Chapter V.
COMFORT IN A LOG CABIN.
The pain of this farewell did not long cloud their faces. Tug and Jimhad had no luncheon, and were growing anxious for something to eat.Down at the mouth of the river stood a small cabin, often occupied inearly spring by the sportsmen who went for a day's duck-shooting inthe great marshes that spread right and left on both sides of thestream. It was buried among big cottonwood and sycamore trees, and waspretty snug. Besides, it had a fireplace, into which somebody hadstuck a long iron bolt pulled out of some bit of wreckage on thebeach, and which served as a great convenience in the rude cooking ofthe sportsmen.
At this cabin our party proposed to spend the first night. Theythought it would be an easy letting down from sleeping in their bedsat home to the tenting they feared they might have to do afterwards.Katy had been the one to suggest this, and Tug had earnestly supportedthe idea.
"Things don't seem so hard when they come upon you gradually, as thekind-hearted man said when he cut off his dog's tail a little piece ata time, so the pup wouldn't mind it."
The sun was just disappearing straight up the river behind them as thecabin came in sight; and before its half-closed door
"'All _bloody_ lay the untrodden snow,'"
as Kate exclaimed, misquoting her "Hohenlinden" to suit the red glowof the rich evening light.
"Hurrah for supper!" screamed Jim; and with an extra spurt they swungthe boat up to the bank.
A little sweeping with a broom made of an alder branch cleared thecabin of the snow that had blown into the cracks and fallen down themud-and-stone chimney. This done, Aleck called to them to listen tohis first orders, which he had written down in a note-book, and nowread as follows:
CAPTAIN'S ORDER NO. 1.--Any order given by the Captain must be obeyed by the person to whom it is addressed, unless his reason for not doing so will not keep till camping-time; merely _not liking_ the duty is no excuse.
CAPTAIN'S ORDER NO. 2.--The Captain will say when and where camp shall be made, and immediately upon stopping to camp the duties of each person shall be taken up as follows: the Captain shall secure the boat, get out the tent, and proceed to set it up; Tug shall take the axe and get fuel for the fire; Kate shall see to the building of the fire and the preparation of food; Jim shall help Kate, particularly in carrying articles needed, and in getting water; and all, when these special duties are finished, shall report to the Captain for further duty.
CAPTAIN'S ORDER NO. 3.--Any complaints or suggestions must be made in council, which will commence after camp work is completed and supper is over, and not before.
"There," said Aleck, "do you agree to that?"
"Yes--agreed!" shouted three voices in chorus.
"Then pitch in, all of you; you know your work."
At this Tug seized the axe, Aleck and Jim went to the sledge, and Katybegan to kindle a little blaze on the hearth with some bits of drywood she found lying about, so that when Tug had brought an armful ofsticks, a good fire was quickly crackling. Then the iron pot, full ofwater, was hung upon the old spike, where the blaze began curlingaround its three little black feet in a most loving way.
"Jimkin," called the girl to her brother, who was gazing with delightat the bright fire, "Jimkin, bring me all those paper packages at thestern of the boat, and be careful of the white one--it's eggs."
"I guess there won't be much tent to set up to-night, Aleck," heremarked, as he found the Captain, who had hauled the sledge well upon the bank and tied it securely to a tree, now busy in dragging outthe sail.
"No," was the reply, "but the canvas'll come handy. Tell Tug I sayhe'd better get a big heap of wood together, for we're going to have acold night. The wind has turned to the north, and is rising."
When he had taken the canvas up to the cabin, he called Jim to helphim, and they brought in the mess chest, the rolls of bedding, and thepiece of spare canvas which had covered the prow. Then, telling Jim totake the little sled that had been dragged behind the boat, and haulto the door the wood Tug had cut among the trees not far away, Aleckseized the shovel and began heaping snow against the northern side ofthe house, where there were many cracks between the lower logs. Buthis hard work to shut them up in this way seemed to be in vain, forthe wind, which was blowing harder and harder every minute, whiskedthe snow away about as fast as he was able to pile it up. Kate,stepping out to see what he was about, came to his rescue with a happythought.
"I read in Dr. Kane's book of arctic travels, that when they makehouses of snow they throw water on them, which freezes, and holds themfirm and tight. Couldn't you do that here? It's cold enough to freezeanything."
