In David Copperfield, I encountered the word "pounce" as something in a lawyer's office. My search for it turned up an ancient encyclopedia that I found fun to browse. I hope other members may also find it fun to browse.
http://www.probertencyclopaedia.com/A81.HTM

Incidentally, the word "pounce" refers to the sand that used to be spread on papers with handwriting in ink, to
speed the drying of the ink.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Definition: \Pounce\, n. [F. ponce pumice, pounce, fr. L. pumex,
-icis, pumice. See {Pumice}.]
1. A fine powder, as of sandarac, or cuttlefish bone, --
formerly used to prevent ink from spreading on manuscript.



2. Charcoal dust, or some other colored powder for making
patterns through perforated designs, -- used by
embroiderers, lace makers, etc.

{Pounce box}, a box for sprinkling pounce.

{Pounce paper}, a transparent paper for tracing.


\Pounce\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Pounded}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Pouncing}.]
To sprinkle or rub with pounce; as, to pounce paper, or a
pattern.


\Pounce\, n. [Prob. through French, from an assumed LL.
punctiare to prick, L. pungere, punctum. See {Puncheon},
{Punch}, v. t.]
1. The claw or talon of a bird of prey. --Spenser. Burke.

2. A punch or stamp. [Obs.] ``A pounce to print money with.''
--Withals.

3. Cloth worked in eyelet holes. [Obs.] --Homilies.


\Pounce\, v. t.
1. To strike or seize with the talons; to pierce, as with the
talons. [Archaic]

Stooped from his highest pitch to pounce a wren.
--Cowper.

Now pounce him lightly, And as he roars and rages,
let's go deeper. --J. Fletcher.

2. To punch; to perforate; to stamp holes in, or dots on, by
way of ornament. [Obs.] --Sir T. Elyot.


\Pounce\, v

that is totally new to me, Dr. Bill. I was only familiar with the verb form of jumping on something, as a cat does. there's also a cat treat called Pounce. never thought to wonder if sand was a major ingredient...

crafts people might know it too, since in the old days,(ie, 1960's) to transfer a design, you would pin-prick it, lay it over the the paper (wood/cloth/whatever material) and pounce it with chalk.. you made the pounce by filling the toe of old sock with colored chalk, --which was readily available .---just as meaning #2 indicates..
you could also buy pounce eggs--about the size of pin cushion, they could be refilled with colored powdered chalk. the pounce eggs had small handles, that screwed off --to open the egg to refill it. you used the handle to pounce the egg on the pinpricked paper.

as kids we also made halloween trick or treat pounces, out of large sticks of chalk, broken up, and put into a toe of on old sock.. you pulverized the chalk by getting cars to run over it, and by beating it against concrete..

when denied candy, kids would 'retaliate' by knocking again, with the pounce.. a chalk cover door meant, 'don't even bother'.

when denied candy, kids would 'retaliate' by knocking again, with the pounce.. a chalk cover door meant, 'don't even bother.'

Never heard of that Helen - never to old to learn - isn't that why we are all here?
Brought to mind days long ago when there were tramps who came to the door offering work for food ... the 1930s ...
My mother would always bring a meal to those men but they ate on the enclosed back porch, never invited into the house. My Dad was glad to offer food to those in need but warned Mother that all were not trustworthy. Hence the back porch.
I remember being told that tramps or hobos, whatever, had codes - small drawings really - they put in an inconspicuous spot that told other men of the road that the lady of the house was a "kind woman" or that the house was not welcoming... among two signs. Anyone know about this? I think the sign for a Kind Woman was a curled up cat drawn very simply.
Any help out there?

EDIT : Decided not to be lazy and found this site. Seeems I got the cat right but not that it was curled up!
http://www.slackaction.com/signroll.htm

Dear wow: I remember reading that hoboes also made chalk marks on curbing in front of houses where handouts were generous, but don't remember what symbols were used.

They had quite a vocabulary according to the website.