How Girls Can Help Their Country Part 18

All Scouts should know how to shoot. By this we do not mean that you should go all day behind some big dog and try to kill the birds he finds for you, for that is the most useless form of shooting, all things considered, that can be devised. What we mean is that Scouts should know how to load and fire a gun or other firearm so as not to be at a loss for a means of defense should an emergency arise. It is one of the best means to "be prepared." Our preference for practice of this kind is a small rifle as it is less dangerous than any form of pistol and it affords excellent training for hand and eye. Avoid, however, the very high power modern firearms--that kind that "shoot today and kill next week," as there is too much danger of reaching some one that is out of sight. The same may be said of the automatic pistol which fills too large a circle with missiles of sudden death.

ARCHERY

The bows and arrows of our ancestors are not to be despised as a means of training hand and eye. Archery is excellent practice for the eye, and good exercise for the muscles. It makes no noise, does not disturb game or warn the enemy. Scouts should know how to shoot with bows and arrows, and they can make them for themselves. The arrow, twenty-six inches long, must be as "straight as an arrow" and tipped with a heavy head, with wings to keep it level. Ash wood is the best. The bow should be unstrung when not in use, or it will get bent. It is usually made your own height. Old gloves should be worn.

STARS

How to Find the Time by the Stars

Fig. 1 shows the stars around the northern pole of the heavens (Pole Star), and the Pointers of the Great Bear, which direct us to the Pole Star.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 1.]

Since all stars appear to rise in the East and set in the West (which is really due to our earth turning round under them), the Pointers revolve once around the Pole Star in the opposite direction to the hands of a clock, once in twenty-four hours, or they swing through a quarter of a circle once in six hours; it is thus a simple matter after a little practice to judge what part of the imaginary circle they will pa.s.s through in an hour or less.

a.s.suming that all the stars rise four minutes earlier each night, and that the Pointers of the Plough are vertically above the Pole at midnight at the end of February, we may calculate the position of the Pointers for any hour of the night.

The First Twenty Stars in Order of Brightness

Date of rising at 9 P.M. in the East.

1. Sirius, the Dog-star Dec. 4 2. (Canopus, of the s.h.i.+p) 3. (Alpha, of the Centaur) 4. Vega, of the Lyre April 1 5. Capella, of the Charioteer Aug. 21 6. Arcturus, of the Herdsman Feb. 20 7. Rigel, of Orion Nov. 4 8. Procyon, the Little Dog-star Nov. 27 9. (Achernar, of Erida.n.u.s) 10. (Beta, of the Centaur) 11. Altair, of the Eagle May 26 12. Betelgeux, of Orion's right shoulder Oct. 30 13. (Alpha, of the Southern Cross) 14. Aldebaran, of the Bull's right eye Oct. 2 15. Pollux, of the Twins Nov. 4 16. Spica, of the Virgin Mar. 1 17. Antares, of the Scorpion May 9 18. Fomalhaut, of the Southern Fish Aug. 27 19. Deneb, of the Swan Apr. 22 20. Regulus, of the Lion Jan. 1

Orion

Then there is another set of stars representing a man wearing a sword and a belt, named "Orion." It is easily recognized by the three stars in line, which are the belt, and three smaller stars in another line, close by, which are the sword. Then two stars to right and left below the sword are his feet, while two more above the belt are his shoulders, and a group of three small stars between them make his head.

Now the great point about Orion is that by him you can always tell which way the North or Pole Star lies, and which way the South, as you can see him whether you are in the South or the North part of the world. The Great Bear can be seen only when you are in the North, and the Southern Cross when you are in the South.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

If you draw a line by holding up your staff against the sky, from the center star of Orion's belt through the center of his head, and carry that line on through two big stars till it comes to a third, that third one is the North or Pole Star.

Then if you draw a line the other way, beginning again with the center star of the belt, and pa.s.sing through the center star of the sword, your line goes through another group of stars shaped like the letter L. And if you go about as far again past L, you come to the South Pole, which unfortunately is not marked by any star. Roughly Orion's sword, the three small stars, points North and South.

