Auger holes
were put through, so as to allow an oak pin to be driven through
the jamb into each log, and the doorway and window opening were done.
In one corner they planned a small fireplace, built of clay and
stone. Not stone from the lake, as Rolf would have had it, but
from the hillside; and why? Quonab said that the lake stone was
of the water spirits, and would not live near fire, but would
burst open; while the hillside stone was of the sun and fire
spirit, and in the fire would add its heat.
The facts are that lake stone explodes when greatly heated and
hill stone does not; and since no one has been able to improve
upon Quonab's explanation, it must stand for the present.
The plan of the fireplace was simple. Rolf had been present at
the building of several, and the main point was to have the
chimney large enough, and the narrowest point just above the fire.
The eaves logs, end logs, and ridge logs were soon in place; then
came the cutting of small poles, spruce and tamarack, long enough
to reach from ridge to eaves, and in sufficient number to
completely cover the roof. A rank sedge meadow near by afforded
plenty of coarse grass with which the poles were covered deeply;
and lastly clay dug out with a couple of hand-made, axe-hewn
wooden spades was thrown evenly on the grass to a depth of six
inches; this, when trampled flat, made a roof that served them well.
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