“I dun racken we won’t hab no thaw jess yet!” put in Pickles. “It’s gwine to keep on a-snowin’ fo’ a month or moah!”
Everybody laughed at this, and they pulled the sled off to the spot beside the creek. Here a second fire was built, and Pickles vowed that he was going to do all in his power to keep it going until they left for home.
“To-morrow I’ll git some big knots ob wood an’ a log or two, an’ da’ll burn a week,” he said.
It was now six o’clock in the evening, and they set to work with a will to clear out the space between the four trees selected to become the corners of the hut. The brush taken out was piled against the other bushes between the trees, and more cut from a distance away was also added.
This work was performed by Andy, Boxy and Pickles. In the meantime Jack and Harry cut twenty-odd saplings, and trimmed them as much as necessary.
The young trees were then taken to the cleared square, and four of them were put up to rest from corner to corner, about ten feet from the ground. When they were secure, ten of the poles were placed across the opening. Then brush was handed up and piled on, and a pole or two was fastened over the top to keep it from blowing away.
“Now we’ve got a good enough roof for anybody,” said Jack, when the job was finished. “It’s not very fine-looking, but it will keep out the snow and a good bit of the cold, and that’s what we want.”
Two of the remaining saplings were placed at right angles to make a small doorway alongside of one of the trees, and the others were taken inside to brace up the several walls of brush and stone.
By the time all this was accomplished, it was after eight o’clock, and every one of the boys was completely fagged out.
“Fix up the fire for the night and we’ll go to bed,” said Harry. “We have more than earned a night’s rest.”