p>“Present the claim,” said Wita-tonkan with dignity.</p>
<p>“In behalf of Wita-tonkan of the Black Bear Tribe,
I, Pah-hlee-oh of the Apamwamis Tribe, claim low
honour for constructing a bear, for the Bear Spearing
Game according to the standards in the Book of
Woodcraft, edition of 1915,” stated Elizabeth.</p>
<p>“Witnessed by Edward Blake, Dudley West, and
William Remington,” concluded she, proudly looking
at her brother Fred.</p>
<p>This was indeed a surprise to Fred as he really had
forgotten that his recent work on the bear constituted<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_178" id="Page_178">178</SPAN></span>
and counted for a <em>coup</em>. Nevertheless, he announced
as usual,</p>
<p>“You have heard this claim: it is properly witnessed
and moreover will soon be demonstrated at this
Council—what is your pleasure?”</p>
<p>The decision was unanimous for granting the <em>coup</em>
and the visitors’ attention was drawn to the burlap
bear swinging between the trees just beyond the Council
Ring.</p>
<p>Then the Chief announced: “Friends and members
of the Pentagoet Tribe, you may not know that
Shingebis and I are old Woodcraft Indians of the
Honourable Tribe of Black Bear. To-day we wish
to appear as Black Bears in our allegiance and introduce
some of the customs of our Tribe. One of these
is the challenging for scalps.</p>
<p>“Each Black Bear wears a black scalp-lock when he
is in Council. Here is mine,” and Wita-tonkan held
aloft a long strand of black horsehair with a loop of
thong attached.</p>
<p>“This represents our life! When we challenge for
scalps we stake our life. If we lose we have to remain
dead until the Tribe votes us alive again.”</p>
<p>Advancing to the Council Fire Wita-tonkan, in the
name of Shingebis and himself challenged the Pentagoet
Tribe or any visitors present, to a Bear Spearing
Contest for scalps!</p>
<p>Paul jumped up and cried, “We accept!”</p>
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_179" id="Page_179">179</SPAN></span>
And a chorus of “Hows!” showed that every one
present was brave and daring.</p>
<p>“Oh Chief! How can we pay up if we have no
hirsute adornments similar to the Black Bear scalps?”
asked Uncle Bill.</p>
<p>“Every one who enters this contest must agree to
forfeit a scalp like this or similar. <em>They can be procured!</em>”
sternly answered Wita-tonkan.</p>
<p>A babel of voices then arose and finally it appeared
that Wita-tonkan and Shingebis had twenty opponents
arrayed against them in the contest.</p>
<p>“Gee! If the Black Bears win we won’t be able
to see them—they will be so covered with scalps,”
cried Dudley.</p>
<p>“Oh Chief! that reminds me! What happens
should the two Black Bears lose? How can two
scalps be divided among so many Pentagoets?” inquired
Uncle Tom.</p>
<p>“Why, we each get a lock of hair from their two
heads!” laughed Uncle Bill.</p>
<p>“I should say not! We each have one life to lose
and we give what we have, one life apiece,” retorted
the Chief.</p>
<p>“Then, <em>who</em> will get your two scalps?” persisted
Uncle Tom.</p>
<p>“No one—the Black Bears will get <em>yours</em>!” boasted
Fred.</p>
<p>Every one laughed at that but the Chief added
seriously: “Our two scalps, <em>should</em> we lose, will become<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_180" id="Page_180">180</SPAN></span>
the possession of the two Braves opposing, who
make the highest scores of individual hits out of the
five shots allowed each contestant.”</p>
<p>That was plain and just so they all filed over to the
burlap bear.</p>
<p>What a fight that was! The children and inexperienced
spearsmen were soon cleared off of the
field of action. Paul made a hit but it counted for
little as it was not near the red-painted heart of the
bear. Dudley scored in the same manner. Elizabeth
hit the bear twice but alas! only one spear stuck in so
she only scored once. Then they all shouted for a
Black Bear. Shingebis stepped forward to try his
skill.</p>
<p>The bear was swung erratically but impartially by
Captains Ed and Benton. Billy chose his time well
and took careful aim. Two of his spears dangled
from the bear’s body, one in the very rim of the heart’s
circle thus counting ten for his score and the other
counting five, making a total of fifteen for his side.</p>
<p>“How! How!” shouted a chorus of voices.</p>
<p>“For the Honour of the Black Bears!” said Billy
solemnly.</p>
<p>“Now, watch your Uncle Bill!” cried that worthy,
and kerplunk went a spear! It struck the ground
below the clumsy beast.</p>
<p>Every one yelled but Uncle Bill had four more
trials. In these he netted his side fifteen, which with
the three hits of Elizabeth, Paul and Dudley, totalled<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_181" id="Page_181">181</SPAN></span>
the Pentagoets eighteen against fifteen of the Black
Bears.</p>
<p>Uncle Tom now tried and amid great excitement
made a hit near the heart-circle, counting five.</p>
<p>“Hurrah!” shouted Paul, dancing wildly about.</p>
<p>“Twenty-three for our side!” yelled Dudley,
throwing a rock out to sea in order to give vent to his
pent-up frenzy.</p>
<p>“Beat it, Wita-tonkan—for the Honour of the
Black Bears,” urged Billy, anxiously.</p>
<p>“Never fear!” spoke the Island Chief with confidence.
