Page 29 - An American Robinson Crusoe

shot up than one of the pots cracked in two. "I probably made the fire too hot at first," thought Robinson.

He drew out some of the coals and wood, but afterwards gradually increased the fire again. He could not,
however, get the pots hot enough to turn red. He brought the dryest and hardest wood, but could not succeed
in getting them hot enough to turn red. At length he was tired out and was compelled to give it up. When the
pots were cool he tried to boil water in one. It was no better than the sun dried one.

He saw that he must provide some way to get the pots much hotter than he could in the open air. He resolved
to make an oven of stones large enough to take in the wood as well as the pots. It must be above ground so
that there might be plenty of draught for the fire. With great labor, he pried up and carried together flat stones
enough to make an oven about four feet high with a chimney at one side. He had put in the center a stone table
on which he could place three quite large pots. He left an opening in one side that could be partially closed by
a large, flat stone.

He worked eagerly and at the end of the second day he was ready to fire his oven. He first carried together a
good quantity of dry wood, then he put in his pots and laid the wood around them. In a short time he had a
very hot fire. He kept this up all day and until late at night.

[Illustration: SOME OF ROBINSON'S DISHES]

The next morning he went to his oven and found his pots were a beautiful red. He drew out the fire and
allowed them to cool slowly. Then he filled one with water and set it over the fire to heat it. Before many
minutes the water was boiling and Robinson had another reason to be thankful. He wept for joy. His patient
labors had brought their rewards. No prince could feel as happy as Robinson now. He had overcome all
difficulties. Starting with nothing but his hands, he was now able to supply all his wants. "If I only had a
companion now," he thought, "I would have nothing further to wish as long as I stay on the island."

X XX I

ROBINSON AS BAKER

Now that Robinson had fire, he determined to try to make bread. He had seen the servants at home make
bread many times, but he had not observed closely and knew next to nothing about the way bread is made. He
knew he must in some way grind the corn into flour, but how could he do this? He had no mill nor any tools
with which to crush the corn.

He first tried to find a stone large and hard enough out of which he might hollow a vessel or kind of mortar.
He thought he could put the corn into this mortar and grind it by means of another stone or pestle. It was with
great difficulty that he could get a stone of suitable size and form. After several days' trial he at last got one
cut out from some layers of rock near the shore. He made a hollow place in it. Then he took a smaller oblong
shaped rock for his pestle.

He took great pride in these new tools. "I shall soon be a stone-cutter," he said to himself, "as well as a farmer
and potter." But his stone mortar was a failure. The rock was too soft. Every time he thrust the pestle down, it
loosened small pieces of the stone vessel. These mixed with the ground corn or flour and made it unfit to eat.
There was no way to separate the sand from the crushed grain.

He resolved then to try to make a mortar and pestle of hard wood. Now that he had fire, he could do this,
though it cost him many a hard day's work. He found not far away a log of very hard wood. By building a fire
at the right distance from one end he was able to separate a piece of the log. He rolled this to his cave and
made a good-sized hollow in it by burning. This pestle was not so difficult to make. He took a limb or branch
of an ironwood tree, burned it in two at the place to make it the right length. By burning also he rounded one