The onions had to be peeled, and this was not a pleasant task, as eyes began to weep and the girls had to sniffle as they skinned the onions, but they were determined to finish their upholstery work as long as they had started it.
The onion peels were placed over a fire to simmer slowly and the girls then went to work on the excelsior filling for the cushions. Meantime, Mrs. Vernon cut the burlap the required sizes to fit the seats of the chairs, and also cut oval panels for the backs.
Well, the onion peel dyed the material a soft ochre color, and was tried on the barrel-wood too. But it failed to stain that. The cushions were tacked down with small tacks, and the chairs looked most inviting to the manufacturers.
[Ill.u.s.tration: _The cushions were tacked down with small tacks_]
Each scout took a turn in trying the chairs, and each p.r.o.nounced them most luxurious, but Mrs. Vernon withheld such high praise as "luxury,"
saying instead "They"re hard as rocks!"
"_Now_ what can we build?" asked Ruth, showing intense interest in this form of occupation.
Mrs. Vernon laughed. "Do you want to begin something else?"
"Might as well, Verny. The hut has to be furnished now, as long as you have launched us along that line," Julie replied, laughingly.
"A table is easy to build, but you have to cut down the material for the legs."
"Where do table-legs grow--we"ll cut them down," returned Joan, comically.
"Wherever you find small birch-trees growing thickly together, you can cut one out. Never chop down a tree that stands alone, as it will mean shelter and shade in time to come. But a small tree can always be spared, if there are several growing in a group. The others will fare better for the thinning out."
"How many shall we cut?" now asked Betty.
"Bring four, each one about two inches in diameter. We will use the thickest end of each trunk for legs, the middle sections for chair-backs, and the smallest ends for arms."
Provided with the ax, hatchet, and woodsman knife, the scouts started on their quest. After they had gone, Mrs. Vernon detached one side of a packing-case and removed any nails left in the wood. As this section of the case had reinforced pieces along the outer edges, it would be a strong table-top.
The rest of the day was used in building the table, and a queer looking object was the result. It was a cross between a stool and a four-legged pedestal. It was rather wobbly, too, as Ruth had sawed one leg shorter than those made by her three scout companions.
"It might tip over, Ruth, if a visitor leans upon it," said Mrs. Vernon.
"We"ll keep a stone under that leg. It won"t joggle if it"s boosted up,"
explained Ruth.
"But the stone may slip out, or should one wish to move the table about, the stone will have to be carried about too."
"Goodness me, Verny! What can I do? I can"t stretch it!" cried Ruth, distractedly.
Every one laughed, but the Captain said: "No, it won"t stretch, but can"t one of you scouts suggest a remedy?"
When they realized that they all were called upon to share the responsibility of the tilting table, they puckered their foreheads and put on their thinking-caps.
"I know! We"ll tack a little end of the wood to the bottom of the leg,"
called Joan, excitedly.
Ruth cast a scornful look at Joan, as much as to say: "I"d like to see any one sticking a block under that leg!"
"Verny, we might take the leg off and saw a new one," suggested Betty.
"We could, and I suppose that would be the only correct way to do it, but I am thinking of another and easier way," replied the Captain.
"Oh! I guess I know! How will it do to saw all three legs off so they will be the same length as Ruth"s short one?" exclaimed Julie, slapping her knee.
Mrs. Vernon smiled for that was what she wanted the scouts to discover.
At the same time, she was deeply interested in the fact that Julie always seemed to catch her thoughts and express them exactly as she might have done. This showed her that Julie was very mental, and was open to every good and helpful suggestion from thought-waves.
That evening the Captain said: "It feels as if we might have rain soon.
I hope it doesn"t come before Wednesday, as I am conscious of neglecting an important work."
"What is it?" cried four anxious voices.
"Hepsy"s shed. You see we were going to build her stable as soon as we completed the house, but we began our furniture instead. Hepsy had enjoyed the fresh air and fine pasturage on the plateau this last week, but she dislikes the rain."
"Oh, dear! I forgot all about her shed," cried Betty.
"So did we. If she only had complained now and then! But she went about her business so quietly!" sighed Joan.
"Verny, if it rains we must invite Hepsy into our hut! If we neglected to build her shed because of our fine furniture, then she must be admitted to the palace itself!" said Ruth, decidedly.
"That"s what we will, Verny! Hepsy won"t hurt the hut."
And the Captain secretly exulted to find that Ruth was fast forgetting self in feeling responsibility for others--even a horse; while the other scouts thought nothing of their work unless it was put to some good use.
But it did not rain that night, nor in the morning, although the sky was gray and overcast. Hepsy had a shed all built before the first drops fell late that afternoon; there were several liberal ventilation crevices between the logs of the sidewalls, however.
The floor of the shed had been laid _a la corduroy_ style--as so many boggy roads are built upon in the west. The logs in this case were placed side by side in a bed of clay, and when the girls pressed down firmly upon the flooring, the clay oozed up between the joints and hardened there. In a few days the floor would be as solid as a rock and could be washed off with broom and water.
Hepsy had more than enough dry leaves for a bedding that first night, as the scouts thought she might take cold if she slept on the damp floor.
Mrs. Vernon smiled, but said nothing as she knew the heap of leaves would keep Hepsy from cutting the soft clay with her hoofs. When the flooring was hard and dry nothing could hurt it.
Supper that night was rather a gloomy affair as everything was wet, and the fire would not burn. So they gathered in the hut and ate cold food.
This started a discussion on fireplaces.
"You said maybe there was a chance of building a chimney," ventured Joan.
"Yes, but we have been doing so much, I forgot about it," confessed the Captain.
"A fireplace would feel great on a night like this," said Julie.
"Verny, if clay will harden in c.h.i.n.ks of the walls, and make a solid flooring, why won"t it hold stones together in a chimney?" now asked Ruth, eagerly.
"It will, if we can find stones that will fit properly. I wouldn"t attempt to do the mason work with round cobble-stones such as are used in most chimneys in bungalow houses."
"Did you mean it when you said a chimney might be built if we leaned it against the rocky wall back of the rear wall of the hut?" asked Joan.
"No, I was only fooling when I spoke of leaning it--because a chimney has to be most accurately constructed or it will smoke one out of the place."
"Let"s build the chimney to-morrow!" begged Ruth, eagerly.