Thus he made for himself a covered shelter, and the front of this he
enclosed with other stones, save for a space three feet wide in the
center, which he reserved for a door. From low spruce bushes--for there
were no trees on the island--he now gathered a quantity of brush and
arranged it under the boat for a bed.
Dusk was settling before these arrangements had been completed. When all
was at length as snug as his ingenuity could make it in the short time
at his disposal, he stored as much of the wood, under the boat as the
limited space would allow and still permit him room to stretch with
some comfort; and as quickly as possible he built a small fire just
outside the door. Already snow had drifted around the ends and on top of
the boat and his little fire reflecting heat within soon made his
covered nook comfortable enough.
Fourteen sea pigeons would make fourteen meals, though scant ones for a
husky fellow like Bobby. Now he was hungry enough, as indeed he always
was at meal hour and it did not take him long to pluck and dress one of
the birds, and in short order it was grilling merrily on the end of a
stick. There was no bread to keep the grilled sea pigeon company, but
Bobby did not mind in the least. Indeed, this lack of variety was no
hardship. He often dined upon meat alone, and now he was thankful enough
to have the sea pigeons, or indeed anything.
But almost before his supper was cooked the little fire, deluged with
clouds of snow, dried out and refused to burn, and it became evident to
Bobby that he must face the night without fire, and resort to other
means to protect himself in his narrow quarters from freezing.
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