noon
On the southern and western edge of our `` island '' -- thus being nearest Efaw Kotee 's settlement -- were a lot of fallen palms ; trees that many years ago had been killed by fire and now lay partially rotted . The best of these Smilax had planned to make into a fort ; not an elaborate affair , but a shoulder-high hollow square , around which was to be built another hollow square , a three foot space between their walls to be filled with sand . It was a good idea , and would stop a Krag or modern Springfield bullet with ease . We worked on this till noon ; he trimming , lifting and placing the logs -- and elephants have never swung teak more splendidly -- while I , with our jointed camp spade , filled in the sand . The use of an axe could not possibly betray our position as Efaw Kotee had been betrayed , because the breeze continued from him to us , and also for the equally good reason that the bite of an axe in soggy palmetto does not sound with anything like the ring that is caused by hardwood . So our walls grew , being fitted with nice precision that gave them more than enough strength to sustain the filling of sand -- which , in turn , was kept from sifting through the interstices by a double lining of palm leaves . After an early luncheon we went back to add a few finishing touches , and then stood off admiring it .