Quonab had not set it somewhere facing the lake, but he soon
learned that it is best to have the morning sun, the afternoon
shade, and shelter from the north and west winds.

The first two points were illustrated nearly every day; but it
was two weeks before the last was made clear.

That day the sun came up in a red sky, but soon was lost to view
in a heavy cloud-bank. There was no wind, and, as the morning
passed, the day grew hotter and closer. Quonab prepared for a
storm; but it came with unexpected force, and a gale of wind from
the northwest that would indeed have wrecked the lodge, but for
the great sheltering rock. Under its lea there was hardy a
breeze; but not fifty yards away were two trees that rubbed
together, and in the storm they rasped so violently that fine
shreds of smoking wood were dropped and, but for the rain, would
surely have made a blaze. The thunder was loud and lasted long,
and the water poured down in torrents. They were ready for rain,
but not for the flood that rushed over the face of the cliff ,
soaking everything in the lodge except the beds, which, being
four inches off the ground, were safe; and lying on them the two
campers waited patiently, or impatiently, while the weather raged
for two drenching hours. And then the pouring became a
pattering; the roaring, a swishing; the storm, a shower which
died away, leaving changing patches of blue in the lumpy sky, and
all nature calm and pleased, but oh, so wet! Of course the fire
was out in the lodge and nearly all the wood was wet. Now Quonab
drew from a small cave some dry cedar and got down his tinder-box
with flint and steel to light up; but a serious difficulty
appeared at once -- the tinder was wet and useless.