“Looking for something to eat,” finished Shep.  “No, I don’t want a million years of this.  But I think a few weeks will do very nicely.”

“Well, if we are going to stay here, the question is, what sort of a shelter are we going to put up?”

“Oh, let us build a regular log cabin!” cried Giant.  “It will be such fun.”

“A log cabin isn’t built in a day,” answered Snap.  “To build a good cabin will take quite some time.  But we might build some kind of a shack,” he added, as he saw the small lad’s face fall.  “There are four small trees almost in a square.  We can cut them off and they will do for the corner-posts, and another tree in line with two in front will do for a door-post.”

“Hurrah!  Snap has solved the problem of a cabin!” shouted Whopper.  “I declare, Snap, you want to take out a license as an architect and builder.  We’ll go to work to-morrow—–­as soon as we’ve gotten together something to eat.”  And in his joy, Whopper turned a handspring on some dead leaves, coming down on his back with a thump.  “Wow!  I’ll not try that again in a hurry!” he grunted.

“We can take turns at building,” said Shep.  “Each day two can work on the cabin and two can go hunting or fishing.  At the start we needn’t to go after anything but small game.”

“That’s it,” said Snap.  “But if any big game comes our way we can bring it down.”

“Or make a try at it,” corrected Giant.

CHAPTER VII

SOMETHING ABOUT A STRANGE ANIMAL

They brought the boat up on the sand and placed their things in the shelter of some bushes and rocks, covering everything with the canvas.  It was growing late again and there was nothing to do but to try fishing once more and cook the wild turkey.  Snap used a fly this time, and brought up a fine lake trout, of which he was justly proud.  Up the shore Shep saw some rabbits, and went after them with his shotgun, bringing down a pair that promised good eating.

“How fast the time goes up here!” exclaimed Giant.  “Why, it doesn’t seem two hours since we got up!”

“That proves that we are enjoying ourselves,” answered Snap.  “The time won’t go quite so fast after we get used to it.”

“Well, if we get tired of one spot we can move to another,” said Whopper.

It promised to be warm and clear that night, so they slept out under the trees, not far from their camp-fire.  All was very quiet, not even a hoot-owl coming to disturb them.

But about four o’clock Snap awoke with a start and sat bolt upright.  Something had awakened him, but he could not tell what.  He aroused Shep.

“What is it, Snap?”

“That is what I want to know, Shep.”

“What do you mean?”

“Something just woke me up.  Did you notice anything?”

“I did not.”

The talking aroused the other boys and all stared around them.  Nothing unusual was to be seen anywhere.