“Have I speared the Bear at Wyndy-goul
and at Lake Peequo for naught?”</p>
<p>And his boast proved good!</p>
<p>The three hits made by Wita-tonkan raised the
Black Bear score, first to sixteen, then to twenty-one
and finally to thirty-one.</p>
<p>“Scalp! scalp! Let’s dance the scalp-dance!”
screamed Billy shrilly, with overwrought nerves.</p>
<p>“How! How!” came from the others as they participated.</p>
<p>“Now pay up your scalps!” ordered Fred.</p>
<p>“But, this is a serious matter. Here! All you
Pentagoets and visitors—don’t you know we’re all
dead ones!” cried Uncle Bill in a sepulchral tone.</p>
<p>Thereupon, without further warning, he fell to the
ground, dragging Edith, Miriam and Paul down with
him in the death-struggle.</p>
<p>The other losers of scalps failed to realise their demise<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_182" id="Page_182">182</SPAN></span>
in such a dramatic manner, and contented themselves
with laughing heartily at Uncle Bill and his
three wriggling understudies.</p>
<p>“Where can we procure scalps?” asked Aunt Edith.</p>
<p>“Why, at any harness store. Get the horsehair
dingle-dangles that we use as a substitute for the
Black Bear brand,” replied Elizabeth, laughingly.</p>
<p>“I’m going to get a bright red one to show my
heart’s blood!” exclaimed Paul.</p>
<p>“Then you’d better get another to use after the
tribe votes you alive again,” advised Billy.</p>
<p>“All right, then I’ll get a blue one for that.”</p>
<p>As there were so many dead Indians about, the
Council of the living reconvened and voted the dead
hunters alive again. Bill was sent out to bring them
in, and then the Council closed by singing the Zuni
Sunset song.</p>
<p>Every one stood in a semi-circle facing the red
glow beyond the western mountains, the light fading
perceptibly as they sang.</p>
<p>From the launches that bore away the visitors, the
good-byes floated back to the group on shore. And
loud and long was the chorus that came from Trixie
and the Islanders on the float-stage, for the girl had
been invited to remain and visit Elizabeth for a few
days, and the young people were all delighted to have
her with them.</p>
<p>The weather was very unsettled for the next few
days, but that did not interfere with Trixie’s enjoyment.<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_183" id="Page_183">183</SPAN></span>
She sailed with Fred, fished with the others,
and entered into all of the Island sports with an
energy that quite won the admiration of the boys.</p>
<p>“Say, Trix, are you going to wear that checked
skirt again to-day? I bet that’s what hoodoos the
weather!” said Bill, one morning, seeing that the sun
failed to shine.</p>
<p>“Yes, I am!”</p>
<p>“Then, we’ll postpone our walk on Isleboro, for
every time you wear that skirt it rains,” continued
Fred, teasingly.</p>
<p>“How ridiculous!”</p>
<p>“Nothing of the kind! If you just try another
skirt for our sakes, I bet the sun will shine!” asserted
Dudley, who saw the look exchanged between Fred
and Bill.</p>
<p>“Well, I don’t believe in signs and hoodoos but to
please you boys I will wear my short corduroy skirt—and
it’s better anyway for walking through the
woods,” admitted Trixie.</p>
<p>The boys knew it would be a fine day, and the mist
that hid the sun would soon be dispelled, so they
chuckled to themselves that Trixie would believe it
was her change of skirt.</p>
<p>The walk on Islesboro was for the purpose of completing
the tree and flower <em>coups</em> of the Pentagoet
Tribe and incidentally the sail over to Crow Cove
would be enjoyable and add mileage to Fred’s sailing.</p>
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_184" id="Page_184">184</SPAN></span>
“How many miles have you made now, Fred?”
