Page:Hugh Pendexter--The young timber-cruisers.djvu/105

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THE YOUNG TIMBER-CRUISERS

even better. And there we have a right angle triangle of a house, with the roof as the hypothenuse.”

“But it’s warm enough to sleep out of doors,” said Stanley.

“You’ve been hustling,” smiled Bub. “Wait till the sun goes down. The nights are cold up here and you’ll like your blankets. Charlie will do the squaw work and keep the fire going through the night, but you and I will git the wood. He’ll want the sticks six or eight feet long. Then we’ll have to git some boughs for the floor.”

Charlie and Abner now appeared, the former carrying two partridge, while Abner had a string of trout.

“I thought it was against the law to kill birds,” innocently observed Stanley. “And, say, I didn’t hear any gun.”

“Bird try to bite; I kill um,” gravely informed Charlie.

Abner smiled dryly and said, “We’ll have the trout to-night and the birds to-morrow for breakfast.” Saying this he quickly cut the fish down the back, cleaned them and arranged them in a common bread toaster. Slices of salt pork were also added.