FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142  
143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   >>   >|  
nk, for we have a great many arrangements to make in the cabin, so that we may be comfortable. In future the cabin must be kept much more clean and tidy than it is; but that is my business more than yours. Let us get our breakfasts, and then we will begin." "I don't know what you want me to do," replied I; "but I will do it if I can, as soon as you tell me." "My dear boy, a woman requires a portion of the cabin to herself, as it is not the custom for women to live altogether with men. Now, what I wish is, that the hinder part of the cabin, where you used to stow away your dried birds, should be made over to me. We have oars with which we can make a division, and then nail up seal-skins, so that I may have that part of the cabin to myself. Now, do you understand what I want?" "Yes, but the oars are longer than the cabin is wide," observed I. "How shall we manage it?" "We have the old saw, and that will do well enough to cut them off, without its being sharpened." "I never saw one used," replied I, "and I don't understand it." "I will soon show you. First, we must measure the width of the cabin. I shall not take away more than one-third of it." My mother went into the cabin, and I followed her. With a piece of fishing-line, she took the width of the cabin, and then the height up to the rafters for the door-posts. We then went out, and with the saw, which she showed me how to use, and which astonished me very much, when I perceived its effects, the oars were cut up to the proper length. Gimlets I had already from the sea-chest, and nails and hammer we had just obtained from the boat; so that before the forenoon was over, the framework was all ready for nailing on the seal-skins. The bag of broad-headed short nails, which had been thrown on the rocks, were excellent for this purpose, and as I had plenty of skins, the cabin was soon divided off, with a skin between the door-jambs hanging down loose, so that any one might enter. I went inside after it was complete. "But," said I, "you have no light to see what you are about." "Not yet, but I soon will have," replied my mother. "Bring the saw here, Frank. Observe, you must cut through the side of the cabin here, a square hole of this size; three of the planks cut through will be sufficient. Begin here." I did as she directed me, and in the course of half an hour, I had cut out of the south side of the cabin a window about two feet square, which
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142  
143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
replied
 

mother

 

understand

 

square

 

forenoon

 
framework
 
nailing
 

Gimlets

 
length

effects

 

directed

 

proper

 
sufficient
 

obtained

 
window
 

hammer

 
planks
 
thrown

hanging

 

inside

 

perceived

 

complete

 

excellent

 

purpose

 

plenty

 

Observe

 

divided


headed

 

portion

 

custom

 

requires

 
altogether
 

hinder

 

future

 

comfortable

 
arrangements

breakfasts

 
business
 

fishing

 
astonished
 
showed
 

height

 
rafters
 
measure
 

observed


longer

 
division
 

manage

 
sharpened