But Karl knew the process by which it could be metamorphosed into paper; and without further delay, he entered upon the performance--the others placing their services at his disposal, and acting in obedience to his orders.
The knife-blades of all three were called into requisition; and in an incredibly short space of time, some scores of the little trees were stripped of their bark--from their roots up to the lower branches.

The trees themselves were not cut down; as that was not necessary.

They could be peeled more readily, as they stood; and for this reason they were left standing.
Up to the hour of sunset did these "cascarilleros" work--with only a few minutes of interruption, while they went back to the hut, and ate a hurried luncheon of ibex-meat--and just as the sun was sinking behind the summit of the great Chumulari, they might have been seen trudging homeward--each bearing a heavy bundle of bark, with Fritz following gleefully at their heels.
The thicket from which they had taken their departure, gave evidence of the industry with which they had been working all day long.

Over a space, of nearly half an acre in extent, the trees were seen standing, each with its tiny trunk completely divested of bark: as if a whole gang of goats had been browsing upon them! On reaching the hovel, our bark-gatherers did not desist from their labour.

They only entered upon a new branch of industry: by becoming _paper manufacturers_.
It was after night; and they had to work by the light of their torches of cheel-pine, already prepared.