Stanton's cabin was the furthest of these temporary habitations, and
was partly on the declivity which began to slope to the river's bank. It
was, like the others, a rough shanty of unplaned boards, but, unlike the
others, it had a base of logs laid lengthwise on the ground and parallel
with each other, on which the flooring and structure were securely
fastened. This gave it the appearance of a box slid on runners, or a
Noah's Ark whose bulk had been reduced. Jules explained that the logs,
laid in that manner, kept the shanty warmer and free from damp. In reply
to Hemmingway's suggestion that it was a great waste of material, Jules
simply replied that the logs were the "flotsam and jetsam" of the creek
from the overflowed mills below.
Hemmingway again smiled. It was again the old story of Western waste
and prodigality. Accompanied by Jules, however, he climbed up the huge,
slippery logs which made a platform before the door, and entered.
The single room was unequally divided; the larger part containing three
beds, by day rolled in a single pile in one corner to make room for a
table and chairs.
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