rest. They were back in familiar territory, now, and the cabin
quest was nearly over.

"Of course, the very first thing to do," Ham was saying, "is to get in
stone and get our fireplace built before the frost comes. It will be a
simple matter--just throw down stones from the mountain; they are flat
slabs and will lay up very easily. We'll use that big, flat stone at
the end as a foundation, and run the chimney up outside the house--a real
big, life-sized one, too. And we want a grand old-fashioned crane in the
grate, and andirons of stone, and a big cement hearth."

"Going to do all your cooking in the fireplace?" asked Chuck.

"Not on your life," put in Fat. "We'll bring up our old camp stove, the
one we had on the trip last summer--it's a dandy."

"I've got the only stunt, though," said Ham. "Let's build a great big bed
on the rafters that run from wall to wall. We'll just cut a lot of
saplings and lay them in close and support the bed from the roof. After
it has about two feet of balsam boughs on it, it will be a choice roost,
I tell you that. I'm going to be architect and boss carpenter of that
job."

"Yes," said Mr. Allen gravely, "but it's not a fireplace, an aerial bunk,
or a place to eat that I'm thinking of. There is no use putting our time,
effort, and money into this place unless we can take care of at least
twenty fellows at a time, and how can we do it?"

"The eating won't be any trouble," advised Fat. "They will get enough to
eat some way--I always do." "We'll build an addition," suggested Phil, "a
bunk house addition. That will be easy; we can build it out where that
old back porch is, can't we? And say, talk about great logs, what's the
matter with those aspens right there ready for us?"

"We could buy tin dishes, but where is the money coming from? That is the
main question," said Mr. Allen. "Money," snorted Ham, "that will come if
we're in earnest, dead earnest. How about that circus? How much money do
we need, anyway?"

Mr. Allen drew out his note-book, and made some rapid calculations.
"Well, the very least that you can do with, fellows, is two hundred and
fifty dollars."

"Good-bye, fond dreams!" cried Fat tragically.

"Two hundred and fifty dollars!" exclaimed Phil and Ham together. "How
do you get that?"

"Well, cement and lime for the fireplace, freight to Fairview on boards,
shingles, furnishings, and so on; rent on donkeys to do the packing,
dishes, and pantry boxes, for everything