Then he covered them with earth and packed them gently.

The mounds looked very tempting from the view-point of a marksman in search of earth-works, and appeared capable of stopping any rifle ball that could be fired against them.

Hopalong looked them over critically and stepped back.
"I'd like to see th' look on th' face of th' son-of-a-gun that uses them for cover--won't he be surprised" and he grinned gleefully as he pictured his shots boring through them.

Then he placed in the center of each a chip or a pebble or something that he thought would show up well in the firelight.
Returning to the cabin, he banked it up well with dirt and gravel, and tossed a few shovelfuls up on the roof as a safety valve to his exuberance.

When he entered the door he had another idea, and fell to work scooping out a shallow cellar, deep enough to shelter him when lying at full length.