Rollo himself had some misgivings whether his wood would really burn very well, when all covered up with turf, and he thought that at any rate he would let it get well on fire before he put the turf on. In the mean time, he took the spade, and began to cut the turf, to have it ready.
He found it now very hard to cut the turf,—both because he was tired of cutting it, and also because he had now to begin in a new place, as his woodpile covered the place which he had taken the turf off from before. It is always harder to cut the first turf than it is those that come afterwards.
Rollo succeeded in getting one or two more pieces, and as soon as the heap of wood seemed to be pretty well on fire, he put these pieces on over the top; but they were not enough to cover it, and as the fire increased, the flames came up more and more from the spaces left uncovered.
“O dear me!” said Rollo. “I can’t cut the turf fast enough to cover it.”
“Shovel up some earth, and put on,” said James.
SO ROLLO BEGAN TO SHOVEL UP THE EARTH.—Page [81].
So Rollo began to shovel up the earth from the place which he had made bare by taking off the turf, and to throw it upon the fire. This had an immediate effect in suppressing the flames which were breaking out; and by continuing to throw on earth, he at length got the fire fairly subdued. The earth did not cover the heap. It slid down among the interstices of the wood, and smothered the fire, so that pretty soon Rollo thought that the fire was burning slowly enough to make charcoal.
“If we had some water in a watering-pot, that would be better,” said James.
“So it would,” said Rollo.