| The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from Betty Zane by Zane Grey: The buffalo and elk were hunted with the bow and arrow. This effective weapon
did not make a noise and frighten the game. The wary Indian crawled through
the high grass until within easy range and sometimes killed several buffalo or
elk before the herd became alarmed. The meat was then jerked. This consisted
in cutting it into thin strips and drying it in the sun. Afterwards it was
hung up in the lodges. The skins were stretched on poles to dry, and when
cured they served as robes, clothing and wigwam-coverings.
The Indians were fond of honey and maple sugar. The finding of a hive of bees,
or a good run of maple syrup was an occasion for general rejoicing. They found
the honey in hollow trees, and they obtained the maple sugar in two ways. When
the sap came up in the maple trees a hole was bored in the trees about a foot
 Betty Zane |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from A Personal Record by Joseph Conrad: with me, and ended with good-natured advice.
"I don't know what may be your plans, but you ought to go into
steam. When a man has got his master's certificate it's the
proper time. If I were you I would go into steam."
I thanked him, and shut the door behind me definitely on the era
of examinations. But that time I did not walk on air, as on the
first two occasions. I walked across the hill of many beheadings
with measured steps. It was a fact, I said to myself, that I was
now a British master mariner beyond a doubt. It was not that I
had an exaggerated sense of that very modest achievement, with
which, however, luck, opportunity, or any extraneous influence
 A Personal Record |