“We’ll get the tent up first,” called Reade.

“Of course,” smiled Dave.  “That’s all you’re boss of anyway, Tom.”

“Come on, then, and spread the canvas out,” Tom ordered.  “Bring it over this way.  We want it under the trees at the edge of the clearing.  Dan, you bring the longest poles.”

Under Tom’s further direction the canvas was spread just where he wanted it.  Then the ridge-pole was secured in place across the tops of the highest two standing poles.

“Run it in under the canvas,” Tom directed.  “We’ll get the metal tips of the poles through the proper roof holes in the canvas.  There, that’s right.  Dick, you and Greg stand by that long pole; Dave, you and Dan by the other.  Now, then—–­raise her!”

Up off the ground went the two uprights and the ridge-pole, the canvas hanging shapelessly from the ridge-pole.

“Bring that wooden sledge over here, Harry,” was Foreman Reade’s next order.  “Now, drive in this stake while I hold it.  Remember to hit the stake, not my hands.”

The stake being soon driven into place Reade slipped the loop of a guy-rope around it, partly tightening the rope.  Then he slipped to the next corner, where the process was repeated.

“Hurrah!” burst from Danny Grin, as the fourth corner stake was driven, and now the tent began to take shape.

“You fellows holding the poles may let go of them now,” called Tom.  “Come and help with the other stakes and guy-ropes.”

As soon as the ropes along a given side of the tent had been made fast the side wall poles were stepped into place.  At last the task of tent-raising was completed, save for the final tightening of all the ropes.  Now Dick and Dave, under their foreman’s orders, began to drive the shorter stakes that held the bottoms of the tent walls in place.

“Hurrah!” went up from several throats, as the boys stood back to take in the full dimensions of their big, new tent.

“My but she’s a whopper!” exclaimed Danny Grin, pushing back the door flaps and peering inside.

“We won’t find the tent any too large for a crowd of our size,” Dick declared.  “You all remember how crowded we were in the tent that we used last summer.  You’ll find we can fill this tent up when we get it furnished.”

“Dick,” called Tom, “take all of my gang except Harry.  He and I will lay the floor.”

Reade and Hazelton thereupon began to carry in two-by-four timbers and lay them where they wanted them on the ground inside the tent.  Next they nailed boards across.  They had bought all of this timber in Gridley secondhand at a bargain.

“Dave, you and Dan can start the furnace, while Greg and I unpack supplies,” suggested Prescott.

Thereupon Darrin and Danny Grin started in to move a small pile of bricks.  Next a tub of mixed mortar was carried to the level spot decided upon as the place whereon to erect the “furnace.”