with some barrel staves, old skate straps, a hammer, nails and other things.
"What are you doing?" asked Charley.
"Making snowshoes," Bert answered. "I'm using barrel staves. They are long and broad, and if I can fasten them to my feet with straps I can walk along on top of the snow, and not sink in."
"I don't believe barrel staves will make very good snowshoes," Charley said.
"Just you wait," answered Bert.
He fastened the straps to the middle of the pieces of barrel, and then strapped the strips of wood to his shoes.
"Now watch me!" Bert cried.
Back of the barn was a field covered deep with snow. It had not been trampled down.
"I'm going to walk out there," Bert said.
He shuffled across the floor of the barn. He could only lift his feet up a little way, for if he raised them too far the barrel staves would have become criss-crossed and have tripped him. So Bert had to shuffle along just like a Chinese laundryman who wears those funny straw slippers without any heels.
