e killed by barking
them round, to facilitate the clearing.]_

At the end of two days the fires had ceased to rage, though the dim
smoke-wreaths to the westward showed where the work of destruction was
still going on.

As there was no appearance of any Indians on the lake, nor yet at the
point (Andersen's Point, as it is now called), on the other side, they
concluded the fires had possibly originated by accident,--some casual
hunter or trapper having left his camp-fire unextinguished; but as they
were not very likely to come across the scene of the conflagration, they
decided on returning back to their old home without delay; and it was
with some feeling of anxiety that they hastened to see what evil had
befallen their shanty.

"The shanty is burned!" was the simultaneous exclamation of both Louis
and Hector, as they reached the rising ground that should have commanded
a view of its roof. "It is well for us that we secured our things in the
root-house," said Hector.

"Well, if that is safe, who cares? we can soon build up a new house,
larger and better than the old one," said Louis. "The chief of our fence
is gone, too, I see; but that we can renew at our leisure; no hurry, if
we get it done a month hence, say I. Come, _ma belle_, do not look so
sorrowful. There is our little squaw will help us to set up a capital
wigwam, while the new house is building." "But the nice table that you
made, Louis, and the benches and shelves!"

"Never mind, Cathy, we will have better tables, and benches, and shelves
too. Never fear, _ma chere_, the same industrious Louis will make things
comfortable. I am not sorry the old shanty is down; we shall have a
famous one put up, twice as large, for the winter. After the corn is
planted we shall have nothing else to do but to think about it."

The next two or three days was spent in erecting a wigwam, with poles
and birch bark; and as the weather was warm and pleasant, they did
not feel the inconvenience so much as they would have done had it been
earlier in the season. The root-house formed an excellent store-house
and pantry; and Indiana contrived, in putting up the wigwam, to leave
certain loose folds between the birch-bark lining and outer covering,
which formed a series of pouches or bags, in which many articles could
be stowed away out of sight. _[FN: In this way the winter wigwams
of the Indians are constructed so as to give plenty of stowing room for
all their little household ma