142 



FIFTY YEARS A HUNTER AND TRAPPER. 



to the edge of the chinking and then driving a small wedge in the 

 slot made by the axe to hold the chinking in place. 



Next we gathered moss from old fallen trees and stuffed all 

 the cracks, using a blunt wedge to press the moss good and tight. 

 We then begun on the mason work. We found a bank of clay that 

 was rather free of stones and made a mortar by using water, 

 making the mortar about as stiff as mortar usually used in house 

 plastering. The chinking and mossing had been done from the 

 inside, while we now filled the space between the logs good and 

 full of mortar, or rather mud. 



The next work was to take the team and haul stones, which 

 we found along the run and put up the fireplace. Considerable 

 pains was taken and we done a pretty good job, as we hoped to 

 use this camp for a number of seasons. After the fireplace was 

 completed, we hung a door, using hinges made of blocks of wood 

 and boring auger holes through one end. Shaping the other end 

 on two of these eyes to drive in two holes boring into the logs 

 close to the door jams. The other two eyes were flattened off 

 and made long enough for door cleats as well as to form a part 

 of the door hinge. Now a rod was run through these eyes or holes 

 in these pieces. This formed a good, solid door hinge. Then a 

 door latch was made from a slat of wood, which worked on a pin 

 in a hole bored in one end of the slat and a hole bored through 

 the door. A small hole in the slat and a string tied to latch and 

 run through a hole in the door furnished the means of raising the 

 latch. A loop for the latch to work in and a catch on the door 

 jam and the door was complete. 



We next put in the window and made a bunk or bedstead 

 from small poles and the hut was completed. I think we were 

 about four days doing the work including an hour or so each day 

 spent in picking huckleberries enough for our special need. Now 

 as the camp was completed, we began to search for a place where 

 we could find berries more plentiful than we had found them near 

 camp. On the hillsides facing the river, where there were barrens, 

 we found more. 



While searching for huckleberries we found a deerlick or salt 

 log, which the deer were working good. Bill said he guessed we 



