were soon joined by others--men, women, and
children--from the neighbouring camp. Self-restraint, at least in some
matters, is a characteristic of the red-men, and they remained very
patiently and silently there; even the children spoke in whispers, and
gazed in solemn earnestness at our slumbering camp.

When we rose and began active preparations for breakfast, the little
ones melted away--influenced either by fear or by the orders of their
parents. They returned, however, in greater force than ever when we
began the labours of the day. Being all more or less naked, they
resembled a band of brown monkeys without tails, whose great eyes were
capable of expressing only one powerful sentiment--that of surprise!

Thus, watched with deep interest by a large portion of the tribe, we
proceeded to the erection of the first house.

"The Hall will stand here, Max," said Lumley to me, as I approached him,
bearing one end of a long squared log on my shoulder, the other end of
which was carried by Big Otter, while Bane and one of the Canadians
supported the centre of it. "Set it down there, lads--a little more
this way--so."

We laid the timber on the green sward facing the lake, in such a way
that it corresponded with the front line of a large square which had
been traced on the turf by Lumley.

"Stay with me, Max, I want your help and advice." The men went back to
the bush, from which, at the same moment, four others of our party
issued, bearing a similar log.

It was laid at the other side of the square, parallel to the first one.
In a few minutes the two end logs were carried up and deposited in their
places. These logs had all been cut, squared, mortised at their ends,
and fitted together in the woods before being brought to the lawn.

"Now, the question is," said Lumley, as he stood with coat off, shirt
sleeves rolled up to the elbows, and pencil and plan in hand, "shall we
turn the front of the house a little more to the south or a little more
to the east? We must decide that now, before fixing the framework
together."

"We should get more of the rising sun," said I, "if we turned it more
towards the east. And you know we shall not have too much of its beams
in winter to gladden our hearts and eyes."

"Right, Max, but then we might have too much of the east winds to
trouble our toes and noses."

"Still the view eastward," said I, "is so extensive and varied--so full
of sublimity."

"While that to the s