long.

"Now we'll get the stuff in from the sled, and then I'll have to put the
team away," said Gif.

"Let me do that, Gif," said Jack. "Just show me where they are to go,
then you and the others can light the fire."

"Yes, and we'll fix something to eat, too!" declared Randy.

"I'll go out to the stable with Jack," came from Spouter, who was no
shirker when it came to doing his share of the work.

It was not a hard task to transfer the baggage and provisions, as well
as the guns and team was driven around to the stable, where ammunition,
to the Lodge, and, this done, the sled was run in under a shed. Then
Jack and Spouter proceeded to make Mary and John at home for the night.

In the meantime all of the others had gone to the woodshed and returned
to the Lodge with sticks of various sizes for the fire. The building of
this was left to Gif, as it was felt that he was, in a certain sense,
the host. Yet all were ready to help, and soon they had a big blaze
roaring up the wide chimney and gradually filling the bungalow with its
warmth.

The arrangement of the Lodge was very simple. The living room occupied
the center, with a sort of winter kitchen and entryway behind it. To
each side of the living room were located two bedrooms, one in the front
and the other in the rear. Above the living room was a loft which could
be reached by a rustic pair of stairs, a loft which could be used only
for a storeroom, since it was less than five feet high in the center,
sloping to the eaves, front and back. The big chimney was in the rear of
the living room, and behind it, in the kitchen, was a stove for cooking.

"Say, this is just all right," declared Fred, after he had warmed up a
bit and taken a look around. "We ought to be as snug as bugs in a rug
here."

"We'll have to arrange about sleeping quarters," remarked Gif. "Two of
the rooms have a double bed each, and the other rooms have two single
beds each." The doors to the various rooms had been left open so that
the heat from the fire might draw through the entire Lodge.

It was great sport for the boys to divest themselves of their heavy
overcoats and caps and then get to work preparing the Lodge for
occupancy. All of the bedclothes had to be shaken out and warmed, and
they also had to get out some linen which had been packed away. Gif,
assisted by Andy and Randy, did this, and meanwhile Jack, Spouter, and
Fred brought out the dishes and other things and set the table an