followed the path chosen
for the piano box, and as the road was all ready, there was no delay.
Morgan superintended its progress, having three men to assist him.
Another pile was immediately made at the site of the house, and started
on its way with four men to handle it. A third and a fourth were piled
up, and by the time the last was ready, the first had arrived at its
destination. Slowly as the masses of lumber were moved, the
transportation was effected much sooner, and certainly with less labor,
than the building could have been carried down by the soldiers.

As soon as the last pile had been started, the lieutenant and myself
went down to the water. We had placed the dozen logs, intended for the
foundation of the raft, in the right place, where there was water
enough to float the structure after it was built, and the heavy piano
had been placed near it. When the second pile of lumber arrived, the
officer ordered the men who had come with it to prepare the timbers.
They were placed about a foot apart, and secured by nailing boards
across them. By the time the foundation was completed, the rest of the
lumber was on the spot, and all our force were ready for the work.

The frame of the house was laid upon the logs, and then the boards were
placed upon them, alternate layers crossing each other, so as to bind
the whole firmly together. The raft, when completed, was twenty-four
feet long, and fifteen wide. The most difficult task was yet to be
performed--the loading of the grand piano. We found it necessary to
remove the raft to a place where the bank was more shelving, so that
the shore side of the structure would rest on the ground, because the
weight of the piano on one side would cant it over so that we could not
work.

For skids we laid down a couple of smooth, water-soaked sticks of
timber, sliding the piano box upon them down to the raft. As soon as
the heavy body was on the raft, the side which floated settled down
before the box had reached the middle of the platform. The raft was
gradually pried off the shore with levers, and as it came to a level,
the box was moved farther upon it, till it had been placed in the
centre. Then the structure floated in all its parts, and I was glad to
see that its equilibrium had been correctly calculated. The piano was
not a heavy load for the raft, for it floated well out of water, and
had buoyancy enough to sustain the weight of a dozen men.

"What shall we do with that