and hold un tight."

"Yes, and soon's the sealskin gets wet she'll stretch," Andy objected.
"Then the boards would loosen up and let the water in."

"I never thought of the sealskin stretchin', but she sure would.
You're fine at thinkin' things out, Andy!" said David admiringly. "The
spruce roots won't stretch though. 'Tis a fine way to fix un now, and
she'll work. There's no doubtin' she'll work."

"'Twill take all day," Andy calculated, adding with pride, "but once
we gets un on they'll hold. I'll get the roots now and put un to
soak."

Andy dug around the white spruce tree and in a little while gathered a
sufficient quantity of long string-like roots. He scraped them and
then split them carefully with his knife. When they were split he
filled the big kettle with water from a spring, placed the roots in it
and put them over the fire to boil.

They all worked as hard as they could on the boards, and when dinner
time came David announced that the boards were smooth enough for their
purpose.

"Now all we'll have to do," said he as he sliced pork for dinner, "is
to make the holes in un and fasten un on."

"What were that now?" Jamie interrupted as a hoarse blast broke upon
the air.