"It must be
done," he said (Robinson formed the habit of talking to himself, so
that he would not forget how to talk), "without hammer, nails, or
saw."
He first sought out four posts, as large as he could well handle.
There were always broken trees and branches in the forest. If he
searched long enough he could find posts just suited to his need. He
wanted four of the same thickness and height and with a fork at the
end. After long searching he found what he wanted. He was careful to
get those that he could drag to his shelter.
He placed these in the ground, forming the corners of a square about
ten feet long. In the forks he placed poles running around about eight
feet from the ground. At about every three feet he fastened others,
running in the same way, with heavy cords made of fibre. He found his
greatest trouble with the roof. It must be sloped to shed rain. He
had to find two more forked posts, three or four feet longer than the
others. These he placed opposite each other in the centers of two
sides. Upon these he placed a ridge pole. He then laid other poles
lengthwise from ridge pole to the edge of the frames.
His frame was now done. His plan was now to cover this frame with
straw or grasses tied in bundles. He had seen the barns in the country
thatched in this way by the Dutch farmers in New York State. He
gathered the straw of the wild rice. It was long, straight and tough.
[Illustration: ROBINSON'S BOWER]
It was easily tied into flat bundles.
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