Godfrey led the way along a narrow, winding path which ran through the cane, and after a few minutes walking ushered Dan into an open space in the centre of the island.

Here stood the little bark lean-to that he called his house.

The cane had been cleared away from a spot about fifteen feet square, and piled up around the outside, so that it looked like a little breastwork.
The lean-to was not a very imposing structure--Godfrey would much rather sit in the sun and smoke his pipe then expend any of his strength in providing for his comfort--but it was large enough to shelter one man, and with a few more pieces of bark on the roof and a roaring fire in front, it might have been made a very pleasant and inviting camp.

Just now, however, it looked cheerless enough.

There was a little armful of leaves under the roof of the lean-to and there was a block of wood beside the fire-place, the position of which was pointed out by a bed of ashes and cinders.