"Look, John," exclaimed Ben, "we're going to live in a hole in the ground."
CHAPTER V.
IN A MINING CAMP.
"More like a tunnel with a porch to it, I should say," said John, as they approached the "dug-out."
Indeed, the Worths' new home was an unprepossessing abode even after the familiar furniture was in position, the bunks made ready for use, and a fire built in the fireplace.
As its name showed, it was merely a hole or tunnel in the slope of the hill, with a small log house built out from it. But though it was not luxurious, it was warm in winter and cool in summer, the earth protecting it from extremes of both heat and cold. The bare ground packed hard served for a floor, and the fireplace was set far back in the underground portion of the room, its smoke outlet being a chimney of sod projecting through the roof.