They were rather shapeless garments, and they had little of beauty save in the rich fur itself, but they were wonderfully warm and that was what they wanted most.
Tayoga, after a while, began slow and painstaking work on a pair of snowshoes, expecting to devote many days to the task.
"The snow is so deep we cannot pass through it," he said, "but I, at least, will pass upon it.

I cannot get the best materials, but what I have will serve.

I shall not go far, but I want to explore the country about us." Robert thought it a good plan, and helped as well as he could with the work.

They still stayed outdoors as much as possible, but the cold became intense, the temperature going almost to forty degrees below zero, the surface of the snow freezing and the boughs of the big trees about the valley becoming so brittle that they broke with sharp crashes beneath the weight of accumulated snow.

Then they paused long enough in the work on the snowshoes to make themselves gloves of buckskin, which were a wonderful help, as they labored in the fresh air.