Part 45 (2/2)
The next day the paper roofing and siding was nailed on and then the girls began the interesting work of fitting on the great slabs of bark.
This had to be carefully done as any rough handling or nailing cracked the sections.
By evening the cabin was covered and looked very rustic with its forest blanket on sides and roof. But Tim said the wide c.h.i.n.ks between sheets of bark must be filled in, and this must be done with plaster.
”Where can we find any?” wondered Zan.
”I'll show you in the morning,” replied Miss Miller.
So in the morning they went down to the sh.o.r.e and the Guide dug a pit where clay was found at a depth of ten inches. This was worked well with water until it was the proper consistency and then pailfuls of the mortar were carried to the cabin. The Brownies acted as hod-carriers while the girls did the mason work. Now and then a Brownie was allowed to fill in c.h.i.n.ks near the ground and rub it down between the bark.
This work was great fun and was finished by noon. Then the question of windows and door came up.
”I have two sashes in the garage left over from the addition built to the house last year,” suggested Tim.
”Then we will have to make real frames?” asked Jane.
”No'm! They slides along grooves and is easier to shet when a shower comes up. If you had pulleys and fittin's like city houses they'd always be ketchin' and out of order,” said Tim.
So the donation of two nice windows was gratefully accepted and the extra time saved was given to the door. This was a difficult thing to make as real hinges and a catch had to be fitted. Before the saddle and strike were done, the girls felt that doors were indeed an invention of the evil one to make folks want to swear. Fingers were bruised, and heads b.u.mped as each girl declared _she_ could do it-it was so easy!
But the door was finally hung-with Tim's help-and then the cabin was ready for furniture. The Brownies had carried in all the packing cases saved from the freight, and Mrs. Hubert had a remnant of pantasote in the loft of the house, left from the covering of her window seats.
While the Brownies made and painted totems and crude decorations, the girls made and upholstered box-furniture, and in a week's time, the cabin was ready for company. The visitors in this case consisted of Mrs.
Hubert and Tim's wife.
”This cabin beats the one we made on the farm all to smithereens!”
exulted Zan, admiring the inside and then stepping out to compliment the Little Lodge on the floral decorations and Woodcraft tokens they had made.
”We can keep all our Woodcraft stuff in here and when one of us wants to be alone she can sit in here and read or snooze,” added Jane.
”I'll put the box of books in here and you girls can help yourselves,”
said Eleanor, generously.
”How about it-did they come?” asked Zan, curiously.
”Tim said the box was at the station and he is going to bring it in the morning,” replied Eleanor.
Miss Miller was right on the spot when the box was taken from the automobile and Eleanor brought the hammer and driver to pry off the top boards. As expected, the Guide found trashy paper novels inside and a note from Eleanor's mother. This the girl read aloud.
”Dear Ella:
As you are camping where rain and dirt will spoil a good book I bought a lot from a 10-cent store and from a second-hand shop downtown. It won't hurt if these do get wet, so don't worry over them. I tried to buy your favourite authors-Lila Jane Lilly is one, isn't she? And the Dutchie another. If the other girls want to read them, be generous and let them,”
---- Lovingly, _Mother._”
”Humph! I should say a thorough soaking of rain would improve these books vastly,” remarked the Guide as she gingerly turned the pages of the first few removed from the box. ”In fact, if we could soak them back to pulp again and forever wash away the effects of the text, what a benefaction the world would have!”
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