BUILDING THE CABIN
A tour of investigation convinced Mr. Bradford that Frying-Pan Creek,
the stream for which they were searching, flowed into the river from
the right, not a quarter of a mile distant. Lucky was familiar with all
the streams of the region, but he was often unable to identify them
by English names, and, in this instance, the white men were obliged
to base their conclusions on a description of the district previously
given to Uncle Will.
The goods were moved forward overland to a low hill which sloped
gradually to the creek on one side, and fronted the river in a
fifty-foot bluff on the other. Here there was abundance of spruce
timber, much of which, though still standing, had been killed by a
forest fire, and was perfectly seasoned.
Nearly a mile to the west, across the river, was a long granite cliff,
a thousand feet or more in height, which limited the view in that
direction. To the north, as they looked down the valley, they beheld
two mountains fifteen miles away, between which the river flowed. The
western one rose sharply three thousand feet, the other, much greater
in bulk, four thousand. The Indians called these elevations Father and
Son, but the western had come to be known among white men as Mount
Bratnober, while the other was soon to be named Mount Champlain, after
a member of the Thirty-six who climbed it. From Mount Champlain on the
north, a range of lesser peaks extended clear around to the southeast,
bounding the valley on that side, and it was among these mountains
that Frying-Pan Creek had its source, five miles distant. With so many
landmarks, they felt no doubt about their position.
Uncle Will declared that at the earliest moment they must set off to
the headwaters of the creek on a prospecting trip, but to go while ice
and snow remained would hardly be advisable, so long as the Thirty-six
were not in sight. It was therefore decided to begin a log cabin. The
boys, who had always cherished a longing to live in the woods in a
house of their own building, hailed this project with enthusiasm, while
Mr. Bradford observed that they would now appreciate the situation and
circumstances of their ancestors in the wilderness of New England.
First a site must be chosen, dry, level, and sheltered from strong
winds. Several places were examined, but only one of these satisfied
every requirement. It was a small plot of level ground, free from
trees, near the top of the hill where it sloped to the creek. To the
south and west, the hill-top sheltered it, while to the northwest and
north stood tall, dense spruce-trees. Eastward the country was more
open, and creek, valley, and mountains were in plain view. The cabin
was to face in this direction. Its dimensions on the ground were to be
eighteen by twenty feet.
So large a structure would hardly have been planned, had it not been
for the wealth of light, dry timber around them. The weight of green
logs of the required size would have taxed their strength most sorely.
Lucky and Coffee Jack were set at work clearing the ground of snow,
of which but little remained; while Mr. Bradford and his brother took
their axes, and began to fell the straightest of the dead spruces.
The boys trimmed off such branches and stubs as survived. Whenever a
trunk was nearly cut through on one side, the choppers would give the
warning, and, when the way was clear, a few strokes on the other side
brought down the forest giant with a crash.
To drag the logs to the chosen spot was harder and took more time than
the felling. Then the ends had to be notched, so that they would join
perfectly at the corners of the cabin, each log having two feet of
extra length to allow room for the notching.
It was thought the Thirty-six would not arrive before the fourth day,
and the elder Bradfords agreed that it would be wise to drop work on
the cabin on that day, and stake claims along the headwaters of the
creek. But alas for human calculations! About noon of the third day,
voices were heard in the direction of the river, and presently six
of the mysterious party put in an appearance. They were surprised at
finding the Bradfords, who, they supposed, had continued northward.
"Hello!" exclaimed a thick-set man with a reddish beard sprinkled with
gray,--"how are you, gentlemen? We heard your axes, and thought we
should find strangers. You're doing the very thing we've got to do."
"Yes," said Uncle Will, "but how in the world did you get here so soon,
Pennock?"
"Oh! we've been working like slaves to get as far as we could before
the ice went out. It would freeze a little every night, and we would
make a few miles, but in the middle of the day we had to build bridges
every few rods. Half a dozen of our men have broken through first and
last,--sleds too. We left Patterson, Lewis, Colburn, and Whitney, on
the Kah Sha claims, and now we six are ordered to stop here and do some
prospecting. The rest will try 'to go on."
"Ah!" said Uncle Will, much relieved by this last information; "so the
rest are going on? Well, I'm sorry for them. The ice won't last two
days."
"That's true as you live," replied Pennock. "Well, we must get back.
We're camped temporarily just below here. Maybe I'll see you again this
evening."
