the carrying in and arranging of their possessions. With these
unpacked and arranged, the room looked less bare and much more cozy and
home-like.

But Charley viewed their scanty possessions with a trace of
dissatisfaction. Two rifles, two shotguns, a half of their ammunition,
and a half of their scanty stock of provisions had been lost when the
canoe upset. Of their original outfit, the two boys retained only
their pistols and ammunition and the tattered clothes they were
wearing. The captain and Chris still had their four guns but their
clothing was as rent and tattered as the two boys'. Of the provisions
there only remained a little sugar, a few pounds of flour, and a small
strip of bacon.

"I tell you what it is," said Charley, as he joined his companion
outside, "we have got to do some tall hustling the next two days. We
have got to lay in a stock of food sufficient to last us for at least a
week, and we have got to make some kind of windows and doors for that
building, besides, which, we have got to manufacture some kind of
clothing for ourselves--mine are almost dropping from me."

"My, what a list of impossibilities!" groaned Walter. "Frankly, I do
not feel as though I could do another stroke of work to-day."

"No, we are all too tired for further effort to-day," Charley agreed,
"but we must get an early start in the morning. We will get some
boughs for beds, have supper, and knock off for the day."

"I know just the stuff we want for beds," Walter declared, "there are
lots of the bushes growing just outside the wall."

The bush Walter referred to, proved to be a species of myrtle with
small leafy boughs of a delicious, spicy fragrance. It grew so
abundantly, that in a few minutes the boys had gathered a large
quantity, which they carried back to the building and spread in four
great heaps on the floor. Upon these their blankets were spread, and
the room took on a cozy, homelike appearance.

Supper was cooked over the camp-fire outside and by the time it was
eaten, night had begun to fall. The little party at once repaired to
their room. They know that the night air of the great swamp was
peculiarly unhealthy. Already they had exposed themselves far too much
to its baneful influence.

They stretched out on their soft, fragrant couches and talked cheerily
over the events of the day and their present situation. Not since they
had left the camp on the point, had the boys felt so bright and