the spade. Hazel cut and chiseled it out at a grand rate, and,
throwing it to the sides, raised by degrees two mud banks, one on each
side the boat; and at last he dug so deep that he was enabled to draw the
boat another yard inland.

As Helen sat by netting and forcing a smile now and then, though sad at
heart, he was on his mettle, and the mud walls he raised in four hours
were really wonderful. He squared their inner sides with the spade. When
he had done, the boat lay in a hollow, the walls of which, half natural,
half artificial, were five feet above her gunwale, and, of course, eight
feet above her bottom, in which Hazel used to lie at night. He then made
another little wall at the boat's stern, and laid palm-branches over all,
and a few huge banana-leaves from the jungle; got a dozen large stones
out of the river, tied four yards'-lengths of Helen's grass-rope from
stone to stone, and so, passing the ropes over the roof, confined it,
otherwise a sudden gust of wind might lift it.

"There," said he; "am I not as well off as you?--I, a great tough man.
Abominable waste of time, I call it."

"Hum!" said Helen, doubtfully. "All this is very clever; but I doubt
whether it will keep out much rain."

"More than yours will," said Hazel, "and that is a very serious thing. I
am afraid you little know how serious. But, to-morrow, if you please, I
will examine our resources, and lay our whole situation before you, and
ask your advice. As to your bugbear, let him roar his heart out, his
reign is over. Will you not come and see your wooden walls?"

He then took Helen and showed her the tremendous nature of her
fortification, and assured her that no beast of prey could face it, nor
even smell at it, with impunity. And as to the door, here the defense was
double and treble; but attached to four grass cords; two passed into the
abode round each of the screw pine-trees at the east side, and were kept
in their places by pegs driven into the trees.

"When you are up," said Hazel, "you pull these four cords steadily, and
your four guards will draw back right and left, with all their bayonets,
and you can come out."

Helen was very much pleased with this arrangement, and did not disguise
her gratitude. She slept in peace and comfort that night. Hazel, too,
profited by the mud walls and leafy roof she had compelled him to rear;
for this night was colder, as it happened, than any preceding night since
they came ashore. In the mor