ddle of the forenoon, when Swiftwater stepped ashore and began to search along the right bank for landmarks. Suddenly, he stepp

oss two small trees, under which a "cairn" or pile of boulders had b

up the bank with some curiosity to investigate the

adian Government about two thousand acres of the best virgin timb

olid substantial growth of timber-hemlock, spruce, fir, poplar and birch, towering to hundreds of feet into the air, and many bolls five and

which had been carried as a sort of false bottom to the boats, were brought out and made into a sort of platform roughly nailed together and placed on a foundation of small boulders gathered from the bed of the creek which raised it a few inches from the ground. On this a heavy army tent, which had been brought from White Horse, was er

something between a hut and a burrow of stones, sods, and brush, about ten feet square, the bottom of which they filled two feet deep with spruc

pt on it hundreds of nights, and there's no mattress made that

tones to some distance above the bank so that a perceptible draft was obtained, one of the boys was directed to bring from the stores a b

r turns out; none from the creek. A man's health in a new country depends a good deal on how the water hits him, and until you are acclimated it is the safest thing." The Scouts readily promised to comply with the miner's request, and Pepper feeling that the health of the camp was somehow in his charge felt not a little elated. He issued orders at once for a supply of firewood, agreeing t

kin' apple-butter o

oking the fire. A minute or two

have one of the

is temper and gave his whole dignifi

riated Captain of the Kettle turned back to the simmering pot. He was undisturbed for nearly an hour

arritch; or is it kail-brose ye

er bided his time. Suddenly, Jack came hurriedly toward him holding his nose an

; he can't even cook water; a

e of those friendly tussles that had been frequent incidents of their boyhood and that always served to bring Pepper's ruffled temper down to normal te

e about seven feet high and twelve feet apart. From one to the other of these ran a sixteen foot plank. Spruce trees of medium size were then cut down, divided into sixteen foot lengths, and typo squared with an ax. These timbers were then raised to the top of the horses, and, while one Indian mounted the log, the other stood underneath and with a long gang saw "rip

oys, "but with the mercury loafing around sixty below zero, canvas is no sort of shelter. A

e a 'camp' that would be weather proof, but the sod house is insured against fire, flood, lightning and wind and is as cosy as a cave; besides, it takes a shorter time to build," and with this the miner led the

ated meadow intervened. Early as it was, the short grass was green and luxuriant, and what su

by two feet wide, the boys quickly cut it out, while the Indians with a hand barrow carried and loaded it onto the boat. It was cut to the b

h remarkable rapidity, the underlying roots decayed much more slowly than in lower latitudes, and in time made the turf

em, and when night came the boat was loaded as deeply as was safe for her draught. She dr

ble with small boulders from the creek. The crevices between the stones had been filled with creek sand and the whole rammed hard. On this a solid platform of two-inch planks had been laid by the sawyers and at i

ike the drone of a distant grasshopper. "This sounds like real summer," said Jack to himself, instinctively looking around for the insect. As he approached one corner of the foundation, the sound increased in strength, and less resembled the grasshopper t

said. "Mooch

at the back of his hand, and at the same moment a large rattlesnake uncoiled and slid from underneath the boards out into the short grass. With a blow of the stake

g the medicine case. The miner, as soon as he comprehended what the trouble was, also disappeared in the direction of the tent. When Rand returned he had in his hand a solution of permanganate of potash and a vial of strong ammonia. With each of these he saturated the wound with some difficulty, however, as the aborigine insisted for a time in keeping his lips to the wound as his own theory of first aid

een sufficient, but I'm takin' no chances. This" (indicating the demijohn), "is the old reliable snakebite cure, discovered by Columbus when he discovered the rattlesnake over here and my mind natura

the side walls was built higher than the other, and a roof of rough boards was laid on top of thick planks which formed t

, with a smile, "that a man can have