The Washington times., 1936-09-10
NOW READ ON

Always, GOGUO11t IL VIC COC4N
build a boat which would stand the
sea, I'd not hesitate a minute tt
undertake a voyage Of discovery
'Well," answered Gordon, "nC
need to hurry! Let's wait at least
until we have organized our little
colony. 80"
"But, Gordon" pursued Briant
"you forget that we have our fam1
lies over there. -"
mo, no, not at all, Briant!. .
But, anyhow, we are not too I'm
happy here. Are we suffering fol
anything?"
MANY things, Gordon" an
swered Briant, who thought il
wiser not to keen up the converse
ton. We've nearly used up our
wood"
"oh, the forests are full OF
wood"
eyes, Gordon! But we need
wood, for most Of ours is gone"
To-day, them" cried Gordon
lets see what the thermometer
says"
In the storeroom it was five de-
greeS above zero, centigrade, 81,
Fahrenheit, for the stove was
stocked with fuel to the top. But
against the exterior wall at showed
II degrees below zero, centigrade
This intense cold would get worse
if the weather remained clear and
dry q few weeks. Although the
two stoves were going full blast
in the hall, and the cooking stove
in the kitchen, the temperature
gradually lowered in French Den
After breakfast it was decided
to go to Traps-Woods for a load
of wood. There was very little bit
ing wind, the sky was clear and
the ground was Of metallic hard
ness.
Moko had a good idea which
saved them much hard work. He
suggested that the big, solid table
in the store-room, which was II
feet long and over four feet wide,
be turned upside down and dragged
on the frozen surface. Four Of
the older ones harnessed them
selves with ropes to this primitive
sleigh and started for Traps
Woods.
The young boys, with red noses
and cheeks, gambolled like pup
pies, and so did Phann. Some
times they rode on the table and
their happy cries echoed in the
still. cold atmosphere. Everything
was white between Auckland Hill
and Family Lake. The snow held
suspicious-looking footprints OF
animals, but Doniphan and Cross
had their guns.
'"They may be wild CATS" said
Gordon, (which certainly are to be
feared"
"Well, If they're only cats!" Jen-
kins shrugged his shoulders.
eyes! But tigers are also cats"
answered Costar. aren't those
cats dangerous, Service?"
eyes," replied Service, land they
eat children as if they were mice"
This answer left Costar some
what thoughtful.
The half mile to Traps-WoodS
was covered quickly and the young
woodsmen set to work on trees
that would give them a load OF
solid, long burning logs. A heavy
load was put on the table, but 1t
slid so easily that they were able
to make two trips in the morn
ing. After lunch they worked
again until 4 o'clock. When they
returned to French Den they stored
the logs, cut them in half and
stacked them till it was bed time.
This work continued for six
days and gave them enough wood
for several weeks.
On July IS the weather became
so terribly cold that Gordon did
not allow the younger ones to go
outside. In the first week in Au-
gust the thermometer went down
to 81 degrees below zero. If they
went outside their breath changed
into frost. The hands could not
touch any metallic object without
feeling sharp pain similar to a
burn. It was difficult to keep COM
Portable.
They went through is hard
days, badly in need of exercise.
Briant worried about the pale
faces of the younger ones, whose
healthy color had disappeared.
But there were few colds and only
two had slight attacks Of bron-
chitiS.
About August 16 the Their
mometer went up to IL degrees
below zero, centigrade. Doniphan,
Briant, Service, Wilcox and Bax-
ter thought they might go to
Slough Bay. They could make
the trip in a day.
They wanted to see if the coast
had been visited by o large num-