CHAPTER XIII.

WHAT DOES SAM MEAN?


When the halt was called, Sam said, very much to the astonishment of
the boys:--

"We must build a house here, boys."

"A house!" exclaimed Tom, "What for, pray?"

"To live in, of course. What else are houses for?"

"Yes, of course, but aren't we going on?"

"Not at present, and it rains. We must dry our clothes to-night if we
can, and keep as dry as we can while we stay here, which may be for a
day or two. To do that we must have a house, but it need not be a very
good one. Joe!"

"Yes, sah."

"Build a fire right here."

"Agin de big log dah, Mas' Sam?" pointing to the trunk of a great
tree which had fallen in some earlier storm.