y flask, with about
five pounds of shot, and three dozen shot-cartridges of different sizes,
say sixty charges in all. Besides that, my rifle lies in the boat,
loaded, with a small bag of bullets, and a quarter-pound flask of rifle
powder."

"I," said Waring, "have thirty cartridges for my breech-loader, and a
few of the caps for them, in a box in my pocket."

"I have nearly a pound powder, some wads, caps, and 'bout two pounds of
shot left," said Regnar.

"Spose I got half pound powder in old horn, box caps mos' full, an' tree
poun' goose shot," said Peter.

"We have, then, somewhere between one hundred and fifty and two hundred
rounds of ammunition, and provisions for a week, allowing ourselves no
addition to the present stock. Count the decoys, Regnie, while I look up
our tools, &c."

Regnie reported forty wooden decoys, twelve of sheet iron, eight of cork
and canvas, and twelve wooden duck decoys. Besides these, there were
still untouched a dozen bunches of fir and spruce twigs, like those used
in covering the floor of the ice-hut. In addition to these, La Salle
found one large boat, the broken smaller one, a pair of oars, a pair of
rowlocks, a short boat-hook, baler, two lead-lines and leads, two
shovels, and two axes.

"We are well provided for a week of such weather as this, and have only
to fear a sudden change to extreme cold. I therefore think the first
thing for us to do, is to finish our feather quilt, enlarge our hut, and
get up a stove as soon as possible."

A general expression of incredulity showed itself on the faces of the
trio, which La Salle evidently interpreted rightly, and therefore
hastened to explain himself.

"Of course we must first make our stove."

"Why, Charley, what on earth can we make our stove of?" said Waring.

"Sheet iron, of course."

"But where is the sheet iron to come from? We haven't any here--have
we?"

"Ah, I know twelve decoys sheet-iron, only they painted."

"Yes, Regnie, you have guessed it. Those decoys are about as good sheet
iron as is made, and we can burn the paint off, I guess. Five of them
will furnish a cylinder, conical stove, fifteen inches diameter, and as
many high, and five more will give us about seven feet of two and a
half-inch stove-pipe. Bring in the decoys and axes, and we'll get it up
at once."

"Come on, boys," said Waring, whose spirits had risen perceptibly since
breakfast. "We'll have a hotel here yet, and supply passengers by the