asked Paul.</p>
<p>“Just one hundred and one miles.”</p>
<p>“Oh, he’ll do it all right,” said Dudley.</p>
<p>“I intend to,” added Fred, quietly.</p>
<p>“Let’s sail over to the old ‘wrack,’” laughed Billy,
in imitation of Maine sailors.</p>
<p>“Maybe there will be enough water under her stern
so’s we can sail close under and climb aboard if you
want to,” suggested Fred.</p>
<p>This met with approval for every one wanted a
good chance to see what a “dead-eye” was and this
was an old-timer; though everything removable had
long since been taken, the rows of “dead-eyes” stuck
up along her sides empty for years of the shrouds
they formerly secured.</p>
<p>“What queer names things on boats have,” commented
Trixie.</p>
<p>“You will admit that dead-eyes are appropriate in
their connection with shrouds,” laughed Elizabeth.</p>
<p>“I never thought of that,” chuckled Billy.</p>
<p>“And why is that rope you are holding called a
‘sheet’?” wondered Trixie.</p>
<p>“Because it is fastened to a corner of a sail,” replied
Fred. “Sheet came from the old word meaning
something that stuck out, or shot out. Shoot and
shot are related words, you know. And as corners
stick out a corner of the sail was first called a sheet-line<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_185" id="Page_185">185</SPAN></span>
and then the name was applied to the line itself
leading from the corner.”</p>
<p>“Well! Where did you find all that out?” said his
sister, surprised.</p>
<p>“In the encyclopedia; you see, I too thought the
name a queer one so I looked it up.”</p>
<p>“Maybe sheets for a bed were called that because
they had corners,” ventured Paul.</p>
<p>“Yes, the book thinks so,” returned Fred. “And
the big anchor that was depended upon for safety was
called a ‘sheet-anchor’—not because it had corners but
because it was shot out into the water. The whole
word means a mixup of things but all we need
remember is that the sheet here is the line and not
the sail.”</p>
<p>“I brought my camera to take a picture of the
wreck,” said Paul, as they saw the vessel.</p>
<p>“Wait until I get on her and then take me too, will
you, Paul?” asked Billy, eagerly.</p>
<p>“Of course he will, Billy, and we will name it ‘The
Two Wrecks,’” laughed Dudley.</p>
<p>When the mariners were once more sailing the seas,
Paul remarked, “I wonder if Trix knows the sun is
shining!”</p>
<p>“Why, so it is!” cried the girl.</p>
<p>“See there! We told you that checked skirt was
the hoodoo,” teased Fred.</p>
<p>“Don’t tell me you believe it would have rained
had I worn it?” scoffed Trixie.</p>
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_186" id="Page_186">186</SPAN></span>
“Why not? It brought rain every other day!”
