ept it away clean down to the ground. Not once did I go
out beyond the tunnels. The fire at the depot I let go out, and the
others I kept up more to have something to do than for any use they
were, because I knew no outlaws could ever come in such a storm.

While the blizzard lasted I had a hard time to find enough to do to
keep my mind off of my troubles. In an old recipe-book, which I found
in the closet under the stairs, it told how to tan skins, so I began
tanning my wolf-skins. I whittled out some puzzles, too, and made a
leather collar for Pawsy; but she would not wear it. I forgot to say
that after the fight I found her in her old place over the door. I
taught Kaiser some tricks, too, and gave the cat a chance to improve
herself in the same way, but she refused the opportunity.

I did some reading, too, during these days. There was little to read
in the Headquarters House, but among Tom Carr's things I found a book
by Doctor Kane, telling of his life in the arctic regions, and this I
enjoyed a great deal, feeling that I was in a country not much warmer,
and that I must be more lonely than he was, since he always had human
companions, while I had not one. In Mr. Clerkinwell's rooms over the
bank I found some other books, all with very fine leather covers. Some
of these I took the liberty of borrowing, but was very careful of
them. One was _The Pilgrim's Progress_, and I liked most of it
exceedingly, especially the fight in the king's highway which
Christian had with Apollyon. Another book was a story, very
entertaining, by Charles Dickens, about little Pip and the convict
who came back from Australia; I felt very sorry for Pip when he had to
go out on the wet marshes so early, he being so little and the marshes
so big.

There was another thing that I tried to amuse myself with, being
nothing less than music. I found an old banjo belonging to Tom Carr
and an accordion which Andrew had left behind. The banjo I could not
do much with, but when I saw the accordion I said to myself that if I
could blow the bellows in my father's forge, I ought to be able to
work an accordion. So I went at it, hammer and tongs, and soon could
produce a great noise, though mighty dismal, I think, and maybe what
you would (had you heard it) have called heartrending, since whenever
I started up Kaiser would point his nose to the ceiling and howl, very
sad indeed. I think when one of our concerts was going on that could a
guest have arri