The sun was drooping low in the west when David, indicating a low, wooded point, said: 

“That’s Flat P’int.  There’s good water there and ’tis a fine camping place.”

“Then we’ll camp there,” Doctor Joe agreed.

“Look!  Look!” exclaimed Andy, as the boat approached the shore.  “There’s a porcupine!”

Following the direction in which Andy pointed, a fat porcupine was discovered high up in a spruce tree feeding upon the tender branches and bark.

“Shall we have un for supper?” Andy asked excitedly.

“Aye,” said David, “let’s have un for supper.  Fresh meat’ll go fine.”

A shot from the rifle, when they had landed, brought the unfortunate porcupine tumbling to the ground, and Andy proceeded at once to skin and dress his game for supper.

“I’ll be cook and Andy cookee,” Doctor Joe announced.  “We’ll get wood for the fire, David, and you and Jamie pitch the tent and get it ready.”

Flat Point was well wooded, and the floor of the forest thickly carpeted with grey caribou moss.  David selected a level spot between two trees on a little rise near the shore.  The ridge rope was quickly stretched between the trees and the tent securely pegged down.  Then David and Jamie broke a quantity of low-hanging spruce boughs, which they snapped from the trees with a dexterous upward bend of the wrist.  When a liberal pile of these had been accumulated at the entrance of the tent, David proceeded to lay the bed.

The rear of the tent was to be the head.  Here he laid a row of the boughs, three deep, with the convex side uppermost, then he began “shingling” the boughs in rows toward the foot.  This was done by placing the butt end of the bough firmly against the ground with half the bough, the convex side uppermost, overlapping the bough above it, as shingles are lapped on a roof.  Thus continuing until the floor of the tent was covered he had a soft, fragrant springy bed, quite as soft and comfortable as a mattress, and upon this he and Jamie spread the sleeping-bags.

In the meantime Doctor Joe and Andy had collected an ample supply of dry wood for the evening, and when, presently, David and Jamie joined them, a cheerful fire was blazing and already an appetizing odour was rising from the stew kettle.

When the stew and some tender dumplings were done Doctor Joe lifted the kettle from the fire, and while he filled each plate with a liberal portion, and Andy poured tea, David put fresh wood upon the fire, for the evening had grown cold and frosty with the setting sun.  The blazing fire was cheerful indeed as they settled themselves upon the seat of boughs and proceeded to enjoy their supper.

“Um-m-m!” exclaimed Andy.  “You knows how to cook wonderful fine, Doctor!”

“’Tis wonderful fine stew!” seconded David.

“Not half bad,” admitted Doctor Joe, “but Andy had as much to do with it as I, and the porcupine had a good deal to do with it.  It was young and fat, and it’s tender.”