242 THE BED MOUNTAIN OF ALASKA. 
brother, who hewed off the few boughs that grew from 
the lower portion, and cut the logs into uniform lengths 
of about forty feet. The large branches were pulled away 
by Hugh and Rob, who cut off the smaller green boughs, 
which in turn were taken to a point close by the camp, 
and piled up, by Teddy and little Nat. The Chilkats did 
not relish the work, and, rather to the relief of the leader, 
disappeared at the close of the day ; nor did he ever set 
eyes on them again. They probably joined some of their 
tribe on the Yukon. Fortunately, the camp was so care- 
fully guarded by Solomon and Carlo, with a view to this 
very contingency, that nothing whatever was stolen by 
the deserters, beyond a small case of canned beef. 
Next morning, work went on with more alacrity than 
ever, although the assistance of the runaway Chilkats, 
poor as it had been, was missed in handling the heavy 
timbers. Joe and Jim, however, labored bravely in their 
stead. 
By the middle of the afternoon, Solomon, who had 
quietly assumed direction of the house-building, announced 
that he had logs enough to make a start. In addition to 
the longer pieces, he had cut about twenty, shorter by 
fifteen feet. 
The boys had been employed in levelling off the site as 
well as they could, without a shovel. The spot chosen 
for the hut which was to be put up first, for the use of 
the ladies, was peculiarly favorable to the purpose. 
There was a large rock, sloping down gradually on the 
