n ever with cross-poles. Ingenious Sol cut up the bear
hide, and made of it stout leggings for them all, which would serve in the
place of boots for wading in the deep snow.

Then the camp returned to its wonted calm. But a few days later, Shif'less
Sol, who had been unusually grave, called Paul aside and asked him to walk
with him up the path to the hickory trees. When they arrived there, far
out of hearing of the others, Shif'less Sol said:

"Do you know what day this is, Paul?"

"Why, no, Sol," replied Paul. "What does it matter?"

"It matters a heap," said Shif'less Sol, not departing one whit from his
grave manner. "I know what day it is. I've kept count. See here!"

He pointed to a hickory tree. Clear and smooth was gash after gash, cut in
the bark, one above another, by Sol with his stout knife.

"Every one o' them is a day," said Shif'less Sol, "an' to-day is the 24th
of December. Now, what is to-morrow, Paul Cotter?"

"The 25th of December--Christmas Day."

"An' oughtn't we to hev Christmas, too, even ef we are up here in the wild
woods, all by ourselves? Don't this look like Christmas?"

Paul looked around at the glittering and magnificent expanse of white
wilderness. There was snow, snow everywhere. The trees were robed in it,
unstained. It was a world of peace and beauty, and it _did_ look like
Christmas. They were preparing for it at Wareville at this very
moment--the settlers were a religious people, and from the first they
celebrated the great religious festival.

"Yes, Sol," he replied, "it does look like Christmas, and we ought to
celebrate it, too."

"I'm glad you think ez I do," said Sol, in a tone of relief. "I wanted to
hear what you thought o' it, Paul, afore I broached it to the other boys.
We've got a lot to be glad about. We're all here, sound an' well, an'
though we've been through a power o' dangers, we ain't sufferin' now."

"That's so," said Paul.

"Then we'll tell the boys right now."

They walked back to the cabin, and Shif'less Sol announced the date to the
others, who agreed at once that Christmas should be celebrated by them
there on their little island in the wilderness. All were touched in a way
by the solemnity of the event, and they began to feel how strong was the
tie that united them.

"We must have a big Christmas dinner," said Jim Hart, "an' I'll cook it."

"An' I'll help you," said Shif'less Sol.

"And I," added Paul.

That evening they sat around the fire,