“I’ve got a way,” Andy announced.  “I been thinkin’ and thinkin’ and I found a way to make un fast.”

“How’ll you make un fast now without nails?” David asked expectantly.

“We’ll tie un with spruce roots, like the Injuns puts their canoes together,” explained Andy.  “We’ll cut holes in each end of un in the right place to tie un fast to the braces of the boat.  We’ll have to make holes in the bottom of the boat each side of the braces for the roots to come through so we can make un fast.  That’ll hold un.  Then when we’ve made un fast we’ll caulk un up with spruce gum.”

“Why can’t we cut strips of sealskin off our sleepin’ bags for strings to tie un with?” suggested David. “‘Twould be easier than makin’ spruce root strings, and quicker too, and the sealskin would be strong 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.

“’Tis the steamer whistle!” David dropped the knife with which he was slicing pork, and with Jamie and Andy at his heels ran to the top of the highest rock on the island, where a wide view of the Bay lay before them.

A mile away the lumber company’s big steamer was feeling its way cautiously toward the west, bound inward to the Grampus River camps.  The boys waved their caps and shouted at the top of their lungs, but no one on the steamer appeared to see them.  It was not until the great strange vessel had become a mere speck in the distance that they turned back to the preparation of dinner.

“They didn’t see us,” said David in disappointment.

“We’re not wantin’ to go to Grampus River, whatever,” Andy cheered.  “We’re goin’ to Fort Pelican when we has the boat fixed up, and she’s ’most done.”

After dinner they settled to the task.  Two of the narrow boards which they had prepared were required to cover the break, which occurred between two braces.  The edges of the boards where they were to join were whittled straight, that the joint might be made as tight as possible.  Then David held them in place while Andy marked the position for the holes through which the spruce root thongs were to pass.