'

'Got to do summat,' said the Raven, 'an' quick, too, afore we're
drownded out.'

'Let's rig up a shelter tent with the blankets,' suggested Dick; and
they set to work at once. They pulled the four fence-rails which
formed the framework of their bed from their places, and laid them side
by side in search of the shorter ones. They proved much of the same
size, so Chippy went to work with the hatchet to shorten a pair, while
Dick began to dig the holes in which to step them. The ground was
soft, and with the aid of his knife Dick soon had a couple of holes
eighteen inches deep. While he did this Chippy had cut two rails down,
and fastened a third across the ends of the shorter ones, with the
scouts' neckties for cords. They had ample light to work by, for the
fire had flared up bravely.

Now they swung up their framework of two posts and a cross-bar, and
stepped the feet of the posts in the holes, throwing back the soft
earth, and ramming it in with the short, thick pieces cut off the
rails. This made a far stronger hold for the uprights than anything
they could have done in the shape of sharpening their ends and trying
to drive them down.

Next they took their blankets, and hung them side by side over the
cross-bar, one overlapping the other by a couple of feet. With their
knives they cut a number of pegs from the hard gorse stems, and
sharpened them, and drove them through the blankets into the bar,
pinning the blankets tightly in place. The tough gorse-wood went into
the soft rail like nails, and the back of the tomahawk made a splendid
hammer. They had a fourth rail, and they pegged the other ends of the
blankets down to that, drew it backwards, and there was a lean-to
beneath which they leapt with shouts of triumph.

'Done th' old rain this time,' yelled the Raven. 'Now we'll keep a
rousin' fire goin', and sit here and listen to it.'

There was, luckily, no wind, or the scouts might not have been so
jubilant; it was a heavy summer rain, pouring down strong and straight.
The boys were pretty wet before they had got their shelter rigged up,
but the fire was strong and warm, though it hissed vigorously as the
heavy drops fell from the branches of the fir.

'Any chance of putting the fire out, do you think?' said Dick.

'Not if we keep plenty o' stuff on it,' replied his chum. 'Hark 'ow
it's patterin' on the blankets!'

'They'll be jolly wet, and take some drying,' said Dick. 'Still,
better for