They were no longer dull; there was something to look forward to from day to day-they were going to commence housekeeping in good earnest and they should be warm and well lodged before the bitter frosts of winter could come to chill their blood.

It was a joyful day when the log walls of the little shanty were put up, and the door hewed out.

Windows they had none, so they did not cut out the spaces for them; _[FN: Many a shanty is put up in Canada without windows, and only an open space for a door, with a rude plank set up to close it in at night.]_ they could do very well without, as hundreds of Irish and Highland emigrants have done before and since.
A pile of stones rudely cemented together with wet clay and ashes against the logs, and a hole cut in the roof, formed the chimney and hearth in this primitive dwelling.

The chinks were filled with wedge-shaped pieces of wood, and plastered with clay: the trees, being chiefly oaks and pines, afforded no moss.

This deficiency rather surprised the boys, for in the thick forest and close cedar swamps, moss grows in abundance on the north side of the trees, especially on the cedar, maple, beech, bass, and iron wood; but there were few of these, excepting a chance one or two in the little basin in front of the house.
The roof was next put on, which consisted of split cedars; and when the little dwelling was thus far habitable, they were all very happy.