Gold-Seeking on the Dalton Trail: Being the Adventures of Two New England Boys in Alaska and the Northwest TerritoryThompson, Arthur R. (Arthur Ripley)
General
Gold-Seeking on the Dalton Trail: Being the Adventures of Two New England Boys in Alaska and the Northwest Territory
Thompson, Arthur R. (Arthur Ripley)
Klondike River Valley (Yukon) -- Gold discoveries -- Fiction
Work on the cabin was resumed as soon as possible, and the walls rose
like magic with the increased force of builders. In a few days these
were completed. An opening was sawn in the front for a door, and
smaller ones in each side for windows, the sawn ends of the logs being
held in place by the door-frame and window-frames, which consisted of
small hewn strips of spruce wood nailed in place. The roof was now
constructed of poles laid side by side from the ridge-logs to the
upper logs of the front and rear walls. David and Roly gathered great
quantities of green spruce boughs, which were laid on the top of the
roof-poles. This proved to be a mistake, but in the hurry of building,
nobody thought of it. Later, as soon as these boughs dried, the needles
came rattling down through the cracks upon the slightest provocation,
and were a great nuisance when cooking was in progress. A layer of
damp moss should first have been spread upon the poles, then the
spruce, and finally a thick layer of moss over all. This upper layer
was duly applied, and being soft and spongy, contributed in no small
degree to the waterproof quality of the roof, which was rather more
flat than such a roof should be. As an additional protection against
rain, several tents were spread above the moss, and now the cabin was
complete, except for the "chinking," and interior furnishings.
"Chinking" is the filling of the cracks between the logs. The boys
soon became skilled in this work, and most of it was left for them to
do, while the men were engaged in heavier labors. Small dead spruces,
slender and straight as bean-poles, were first cut down in large
numbers. These were trimmed as nearly as possible to the size and
shape of the cracks, and driven firmly into place with the blows of a
hatchet. Such crevices as still remained were stuffed with moss and
clay.
The door consisted of a light framework of poles, covered with
cheese-cloth, of which Pennock had a supply; and the windows were of
the same material. Though not transparent, it admitted a goodly amount
of light, and promised to keep out insects and the wind.
Within the house, a sheet-iron stove was set up in the opening left for
a fire place, which was then enclosed above and on the sides and rear,
with poles set close together and chinked, an aperture being left for
the stove-pipe. Sleds were so arranged as to form a dining-table and
seats.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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