eas breaking upon
the cliff off the Duck's Head and over the reef, and listening to the
pounding seas outside, and the cheerful crackling of the fire in the
stove, he fell into pleasant dreams.

VII

A SNUG BERTH

It was Charley Norton's first experience in a wilderness camp, but he
slept quite as well as he could have slept in his own bed at home, and
perhaps more soundly. He had lain down wearied with the day's excitement
and exertion, as he had never been wearied before.

The strokes of an ax outside awakened him, and he hurried out to find
Skipper Zeb and Toby preparing breakfast over an open fire. It was
early. The sky was studded with stars, and he stood for a moment to look
out over the starlit and now peaceful waters of the bay. No longer were
the shrieking winds and the booming breakers to be heard, and no sound
broke the silence other than the gentle rhythmic lap of the waters over
the reef.

Rising above the snow-covered foreground, towered the grim cliff of the
Duck's Head. The two figures bending over the brightly burning fire at
its base were pigmies as compared to its great bulk. The romance and
the mystery of the scene thrilled Charley. He breathed deeply of the
crisp, frosty, perfumed air, as he hastened to join Skipper Zeb and
Toby.

"Right on time!" exclaimed Skipper Zeb. "Were you sleepin' warm and snug
the night? I keeps the fire on in the stove to make un warm. The
blankets were a bit damp."

"I never woke up till I heard you chopping wood," said Charley.

"Feelin' good after yesterday's wettin' and chillin'?" asked Skipper Zeb
solicitously.

"Fine and dandy!" Charley answered. "Isn't it great out here!"

"'Tis a fine marnin'," agreed Skipper Zeb. "Toby and I thinks we'll be
makin' an early start, so I'll be comin' early with the boat."

"May I go with you?" asked Charley eagerly.

"Well, now!" and Skipper Zeb looked doubtfully at Charley's leather
shoes and heavy ulster. "You'd be findin' that coat a weary burden, and
you'd be gettin' wonderful cold feet."

"I were dryin' out my other adikey," suggested Toby. "Charley might wear
un. I'll soften up my other skin boots for he, and let him have a pair
of my duffle socks."

"Aye," agreed Skipper Zeb, "he might wear they. Get un, b'y."

In a moment Toby produced from the tent an adikey made of heavy white
woolen cloth, a pair of thick woolen slippers made of heavy blanket
cloth, and a pair of knee-high black sealskin boots w