"Can you have all ready for the raising by Monday morning?" he asked.
"For the first cottage, yes," the man answered, resting for a moment upon his broad-axe. "It's the little one for the lady. Bateese and Bouchere are both good hewers, and they will have the logs for the other by the time we have the first up."
"That's satisfactory. I'm glad you are prompt. We are going to have rain."
"Bateese says it will come inside of two days," replied the man, glancing at the hazy mist which was gradually darkening the sky.
"Oui, monsieur, rain sure," cried Bateese from the end of a log he was hewing. "Dem leetle clouds lak sheep-wool all de sam, wid haze where she touch de ice sure sign, sure as shooting, sure as de diable."
"How can you tell? You were never here before, Bateese."
"Sure all de same. Place make no difference. Jess as it was in Kebec."
"You had better push things anyway, Blake," said the Captain. "He is probably right. Come what will, we must have both houses shingled before the storm breaks."
"And so we shall, if the good Lord will only keep it off a bit longer. But there's a pile of work to do yet. The shingles are ready, but the roof slabs have to be split. We'll need more men, sir."
"You can have twenty more for the barrack gang," said Payne.