ared the tent Jack came tearing along to meet him with loud barks of
welcome.

"Yes, I have got food for you for some time, Jack, though it does not
seem to me that you do much to earn it."

Luka was at work greasing the boat. Godfrey called him up on to the
bank.

"We must try and do something to preserve the meat, Luka."

"Shall we rub it with salt, Godfrey?"

"We can spare some salt, but not much. It would never do to be left
without that. We can do well enough without bread, but we can't do
without salt."

"Smoke it well," Luka said.

"We might try that, but I am afraid those hams are beginning to go."

"Not smoke enough, Godfrey."

"No, I suppose not."

"They must have plenty, lots of smoke."

"Well, there is plenty of wood to make smoke with."

"We must keep it close," Luka said. "We ought to smoke it for two days."

"We can keep it close enough by cutting some poles and making a circular
tent with the sail. It will spoil its whiteness, but that is of no great
consequence. You had better leave the boat for the present, Luka, and
come with me and cut poles and boughs for the fire."

Taking hatchets they started out and presently cut eight poles ten feet
long.

"Now which is the best wood for smoking it with?"

"Pine makes the best smoke next to oak."

"There are plenty of stunted pines about, and I should think some of
this aromatic shrub with it would be good. I will make up two big
bundles of that, and we will take them and the poles back first; then we
will cut some pine boughs."

As all these were obtained within a few hundred yards of the camp, they
had soon materials for their fire. The poles were then stuck in a circle
and lashed together at the top, the sail taken down and wrapped round
it. It was not large enough, but by adding the storm-sail and the hide
of the deer the covering was made complete. Then a number of sticks were
tied from pole to pole across it. The deer-flesh was then cut up into
strips of about a foot long, three or four inches wide, and half an inch
thick; and these were hung over the sticks until the whole of the deer
was so disposed of. The three remaining bear's hams were also hung up,
and a fire of the pine-wood was then with some difficulty lighted and
some of the sweet-smelling shrub laid on it. Godfrey, who had undertaken
this part of the business while Luka went back to the boat, crawled out
from the tent almost blinded.

"By Jove!" he said as he closed th