"All right," answered Uncle Will. "Come up any time."
"I believe," said Mr. Bradford, as soon as the visitors were gone, "he
wants to join forces, at least, in the building of the house."
"I think so too," said Uncle Will. "It wouldn't be a bad idea either.
The cabin is easily big enough for all twelve of us. With their help,
we can finish it in no time. I even think it would be well to work with
them in prospecting, if they are agreeable. Let's see--there are only
nine claims to be taken between us. We ought all to be able to get good
ones, if there are any."
It was accordingly determined that evening, by conference with
Pennock's party, to combine for the present. To prevent disagreements,
the details of the arrangement were drawn up in writing, Pennock
readily engaging to give the Bradfords first choice of claims, for two
reasons,--first, because they were first to arrive, and, second, in
consideration of the work they had already done on the cabin.
Next morning, the Bradfords went to the top of the bluff overlooking
the river, and saw the main body of the Thirty-six, now reduced to
about twenty-five white men, and half a dozen Indians--including Long
Peter--resuming their march. After skirting the shore on a fringe of
ice for some distance, they made a short cut across a narrow tongue of
land, where the snow was entirely gone and the sleds could only be
moved with the severest toil.
"Flesh and blood can't stand that a great while," said Uncle Will;
"especially on short rations. They'll have to abandon their sleds soon,
and carry what they can on their backs. I wish I knew how far those
poor fellows are going."
"They're making a desperate dash for somewhere," said Mr. Bradford,
"and their pluck is certainly admirable. I wish them success with all
my heart."
"And I too," added Uncle Will, emphatically.
Work on the cabin was resumed as soon as possible, and the walls rose
like magic with the increased force of builders. In a few days these
were completed. An opening was sawn in the front for a door, and
smaller ones in each side for windows, the sawn ends of the logs being
held in place by the door-frame and window-frames, which consisted of
small hewn strips of spruce wood nailed in place. The roof was now
constructed of poles laid side by side from the ridge-logs to the
upper logs of the front and rear walls. David and Roly gathered great
quantities of green spruce boughs, which were laid on the top of the
roof-poles. This proved to be a mistake, but in the hurry of building,
nobody thought of it. Later, as soon as these boughs dried, the needles
came rattling down through the cracks upon the slightest provocation,
and were a great nuisance when cooking was in progress. A layer of
damp moss should first have been spread upon the poles, then the
spruce, and finally a thick layer of moss over all. This upper layer
was duly applied, and being soft and spongy, contributed in no small
degree to the waterproof quality of the roof, which was rather more
flat than such a roof should be. As an additional protection against
rain, several tents were spread above the moss, and now the cabin was
complete, except for the "chinking," and interior furnishings.
"Chinking" is the filling of the cracks between the logs. The boys
soon became skilled in this work, and most of it was left for them to
do, while the men were engaged in heavier labors. Small dead spruces,
slender and straight as bean-poles, were first cut down in large
numbers. These were trimmed as nearly as possible to the size and
shape of the cracks, and driven firmly into place with the blows of a
hatchet. Such crevices as still remained were stuffed with moss and
clay.
The door consisted of a light framework of poles, covered with
cheese-cloth, of which Pennock had a supply; and the windows were of
the same material. Though not transparent, it admitted a goodly amount
of light, and promised to keep out insects and the wind.
Within the house, a sheet-iron stove was set up in the opening left for
a fire place, which was then enclosed above and on the sides and rear,
with poles set close together and chinked, an aperture being left for
the stove-pipe. Sleds were so arranged as to form a dining-table and
seats.
The boys had set their hearts on building bunks to sleep in. This
was approved of by their father and uncle, since it was undoubtedly
healthier to be off the ground, and they suggested that two double
bunks be built in the southwest corner, large enough to accommodate the
four. The boys were left to exercise their own ingenuity in this work,
and they succeeded in turning out two very good berths, constructed
wholly of spruce poles, and arranged like those of a steamer's
stateroom. Soft boughs were spread upon the berths, and then the
blankets, in which rude quarters they slept as comfortably as they ever
had at home. The upper berth, too, served David as a shelf, upon which
to develop his photographs.
This nucleus of a city it was voted to call Pennock's Post.
How refreshing it was, as they surveyed the finished product of their
labors, to feel that they had reached their destination, that there
was no exhausting journey to be resumed on the morrow, and that at all
times they could be sure of a warm, dry resting place with a roof over
their heads!