the wall. At one end Joan saw a litter of cooking utensils and
shelves of supplies.

Suddenly Kells's impatient voice silenced the clamor of questions.
"I'm not hurt," he said. "I'm all right--only weak and tired.
Fellows, this girl is my wife. ... Joan, you'll find a room there--
at the back of the cabin. Make yourself comfortable."

Joan was only too glad to act upon his suggestion. A door had been
cut through the back wall. It was covered with a blanket. When she
swept this aside she came upon several steep steps that led up to a
smaller, lighter cabin of two rooms, separated by a partition of
boughs. She dropped the blanket behind her and went up the steps.
Then she saw that the new cabin had been built against an old one.
It had no door or opening except the one by which she had entered.
It was light because the chinks between the logs were open. The
furnishings were a wide bench of boughs covered with blankets, a
shelf with a blurred and cracked mirror hanging above it, a table
made of boxes, and a lantern. This room was four feet higher than
the floor of the other cabin. And at the bottom of the steps leaned
a half-dozen slender trimmed poles. She gathered presently that
these poles were intended to be slipped under crosspieces above and
fastened by a bar below, which means effectually barricaded the
opening. Joan could stand at the head of the steps and peep under an
edge of the swinging blanket into the large room, but that was the
only place she could see through, for the openings between the logs
of each wall were not level. These quarters were comfortable,
private, and could be shut off from intruders. Joan had not expected
so much consideration from Kells and she was grateful.