For it was juniper, and
so full of resin.
He now had the possibility of fire, so that evening the little cup in
the hills held quite comfortable encampment.
Roy had brought down the sledge, and using the swords and their
scabbards as supports, had made a lean-to tent against a warm rock out
of the strip of shawl. In this he had strewn juniper branches to make a
soft bed, and the children could just creep into it. Then they had the
marmot, roasted in its skin, for supper, and all the three were too
hungry to ask themselves if marmot flesh was as toothsome as rabbit or
as bitter as squirrel! And Tumbu ate the bones with an air as if he
would say, "It is not bad, but to-morrow I must catch two marmots."
After that there was peace and quiet in the camp, Roy sitting beside the
fire and making it blaze up every now and again by putting on a fresh
juniper branch. For he knew that since the others had not arrived by
daylight, they must either all have perished on the road or else be
waiting until the cold of night once more froze the ice-film on the
snow. In this case the firelight seen from afar might be a guide.
So the night passed. More than once Roy fell asleep, for despite his
care the smoke of the juniper branches could not quite be avoided, and
that, every one knows, is terribly sleepifying. He woke every time,
however, before the fire was quite out, and hastened to send up a flare
of flame.
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