not mean that fifty trees had to be chopped down,
because we could usually cut two logs from a single tree. As the logs
would have to overlap about a foot at each corner, we had to cut the
longer ones to a length of 14 feet and the others to a length of 12
feet. Aside from these we had to have several 16-foot logs for the roof.
Only the straightest logs were chosen, and while Bill and Reddy wielded
the axes the rest of us hacked off the small branches with hatchets and
hauled the sticks down the river. Here we tied them together to make a
raft.

THE LOG RAFT.

[Illustration: Fig. 264. Tying the Logs Together.]

This was done by running a pair of ropes alternately over and under the
logs at each end (see Fig. 264). About fifteen were thus fastened
together, and then as an extra precaution a log was laid across each end
of the raft and tied fast. As soon as we had cut enough timber for our
first raft, we all ceased work, to take a ride down the river on the
logs. Two of us, armed with poles, were to do the steering. There was
one spot in the river of which we were rather apprehensive. That was a
bit of shallow, swift water three miles from camp. A line of rocks
jutted up from the river, forming a natural dam which was broken only at
the eastern end. The water swirled madly through this opening, and
veering off a huge rock which lay directly in front of the gap turned
sharply westward. As we neared this dam the river became deeper and
deeper, until finally we could no longer reach bottom with the poles,
and could not properly steer the boat. For some time we drifted
helplessly round and round in the still water above the dam. Then
suddenly the current caught us and we swept like a shot for the opening.
The gap was quite wide, and had we only thought to provide ourselves
with oars we could have steered the raft clear of the rocks below, but
we were entirely at the mercy of the current, and with a terrific crash
we were hurled head on against the boulder.

[Illustration: Getting Dinner.]

[Illustration: The Photo after which Our Log Cabin was Modeled.]

Just what happened then I can not say. When I undertook to record the
incident in the chronicles of the S. S. I. E. E. of W. C. I., I found
there were five entirely different versions of the affair besides my
own. I knew that immediately after the shock I found myself struggling
in the water just below the rock over which I must have been slung by
the force of the im