e five
feet in length.

The raft went on its way, and as Michael had hitherto astonished the
wood-cutters, he now caused the raftsmen to marvel; for the raft,
instead of going more slowly down the stream, as one would have
thought, taking the monstrous baulks into consideration, it simply flew
forward like an arrow as soon as it reached the Neckar. And when it
came to a bend in the river where otherwise the raftsmen would have had
trouble to keep the raft in mid-stream or to prevent it from stranding,
Michael would spring into the water, and with one push would force the
raft to left or right, so that it escaped danger; and if they came to a
shallow, he ran to the forepart of the raft, made them all lay aside
their poles, laid a huge round beam on the sandbank, and with one push
the raft sped over, so fast that land, trees and villages seemed to fly
past. Thus they came to Cologne in about half the time it usually
takes. Here it was that the wood was always sold at that time; but
Michael addressed the raftsmen: "I can see that you are all good
business men, and know how to manage your affairs to the best
advantage! Do you suppose that here in Cologne they want all the timber
which comes from the Black Forest for their own use? Not at all: they
buy it from you at half its value, and then sell it at a higher price
in Holland. Let us sell our smaller beams here, and then go on to
Holland with the big ones; and what we receive above the usual price
will be for our own profit."

Thus spoke the cunning Michael, and the others agreed; some because
they wished to go to Holland, others for the sake of the money. There
was only one honest man among them, and he tried to dissuade them from
risking their master's goods, and from cheating him out of any higher
price they might get. But they would not listen to him, and soon forgot
the words he had said; though Dutch Michael did not forget them.

The raft continued its journey down the Rhine with Michael in command,
so that it soon arrived at Rotterdam. There they received about four
times the price usually obtained, while Michael's huge baulks fetched
an enormous sum of money. When the Black Foresters saw so much gold
they could scarcely contain themselves for joy. Michael divided the
money into four parts, setting aside one for the master, and dividing
the remainder among the men. With this they mixed with sailors and evil
characters, spending their money in dissipation and deba