th
young Broke and the other boys, collected all the fragments of the boat
which had been washed on shore. With some of the planks they proposed
forming a floor for Mrs Morley's cottage. The most perfect were kept
for repairing the cutter, and Willy suggested that others might serve
for manufacturing casks in which the seals' flesh could be pickled.

"But where are we to get the salt from, now that the doctor's still is
not at work?" asked Peter.

"We shall find plenty of it among the rocks if we get some sunshine,"
said Willy; "and if not, we must dig some salt pans. I heard him say
that if we could obtain plenty of salt, there would be no fear of our
starving."

Where people labour with a will, under good management, work proceeds
rapidly. Before the evening the timber for the first two cottages was
shaped, and trees for several others were cut down; while grass enough
had been stacked for thatching them.

The ladies were not idle. Fanny and Emma Morley insisted on carrying
the bundles of grass, and even poor Mrs Twopenny tried to exert
herself, but certainly did very little real work. When Mrs Morley was
seen accompanying her daughters, Mrs Rumbelow came up to her. "Please,
marm, I beg your pardon, but that must not be. What is play to us is
killing work for you. Let an old woman advise you, and don't go and
knock yourself up. Mr Shafto commands here, and I am sure he will say
I am right." It was not, however, without difficulty that the poor lady
could be induced to return to the tent.

The first two cottages were completed. They had fire-places composed of
stone and clay at the further ends, the wall being of sufficient
thickness to prevent the woodwork outside from burning; while the
chimneys were formed of wood coated inside with clay. The roofs were
made double; the lowest set of rafters were first covered with grass,
and a layer of clay placed over them: above this was a thickly-thatched
pointed roof, so that the snow and wet could not rest on it. Harry and
Willy, with the assistance of the doctor, put up a porch in the front of
Mrs Morley's house, which gave it a picturesque look. As there was no
planking to spare, the doors and window-shutters were formed of rough
frames and bars across, with grass thickly interwoven between them.
These served to keep out the wind and cold, and, as Willy said, looked
excessively rural. The bedplaces, fixed against the walls, were raised
some feet from th