In outdoor and camp games considerably more relish and enthusiasm are given to games which are written round historical episodes, local legends and scenes from famous stories.
The first game in this chapter ("The Search for Prince Charlie") is an example of the idea suggested.
About the Whiffle-Poof.
(Reproduced by kind permission of the Editor of The Scout.)
All hail the Whiffle-poof; for this strange beast has come to stay.
What, you may ask, is it?
Well, the Whiffle-poof is a little instrument for laying a trail. It is made of a piece of wood about 3 inches in diameter and 10 inches long. This is driven full of nails, as may be seen in the accompanying sketch.
When dragged through the grass, the ploughed field, the road or the underbrush, it is bound to leave a trail - a trail that may be followed, but none too easy a trail, for the Whiffle-poof is an eccentric animal.
Sometimes it travels sideways, sometimes it turns somersaults, sometimes it jibes, tacks and comes about, and sometimes it hops along like a porcupine grasshopper.
Then again, one must be somewhat of an expert to tell in what direction the Whifflepoof is travelling. Only last summer I saw Scouts following the trail backwards; I do not mean that they were walking backwards, but they were going in the wrong direction, and landed at the starting point of the trail before they discovered their mistake.
Woodcrafter Jeckley at the Culver camp came up to Captain Beard and said that he wanted to show him something; he then led the Captain to the trail of a Whiffle-poof. Jeckley was very mysterious and secret about it, because there had been talk of a strange animal in camp, and he did not know whether or not it was a joke.
"That," said Captain Beard solemnly, after examining the marks, "is the trail of a Whiffle-poof."
"Gee-whiz! is that so? Don't tell anyone I asked you," said Jeckley, "but please, sir, what is a Whiffle-poof?"
"Follow the trail and find out," was the response.
About half an hour later Jeckley again came to Captain Beard and asked if a Whiffle-poof could climb a tree. He was told that he was following a strange animal and the trail might do all sorts of queer things. Jeckley once more started on the trail and did not appear again for more than an hour - then he came again to Captain Beard with the animal in his hand, and, holding it up for inspection, said: - "Huh! Whiffle-poof!"
Jeckley later became one of the most persistent and best trailers in the camp.
A Scout who can trail a Whiffle-poof beast for a couple of miles across country, over all kinds of ground, may be put down as a good trailer; such a Scout could trail a man or a deer; in fact, we may call him a real genuine Scout, a worthy descendant of the old Buckskin men.
Tracking Irons
Get your shoemaker to drive good hefty hobnails into the soles of an old pair
of boots in some definite formation, say an
arrow, or circle, or other shape.
Before starting out the boots should be exhibited to the pursuers so they may know the spoor of the beast they are tracking.
This type of tracking iron is much more satisfactory and comfortable than those which have to be strapped to the feet.
OUTDOOR AND CAMP GAMES
Flag Football Observation RaceStaff Relay Race (Jump)
Staff Relay Race (Obstacle)
Tracking Irons (see above)
Whiffle-Poof, About the (see above)
