ms.

The guides also entered into the spirit of the thing, though apparently
more careless or indifferent about their comfort than the boys. Still,
they appreciated the prospect of having a shelter, in case of a heavy
downpour, and added their contributions towards making it a worth-while
affair.

When, finally, it was pronounced finished, all of them were of the
opinion that it did their knowledge of woodcraft credit.

"Show me the scouts who could have done a better job, under the same
conditions, will you?" demanded Frank, proudly.

"They would be hard to find!" declared Ned.

"Next thing is to hustle and find some sort of browse to make beds out
of," Jack told them, "and the thicker it is for a mattress the better,
because it causes a certain amount of warmth, and keeps the dampness of
the ground off."

"Yes, and if there happen to be a few old roots sticking up under you,
they don't hurt," added Jimmy, who had been through the experience he
described many times in the past, and ought to know the inconvenience
resulting from it.

When five lively fellows get busy, they can gather quite a quantity of
browse, in case the right sort of trees are handy; and before long Frank
threw himself down on the mattress, with a grunt of satisfaction.

"How does she go?" asked Teddy, solicitously.

"Bunkum," came the answer, accompanied with a mighty yawn; "try it for
yourself."

"Guess I will, Frank," and Teddy accordingly stretched himself out at
full length, alongside the other scout.

So they all found a place, and there was room enough also for the
guides. These worthies insisted upon taking the outermost nooks. The
voyageur explained that they might want to be up several times before
dawn, to look around and make sure that all was well; nor could the
scouts find any objection to this programme, since it was intended to
add to their comfort and security.

If they had not all been so very drowsy, possibly the boys might have
found considerable difficulty in forgetting themselves, under such
unusual conditions; but as a rule, the average boy can sleep under
abnormal surroundings that would keep an older person awake all night;
for trouble sets lightly on their minds, fortunately enough.

Ned was the only one who knew how Francois and the Cree had agreed
between themselves to keep "watch and watch" throughout the whole night.
After the scouts had apparently managed to get to sleep, the voyageur
silently arose, an