Aleck thought he might, and bidding Kate go back to her fireside, hecalled the other boys to help him; then, while Jim stuffed the crackswith snow, Aleck and Tug alternately brought water from a hole cut inthe river ice, and dashed it against the chinking. Some of the watersplashed through, and a good deal was tossed back in their faces andbenumbed their hands, so that it was hard, cold work; but before longa crust had formed over the snow-stuffed cracks, and Katy came to thedoor to say that she couldn't feel a draught anywhere. The roof waspretty good, and when, tired and hungry, but warm with their exercise(except as to their toes and fingers), the three lads went in and shutthe door, they found their quarters very snug, and didn't mind howloud the gale howled among the trees outside. Rex, especially, seemedto enjoy it, curling down at the corner of the fireplace as thoughvery much at home.
Meanwhile Katy bustled about, setting out plates, knives, and forks onthe top of the mess chest, which she had covered with the clean whitepaper in which her packages had been wrapped. She had put eight eggsto boil in the kettle, which were now done, and were carefully fishedout, while the coffee-pot was bubbling on the coals, and lettingfragrant jets of steam escape from under the loosely fitting cover. Acut loaf of bread lay on the table, and beside it a tumbler of currantjelly, "as sure as I am a Dutchman"--which was Tug's favorite wayof putting a truth very strongly indeed, though he wasn't that kind ofa man at all. The eagerness to taste this sweetmeat brought out themelancholy fact that by some accident there was only one spoon in thewhole kit.
SUPPER IN THE LOG CABIN.]
"We'll fix that all right this evening," Aleck remarked. "I'll whittlewooden ones out of sycamore."
"Shall I broil some mutton-chops, or will you save those forbreakfast?"
"Broil 'em now," cried Jim.
"Hold your opinion, Youngster, till your elders are heard," was Tug'srejoinder. "I vote we save 'em."
"So do I."
"And I."
"Done," says Captain Aleck. "Give us the chops for breakfast, MissHousekeeper."
"Then supper's all ready," she said, and took her seat on a stick ofwood, pouring and passing the coffee, while the eggs and the bread andbutter went round. By the time the meal was finished it had becomedark, but this did not matter, since there was no need to go out ofdoors.
"How shall I wash the dishes?" asked Katy, with a comical grin, as sherose from the table. "I couldn't bring a big pan."
"Well," suggested Aleck, "you can clean out your kettle, refill itwith water--Jim, there's business for you!--and then wash them inthat."
"That's a matter never bothered me much when _I_ was camping," addedTug, dryly. "I just scrubbed the plates with a wisp of grass, andcleaned the knives and forks by jabbing 'em into the ground a fewtimes."
While the dishes were washing Aleck opened the tent bundle, and laidthe mast across two pegs that somebody had driven into the north wallof the room just under the ceiling beams, perhaps to hangfishing-poles on. Then, with Tug's aid, he tied to the mast the innerhem of the sail-cloth, which thus hung loosely against the wall, likea big curtain, shutting out every draught.
"That's splendid!" cried Katy, watching them from the end of the roomwhere the fire was.
"So is _this_!" came a voice from overhead, making them all look up insurpri
se.
It was Jim, who, unnoticed by any one, had clambered into the loft,which had been floored over about two thirds of the room, and who wasnow thrusting his red face down through the open part.
"What do you think I've found?"
"Give it up. I knew of a man who died after asking conundrums all hislife," answered Tug, gravely, "and I've fought shy of 'em since."
"Tell us at once, Jimkin," called out Aleck.
"_Straw!_" shouted Jim.
"Pshaw!" was the next rejoinder heard.
"No rhymes, Katy," Aleck admonished. "Is it clean, Youngster?"
"Cleaner than he is, I should say, by his face," said Tug, and withsome reason, for the loft was dusty.
"Don't know; you can see for yourself," and down came a great yellowarmful.
It was pounced upon, and, proving dry and fresh, the delighted Jim wasordered to send down all he could find, which was laid on the floor,not far from the fire, and covered with the spare canvas. This made asoft sort of mattress, upon which each one could spread his blankets,and sleep with great comfort, since there was plenty for all.
"Sha'n't have so good a bed as this another night," groaned Aleck.
"Can't tell--maybe better!" said the cheerful Tug.
The warmest place was set apart for Katy, and Aleck made a smallscreen, covered with a newspaper curtain, which separated her from theother three, who were to sleep side by side. These preparations made,the fire was heaped high with fresh wood, and then the little quartettook their ease, lounging on the springy straw before it, andindulging in a quiet talk over the busy day just finished, or whatthey were likely to meet on the morrow.
Aleck said something about being able to travel by compass in casethey were caught in a snow-storm, which was what he dreaded the most,when Jim asked him to explain the compass to him, leaving Katy's sideand going over to where his big brother was stretched out at the othercorner of the fireplace. The girl, thus deserted, went to the valisein which she kept her small articles, and came back with a book.