"I hope nobody comes to disturb us here," said Snap. "I think if we
are left alone we'll have the time of our lives."
While they ate they discussed the question of putting up another
cabin. Giant was very eager to go ahead and so was Whopper---both
loving the work fully as much as they loved hunting and fishing.
"All right, we'll build a cabin," said Snap. "But first we must
get together something to eat, as we did before."
That afternoon all went out hunting with Jed Sanborn and he showed
them where to find a good supply of rabbits, and took them to
a hollow among the hills where the partridges were thick. All
fired at once, and as a consequence they got eight of the game.
Their rabbits numbered sixteen, and they also brought down three
squirrels. Coming back to the camp, Jed Sanborn took a long shot
at some wild ducks that were flying overhead and brought down
two, which he added to their stock.
"Now, do a little fishing, and you'll have enough to eat fer a
week," he said.
"Before you go away I want you to show us how to set some traps,
Jed," said Snap.
"I'll do that," was the answer, and the very next day the old hunter
made for them a trap to catch birds, another for mink and also a
beaver trap.
"When I come ag'in I'll bring you something to put in the beaver
trap," said the hunter. "It's a stuff we call barkstone. The
beavers can't resist it nohow. As soon as they smell it they
have to walk right into the trap after it." He referred to castoreum,
a liquid obtained from the beaver, or castor, itself and having
a powerful odor which acts on the animal just as catnip acts on
a cat.
The weather had now turned off colder and they were glad to huddle
close to the camp-fire at night. Before going to bed the hunter
told the boys a bear story that all pronounced a "rattler."
The building of the new cabin began in earnest the next day, and
Jed Sanborn told them how it might be put together to the best
advantage, and even aided in cutting down some of the necessary
logs.
"I've got to go back to town to-morrow," he said. "But I'll come
back here before very long. I'll bring you anything you want."
"In that case I'll make out a list," answered Snap, and did so, with
the aid of the others. Jed Sanborn left the next day at noon; and
it was some time before they saw him again.
"And now to get at this cabin in earnest," said Shep, after the
departure of the hunter.
Jed Sanborn had shown them how they might pile up some rocks for
a rude chimney, banking up the lower part outside with dirt, and
this they finished first. Then the top was put on the new structure
and the sides, one end having a small door and the other an even
smaller window. The flooring was of hard dirt, with cedar boughs
in two corners for couches. In the shack they found a rude bench
and a table, and these they transferred to the cabin. When they
tried their new fireplace they found it worked well, the smoke
going up the rude chimney without difficulty.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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