The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1924-12-25
CHAPTER III
Lite and Deaih


kE ORNING found them but little,
tVl II az all refreshed. though il
I'll was with a feeling OF intense
relief that they saw that day dawn.
As soon as they had made their
meager breakfast Of salt pork. coffee
and biscuit. Clayton commenced
work upon their house. for he re-
allied that they could hope for no
safety and no peace of mind at night
until four strong walls effectually
barred the jungle life from them.
The task was an arduous one and
re quired the better part OF a month.
though he built but one room. He
constructed his cabin Of small logs
about six inches in diameter. stop
ping the chinks with clay which he
found at the depth Of a few feet
beneath the surface soil.
At one end he built a fireplace
Of small stones from the beach.
These also he set in clay and when
the house had been entirely com
pleted he applied a coating Of the
clay TO the entire outside surface TO
the thickness of four inches.
In the window opening he set
small branches about an inch in di-
ameter. both vertically and horizon
tally, and so woven that they
formed a substantial grating that
could withstand the strength of a
powerful animal. Thus they OBJ
tanned air and proper ventilation.
without fear of lesseniny the safety
OF their cabin.
The A-shaped roof was matched
with small branches laid close to-
gether and over these long jungle
grass and palm fronds. with a final
coating of clay.
The door he built Of pieces of the
packing boxes which had held their
belongings; mailing one piece upon
another, the grain of contiguous
layers running transversely, until
he ha da solid body some three
inches thick and Of such great
strength that they We're both moved
to laughter as they gazed upon it.
Here the greatest difficulty con-
fronted Clayton. for he had no
means whereby TO hang his massive
door now that he had built it. After
two days work, however. he sue
ceeded in fashioning two massive
hardwood hinges. and with these he
hung the door so that it opened and
closed easily.
The stuccoing and other final
touches We're added after they
moved into the house. which they
had done as soon as the roof was
on, piling their boxes before the
door at night and thus having a
comparatively safe and comfortable
habitation.
The building of a bed. chairs,
table and shelves was a relatively
easy matter. so that by the end of
the second month they were well set
tied, and. but for the constant dread
of attack by wild beasts and the
ever-growing loneliness, they were
not uncomfortable or unhappy.
At night great beasts snarIed and
rOared about their tiny cabin, but,
so accustomed may one become to
oft repeated noises, that soon they
paid little attention TO them, sleep
ing soundly the whole night through.
Thrice had they caught fieeting
glimpses Of great manlike figures
like that Of the first night, but
never at sufficiently close range to
know positively whether the half.
seen forms were those of man or
brute
The brilliant birds and the little
monkeys had become accustomed to
their new acquaintance, and as
they had evidently never seen hu-
man beings before they presently.
after their first fright had worn off.
approached closer and closer, i'm
PEELED by that strange curiosity
which dominates the wild creatures
Of the forest and the jungle and the
plain. so that within the first month
several of the birds had gone so far
as even to accept moursels of food
from the friendly hands of the Clay
tons.
One afternoon, while Clayton was
working upon an addition to their
cabin. for he contemplated building
several more rooms, a number of
their grotesque little friends came
shrieking and scolding through the