He sawed, planed, hammered; curly shavings dropped and there was a pleasant smell of sawdust.

Much had to be done to make the place fit to receive Polly.

A second outhouse was necessary, to hold the surplus goods and do duty as a sleeping-room for Long Jim and Hempel: the lean-to the pair had occupied till now was being converted into a kitchen.

At great cost and trouble, Mahony had some trees felled and brought in from Warrenheip.

With them he put up a rude fence round his backyard, interlacing the lopped boughs from post to post, so that they formed a thick and leafy screen.