Less than half as much as is contained in a penny bunch of kindling was made to suffice in preparing our daily meal.

If we cooked mush we elevated our little can an inch from the ground upon a chunk of clay, and piled the little sticks around it so carefully that none should burn without yielding all its heat to the vessel, and not one more was burned than absolutely necessary.

If we baked bread we spread the dough upon our chessboard, and propped it up before the little fire-place, and used every particle of heat evolved.

We had to pinch and starve ourselves thus, while within five minutes' walk from the prison-gate stood enough timber to build a great city.
The stump Andrews and I had the foresight to save now did us excellent service.

It was pitch pine, very fat with resin, and a little piece split off each day added much to our fires and our comfort.
One morning, upon examining the pockets of an infantryman of my hundred who had just died, I had the wonderful luck to find a silver quarter.
I hurried off to tell Andrews of our unexpected good fortune.