East and West. Orion sets due west, and rises due east, so that, if you can catch him rising or setting, you know where the points of the compa.s.s are. Constellations, such as Orion, or the Bull, rise in the east, four minutes earlier each succeeding night--that is about half an hour earlier every Sat.u.r.day.

Read _The Song of the Fifty Stars_ by Arthur A. Carey, and try to find each star on a chart and then in the Heavens.

The Song of the Fifty Stars

Alpherat, Caph, and Algenib--three leading stars-- Move in front of all the host, Turning from East to West, Over the rounded dome; And, near the head of the line, the Star of the North, Polaris, turns his round and marks the hub of the wheel.

From Alpherat, North and East, Andromeda shoots, Like a branch, with Mirach and Almach; while, far in the South, Achernar s.h.i.+nes, a beacon-light, at the "End of the River."

From Almach pa.s.s to Algol, of the changing face, Called by the Arabs the Demon-- The Medusa of the Greeks.

But, not so fast! lest we forget the little changing star Whose place is West of Algol, farther South-- Mira, "the Wonderful," in Cetus or the Whale.

Algol leads to Mirfach, the brightest star of Perseus, Who saved the captive Andromeda, daughter of Cepheus, "the Monarch,"

And royal Ca.s.siopeia.

Then comes, surrounded by her sisters, gentle Alcyone, The peaceful, daughter of the King who rules the tempestuous winds; And, running in pursuit of these--the happy Pleiades-- Aldebaran, "the Follower," s.h.i.+nes from the eye of the Bull.

Next comes Capella--the Mother Goat--watching her three Kids; Her yellow light the color of our Sun.

Capella and Rigel move in line, and afterwards comes Nath, Who marks the horn of the b.u.t.ting Bull.

Orion, the Hunter, on the Equator--the Giant of the Arabs-- s.h.i.+nes glorious North and South; Bellatrix his left shoulder; Mintaka marks his belt.

After Mintaka comes Betelgeux, right shoulder of Orion; While, between them in order, though farther North, Is Zeta of Taurus, the Bull, who marks the other horn.

The next is Menkalinan, the shoulder of the Charioteer; And, two degrees to the Eastward, the Circle of the Solstice pa.s.ses by.

While, far down in the South, Canopus gleams from the stern of Argo, the s.h.i.+p.

Sirius, Star of the Greater Dog, brightest of all in the heavens, Is followed by Castor, one of the Twins.

While Procyon--"Dog-in-advance"--the bright "forerunner" of Sirius, Is followed by Pollux, the greater of the Twins.

Next Regulus comes in the Lion's heart, Denebola, the tip of his tail; While, between them in order, Merak and Dubhe, the pointers, Point to their aim in the North.

Two brilliant stars in the Southern Cross are Alpha and Beta Crucis, The former a glorious double Sun, with a third star in attendance; To see them ourselves we must travel far, But we know that the glory is great in the South, Although from us it is hidden.

Next, in the hand of the Virgin, the pointed Ear of Wheat-- Spica of the Romans-- Not far from the Autumn Equinox.

Now, back to the North we go, and look for Mizar and Alcor-- The Indian Squaw with the little papoose on her back, And the tip of the tail of the Greater Bear Where Benetnasch commands.

Now, again to the South, where the forefeet of the Centaur Are marked by Beta and Alpha;--the former is known as Hadar--"the Ground";-- The latter sun is nearest to ours And famous as Serk-t, toward whom the ancient Egyptians Turned their temples in homage--

And, between them in order, the great and distant Arcturus s.h.i.+nes out warm in the North.

Pulcherrima--most beautiful--must be sought by those who love her; For she is modest and shy in the presence of the Great One.

Nearby is Gemma, the Bud, In the beautiful Northern Crown.

Near the point where the "roof-tree" crosses the Zodiac Ring Is a warm, red star in Scorpio.

This is Antares; while, in the North, Etanin marks the Dragon's head.

Mu Sagitarii--closer still to the Solstice and Ecliptic-- Marks the northern part of the heavenly Archer's bow.

On summer evenings, high above our heads, Vega s.h.i.+nes with cool and brilliant light; While, to the South and East, is Altair of the Eagle.