laughed Billy.</p>
<p>“Pooh! Elizabeth told me that to-day promised
fair, so I know you were <SPAN name="only" id="only"></SPAN><ins title="Original has only only">only</ins> trying to tease
me.”</p>
<p>The walk through the woods was enjoyed by all
and the boys were delighted to find that they could
add enough trees to their lists to make the twenty-five
required for a <em>coup</em>. With beech, mountain-ash,
aspen-poplar, white-cedar, and three kinds of birches
and moose-leaf maple to add to the fir, spruce, and
pine found on Sunset Island they were able to finish
their collection begun with chestnut, catalpa, and various
oaks, found in more southerly latitudes.</p>
<p>That evening, as Fred read aloud the list of trees
for a Grand <em>Coup</em>, Elizabeth, the poetess, turned them
into rhyme. Trixie watched her scribble and when
through, took it and read it aloud to the circle in the
living-room.</p>
<div class="poetry-container">
<div class="poem">
<p class="center">THE GRAND COUP FOR TREES</p>
<div class="verse">
<div class="line">I want to know the trees that grow, they’re interesting, you see;</div>
<div class="line">Besides, a woodcraft honour high it may bring now to me.</div>
<div class="line">Don’t blame the dog-wood for this verse, though doggerel it be,</div>
<div class="line">Its flowers are much more beautiful than any lines from me.</div>
<div class="line">I’d like to tell you all about the trees both great and small;</div>
<div class="line">’Twould keep me very busy to even name them all!</div>
<div class="line">The pine tree—that fine tree! the elms and the oaks,</div>
<div class="line">Make wood enough and good enough for any sort of folks.</div>
<div class="line">The beech tree, the peach tree together on the strand;</div>
<div class="line">The pretty girls the “peaches” love the “beaches’” shining sand.</div>
<div class="line">The palm tree, the balm tree, the bamboo, the teak;</div>
<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_187" id="Page_187">187</SPAN></span>
<div class="line">And others from the Orient if we go there to seek.</div>
<div class="line">The orange tree, whose blossoms be much loved on wedding days;</div>
<div class="line">The lemon and the grape-fruit, too, are kin in many ways.</div>
<div class="line">The apple and the apricot, the plum tree and the pear;</div>
<div class="line">The fruits of these are sure to please somebody, anywhere.</div>
<div class="line">The cedar and the hemlock, the fir and pine and spruce,</div>
<div class="line">Are members of one family with wood for any use.</div>
<div class="line">The cotton-wood, the willow for canoes and Indian beds;</div>
<div class="line">The aspen and the poplar that rustles o’er our heads,</div>
<div class="line">The hickory, the walnut, the pecan, now are all</div>
<div class="line">Nut bearers in the autumn to feed us in the fall.</div>
<div class="line">Mulberry trees, wild cherry trees; the mango and the date;</div>
<div class="line">The last you see must be the tree that keeps some men out late.</div>
<div class="line">The sycamores—yes by the scores they line the river’s brim.</div>
<div class="line">We know these trees afar, with ease, by mottled bark and limb.</div>
<div class="line">Persimmon and the chinquapin sound good and nice and sweet;</div>
<div class="line">We one and all late in the fall enjoy their fruits to eat.</div>
<div class="line">The china berry is a very charming, flowering tree.</div>
<div class="line">It grows down south, in spite of drought—up north it cannot be.</div>
<div class="line">The pendant locust blooms look good; the tree is fine for shade;</div>
<div class="line">For posts that last ’tis better wood than any other made.</div>
<div class="line">The butternut, the chip-munks’ friend, the wood is soft and dark;</div>
<div class="line">We know it by its frond-like leaves as well as by its bark.</div>
<div class="line">The maple is a staple tree, its syrup very sweet</div>
<div class="line">Its wood is good for floors you see; in its shade we like to meet.</div>
<div class="line">The hazel bush might raise a blush if called a tree, ’tis true;</div>
<div class="line">(The rhyme is fierce but in a rush we stop at nought—do you?)</div>
<div class="line">The chestnut is the best nut, its wood is very good;</div>
<div class="line">’Tis easy to split and easy cut; the nuts are good for food.</div>
<div class="line">The basswood’s wood is fine for trunks, when bound with duck or leather.</div>
<div class="line">Saw up tree trunks in boards, not chunks, and fasten them together.</div>
<div class="line">The elder and the alder much delight in swamps to grow.</div>
<div class="line">The cedar also likes the touch of water at its toe.</div>
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<div class="line">The sweet gum and the cypress are in Dixie’s forests found.</div>
<div class="line">Live oaks their mossy beards hang far to canebreaks on the ground.</div>
<div class="line">The evergreen and long-leafed pine lift high their spreading arms;</div>
<div class="line">Spring now endows their plumey spines with new and pleasing charms.</div>
<div class="line">In May old dark green needles show a bushy background there—</div>
<div class="line">While new light shoots upstanding, grow like Christmas candles’ flare.</div>
<div class="line">Of beauty out-of-doors in Spring, of trees like these, and more,</div>
<div class="line">Of flowers and birds that mate and sing, old Earth has still full store.</div>
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<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_189" id="Page_189">189</SPAN></span>
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