"We want ours to burn good and slow," said Young Billy.
"If he burns fast he leaves nowt but ash.
The slower the fire the better the charcoal".
Susan was watching carefully.
"Why doesn't it go out?" she asked.
"Got too good a hold," said Young Billy.
"Once he's got a good hold you can cover a fire up and the better you cover him the hotter he is and the slower he burns.
But if you let him have plenty of air there's no holding him."
Arthur Ransome, "Swallows & Amazons", 1930.
seen at:
http://www.personal.rdg.ac.uk/~scsharip/Charcoal.htm:)
