194 Woodcraft Birch Bark Roll
A clear hot fire was made, then covered with green stuff
or rotten wood so that it sent up a solid column of black
smoke. By spreading and lifting a blanket over this smudge
the column could be cut up into pieces long or short, and by a
preconcerted code these could be made to convey tidings.
But the simplest of all smoke codes and the one of chief
use to the Western traveler is this:
One steady smoke—“Here is camp.”
Two steady smokes—‘I am lost, come and help me.”
I find two other smoke signals, namely:
Three smokes in a row—‘‘Good news.”
Four smokes in a row—‘“All are summoned to council.”
These latter I find not of general use, nor are they so
likely to be of service as the first two given.
Signal by Shots
The old buffalo hunters had an established signal that is yet
used by the mountain guides. It is as follows:
Two shots in rapid succession, an interval of five seconds
by the watch, then one shot; this means, “Where are you?”
The answer given at once and exactly the same means “Here
I am; what do you want?’ The reply to this may be one shot,
which means, “All right; I only wanted to know where you
were.” But if the reply repeats the first it means, “I am in
serious trouble; come as fast as you can.”
Tramp Signs
Among the many signs and blazes doing active service in
our cities, just as their predecessors did in the wilderness, are
the signs of tramps and gypsies.
These, no doubt, vary from time to time, but they must be
fairly permanent and general; otherwise, they would not
serve their purpose. |
An interesting article on Tramp Signs appears in the
American Examiner of January 30, I910. It is accredited
to Professor Wallace Ernster (Michigan University) and
Chief of Police C. J. McCabe, of Poughkeepsie, N. Y. It
gives the following as well-established Tramp Signs:
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