ack; and he went himself and thrust the fork,
handle downward, into the basin of the spring. "Now, Link, you be the
engineer; show your skill; tell me where to fix this paper."

Link was delighted with the important part assigned him.

"Higher!" he commanded, from behind the pail. "Not quite so high. Not
quite so low. Now just a millionth part of an inch higher--there!"

"A millionth part of an inch is drawing it rather fine," said Jack, as
he pinned the paper.

Afterward, going and looking across the level, he decided that Link had
taken a very accurate aim. Then, his pocket-measure being once more
applied, the paper was found to be only seven inches higher than the
water in the basin.

"Seven inches from six feet one inch, leaves five feet six inches as the
height of the spring water above the level of our sights at the kitchen
window. Now, I measured, and found they were there thirteen inches
higher than the bottom of the sink; which shows that if you carry this
water in pipes, you can have your spout, or faucet, thirteen inches
higher than the bottom of your sink, and still have a head of water of
five feet and six inches, to give you a running stream."

The boys were much astonished, and asked how it happened that they had
been so deceived.

"You have unconsciously based all your calculations on the fact that you
go _down_ to Peakslow's. The road falls a little all the way. But it
doesn't fall much between your house and the place where you turn into
the woodland. There you take a path among the bushes, which really rises
all the way, though quite gradually, until you pass the ridge and go
down into the ravine. Vinnie hasn't been accustomed to talk of going
down to the spring, as you have; and so, you see, she was the only one
who thought Wad at first placed his paper too high. Perhaps this doesn't
account for your mistake; but it is the best reason I can give."

"How about the pipes?" Rufe asked.

"You can use pump-logs for pipes."

"But we have no pump-logs!"

"You have enough to reach from here to North Mills and return. They are
growing all about you."

"Trees!" said Wad. "They are not pump-logs."

"Pump-logs in the rough," replied Jack. "They only need cutting, boring,
and jointing. All pump-logs were once trees. These small-sized oaks are
just the thing for the purpose; you have acres of them, and in places
the timber needs thinning out. You can use the straight stems for your
aqueduct, and th