Thisintensecoldlastedtillthe15thofAugust,without,however,passingthedegreeofFahrenheitalreadymentioned.Whentheatmospherewascalm,thelowtemperaturewaseasilyborne,butwhenthewindblew,thepoorsettlers,insufficientlyclothed,feltitseverely.PencroftregrettedthatLincolnIslandwasnotthehomeofafewfamiliesofbearsratherthanofsomanyfoxesandseals.

           "Bears,"saidhe,"aregenerallyverywelldressed,andIasknomorethantoborrowforthewinterthewarmcloakswhichtheyhaveontheirbacks."

           "But,"repliedNeb,laughing,"perhapsthebearswouldnotconsenttogiveyoutheircloaks,Pencroft.ThesebeastsarenotSt.Martins."

           "Wewouldmakethemdoit,Neb,wewouldmakethem,"repliedPencroft,inquiteanauthoritativetone.

           Buttheseformidablecarnivoradidnotexistintheisland,oratanyratetheyhadnotyetshownthemselves.

           Inthemeanwhile,Herbert,Pencroft,andthereporteroccupiedthemselveswithmakingtrapsonProspectHeightsandattheborderoftheforest.

           Accordingtothesailor,anyanimal,whateveritwas,wouldbealawfulprize,andtherodentsorcarnivorawhichmightgetintothenewsnareswouldbewellreceivedatGraniteHouse.

           Thetrapswerebesidesextremelysimple;beingpitsdugintheground,aplatformofbranchesandgrassabove,whichconcealedtheopening,andatthebottomsomebait,thescentofwhichwouldattractanimals.