noon
During the week the scoutmaster had gone over the ground with Mr. Grimstone and marked certain trees which were to be taken out , mainly white pines from six to eight inches in diameter that were too closely crowded to develop properly , so there was no delay in starting work . Immediately on reaching the point , the entire troop was divided into groups of three or four , each under the leadership of a boy who knew how to handle an ax . As soon as he felled a tree the others trimmed off the scanty limbs , sawed it into proper lengths , and stacked these up in piles on either side of the glade . By noon the piles had assumed such proportions that after luncheon half of the wood-cutters were called off and set to notching the ends of the log , about eight inches from the end , and this was work in which everybody could take part . The notches were made on opposite sides of the log , about eight inches from the end , and were a quarter the thickness of the timber in depth . The logs averaged pretty much the same diameter , so that , when fitted together at right angles with the under notch on one side resting in the upper notch on the other , the whole length was snugly in contact , with scarcely any chinks to be filled in . `` That 's the great advantage of pine , '' said Mr. Curtis , when he had explained the method to the boys .