Page:Adrift in the Pacific, Sampson Low, 1889.djvu/80

 howling of the jackal and the barking of the dog who for twenty-four hours had found it impossible to get out.

Great was the satisfaction at these things. Not only was Fan returned to her young masters, but labour was spared them. Here, "ready-made," as Dole said, was a large cave which Baudoin had never suspected. By making the opening larger, they would get a second door towards the lake that would be of great conventence to them. And naturally the boys, as they stood in the new cave, indulged in a round of cheers, in which Fan joined with a joyous bark.

Vigorously they set to work to make the tunnel a practicable gangway; to the second excavation they gave the name of the "hall," and its size justified them in doing so. It would do for the dormitory and workroom, while the first cave would serve as kitchen; but as they intended to make it a general magazine, Gordon proposed to call it the store-room, and this was adopted.

Soon they set to work to shift the beds and arrange them on the sand of the hall, where there was plenty of room for them. Then the furniture of the schooner, the couches, arm-chairs, tables, cupboards, etc., and — what was very important — the stoves from the yacht's day and night saloons were put in position. At the same time the entrance on the lake side was cleared out and enlarged so as to fit one of the schooner's doors — a job which cost Baxter a good deal of trouble. On each side of the door two new openings were made so as to give light, until the evening, when a lamp hung from the centre lighted the cave.

To do all this took a fortnight, and it was not finished any too soon. The weather had begun to change. It was not as yet very cold ; but the storms had become so violent that out-door excursions were not to be thought of.

In fact, such was the force of the wind that the waters of the lake were lashed into waves as if it were a sea.