A HUNT ON THE KINZUA. 69 



handy to cut logs out of for camp. We placed a good sized log 

 down first at the end of the shanty that we intended to build the 

 fire place in. Another was placed at the end that was to be the 

 highest, so to give the right slope to the roof, which was a shed 

 roof. We always kept the large ends of the logs, one way, so that 

 when we had the logs rolled up it made the lower or eaves end 

 of the camp about five feet high. 



There was a slope of about two feet for the roof. We felled 

 bass wood trees which we split in half, and then dug or scooped 

 them out so as to make a trough. We notched the two end logs 

 down and then placed the scoops or troughs in these notches so 



that they would lay firm with the hollow side up. 



I 

 After placing these scoops across the entire width of the 



shack we then placed another layer of the scoops (reverse) on the 

 first set. That is to say, the rounding side up. This made a very 

 good roof but required a good deal of chinking at the ends to 

 keep the. cold out, but as moss was plenty, it was not a long job. 

 The second day after we got into the woods we had the camp in 

 pretty good shape, well chinked and calked. 



The third day we worked on the fire place, laying it up to the 

 jam of stone, then we finished the chimney with logs and mud. 

 We had a fairly comfortable camp with but two exceptions. These 

 were, no windows, and for a door we had what I called a "hog- 

 hole," that was a door so small that one had to get down on all 

 fours to get in or out. On the fourth day we intended to cut 

 wood all day, and were at it before it was fairly light, but before 

 10 o'clock it began to snow. In a couple of hours there was a good 

 tracking snow and the boys were bound to go out and see if they 

 could not kill a deer. I tried hard to get them to stick to the 

 wood job, but it was no use, they must go hunting. 



There was no partnership business in this hunt. ' It was every 

 man for himself, and the dogs, take the hindermost. I told the 

 boys I would stay in camp and do something at the wood job. 



I had been along the creek a little the day before, poking my 

 nose under the banks and old drifts to see what manner of signs 

 I could see, and I had noticed several mink tracks. The boys had 

 no more than gone when I had a fishing tackle rigged out. It con- 



