their upper ends. They served to support the cross stick
from which our kettles were hung. This form of fireplace was more
satisfactory for baking than the one in which logs were used for the
side walls, because the stone lining retained the heat much longer. To
bake biscuit, a pot of beans, or the like, the ashes would be drawn away
from the stone paving and the pot placed directly on the hot stones,
after which it was covered with hot embers and ashes.

A COLD NIGHT IN THE HUT.

But to return to our experiences on the island. We found it very cold on
the first night in the hut. We were afraid to build a fire inside lest
the straw thatchings would catch fire, and so we huddled together in the
corner, rolled up tightly in our blankets. But it was cold,
nevertheless. We had no door to close the opening into the hut, and
instead had piled up branches of cedar and hemlock against the doorway.
But a bitterly cold northwest wind was blowing down the river, and we
couldn't keep warm, no matter what we did. Most of the boys were ready
to go right home, but we stuck it out until the morning, and then after
we had toasted ourselves before a blazing bright fire, and had eaten a
hot breakfast, we forgot much of the discomfort of the night and were
ready for more "fun." We thought we would spend the next night in our
tree house, and so, right after breakfast, we packed up our blankets and
some provisions and started for the Jacob's Ladder.

MOUNTAIN CLIMBING.

Each fellow was provided with a pair of ice creepers of the same sort as
we had used in connection with the rennwolf (see page 170). In addition
to this each boy was provided with a home-made alpine stock, consisting
of a stout wooden stick in the end of which a large nail was driven and
the head filed off. Thus equipped we came to the foot of the cliff, and
much to our delight found it one mass of ice from top to bottom. Now was
our chance to try some Swiss mountain climbing. Bill took the lead, with
an old hatchet in his hand, to hack out any necessary footholds in the
ice wall, and the rest of us strung out behind him tied to a long rope,
each boy about 10 or 12 feet from the one ahead. Bill cautioned us to
keep our distance, holding the rope taut in one hand, so that if a
fellow stumbled he could be kept from falling either by the one in front
or by the one behind.

"Besides," he said, "if the rope drags on the ice, it is liable to be
cut or worn so that it will