rely would
like to get him."

On arriving at the cabin they found the other pair had been
exceedingly industrious during their absence. The sleeping quarters
were beginning to look shipshape, and promised more or less comfort
when completed.

"Now if you fellows would only turn in and give us a helping hand,"
suggested Jerry, "we could get through in a couple of hours."

"Just what I was going to propose on my own account," Frank told him.
"Many hands make light work, you know. So tell us what you want done,
and we'll get busy."

All of them being handy with tools, they made a good job of the bunks.
Indeed, considering what poor material they had to work with, the
result did them great credit.

"Now who's going to be the first to pick his bunk?" laughed Will, when
it was decided there could be nothing more done to make the sleeping
quarters comfortable.

"No, you don't!" exclaimed Frank, when unconsciously all faces were
turned toward him. "Every fellow is going to have a square show. Here,
I'll hold four splinters of wood in my hand, all of different lengths.
Each one draw, and the longest has first choice."

"That's a fair bargain," agreed Bluff, "though for my part one bunk is
pretty much like another."

It turned out that Will was given first choice, and he took a lower
berth, for they had been arranged in sections of two, on account of
limited room. Frank, having second pick, took the one above, and the
others then divided the remaining two between them.

After they had arranged their warm blankets, the place began to take
on quite a cheery appearance.

"We'll get at that cranky table next, and steady it," said Frank;
"then we need another bench, because as it is we have to use blocks of
wood for seats. In fact, I can already see a dozen things to be done,
with more to follow."

Jerry in passing across the cabin tripped, and uttered a grunt as
though he had stubbed his toe.

"That makes three times that loose plank has caught me," he muttered,
"and the old motto says 'three times and out.' So I'll just yank that
plank up and settle it down afresh. A few of those big spikes you
brought along ought to do the trick, Frank."

Accordingly the determined boy set about carrying this little plan
into execution. Prying up one end of the plank, he managed to get a
grip of it, and then raised it completely. It came up much more easily
than Jerry had anticipated.

"Why, hello!" the others heard him say, "he