it to cease for
a moment, and in half an hour the trunk of the tree was severed in two
places, giving them a log of the desired length to work on.

Then began the work of hewing it into shape, and this admitted of four
boys working at once, two with the axes, one with the adze and one
with the hatchet. When night came the log had already assumed the
shape of a rude boat, turned bottom up, and Sam was more than
satisfied with the progress made. His comrades were enthusiastic,
however, and insisted upon building a bonfire and working for an hour
or two by its light, after supper. They could not work at shaping it
by such a light, but they turned it over and hewed the side which was
to be dug out, down to a level with its future gunwales. The next day
they began work early, and when they quitted it at night their task
was done. The boat was a rude affair but reasonably well shaped,
broad, so that she drew very little water considering her weight, and
with a keel which kept her perfectly steady in the water.

CHAPTER XVI.

CAPTAIN SAM PLAYS THE PART OF A SKIPPER.

The launching of the boat was easy enough, and she rode beautifully on
the water. To test her capacity to remain right side up, Sam put the
boys one by one on her gunwale, and found that their combined weight,
thrown as far as possible to one side, was barely sufficient to make
her take water.

The stores were stowed carefully in the bow and stern; rough seats
were fitted in after the manner of a boat's thwarts, but not fastened.
They were left moveable for the purpose of making it possible for
several of the boys to lie down in the bottom of the boat at once.
There was no rudder as yet, although it was Sam's purpose to fix one
to the stern as soon as possible, and also to make a mast when they
should get to Pensacola, where a sail could be procured. For the
present two long poles and some rough paddles were their propelling
power.

"When we get out into the river," said Sam, "she will float pretty
rapidly on the high water, and we need only use the paddles to give
her steerage, and to paddle her out of eddies."

"What are the poles for?" asked Tom.

"To push her in shoal water, for one thing," answered Sam, "and to
fend off of banks and trees."

A large quantity of the long gray moss of the swamps was stored in the
bottom for bedding purposes, and the boat was ready for her
passengers. One by one they took their places, Sam in the bow, and the