hin the mill, was wound around an axle, which
was made to revolve by the machinery. The axle, thus revolving, wound up
the chain, and, in this manner, drew it gradually in, by which means the
log, which was attached to the lower end of it, was drawn up.

Presently, Marco's attention was attracted towards some men, who seemed
to be sailing about upon some logs, in a cove, just below the mill. He
went down immediately to see what they were doing. They had long poles
in their hands, with iron points in the ends of them, and were pushing
the logs about with these poles, to choose out such as they wished to
saw in the mill.

Just as Marco came down, one of the men stepped upon the end of a log
which was floating very near him. The log sank a little, but not much,
under him, and the man walked along towards the other end of it. Marco
wondered how he could keep his balance.

When the millman reached the farther end of the log, he extended his
long pole very dexterously, and struck the point of it into the corner
of a sort of wharf, which was built upon the bank; and then, pulling
gently, he drew himself along, together with the log upon which he was
floating. Marco was surprised at this, and he wondered that the man did
not fall off the log. He thought that if the log were to roll in the
least degree, the man would be rolled off into the water. He ran down to
the little wharf, so that he could see better.

"Well, my boy," said the millman, "do you belong on board the
steamboat?"

"Yes, sir," said Marco; "we got aground. You'll fall off of that log if
you don't take care."

"No," said the millman, "there's no danger."

"Why, if the log should roll the least atom, away you'd go," said
Marco, "though the water is not very deep."

Here the man began to step upon the log in a peculiar manner, so as to
make it roll. It rolled slowly, but the man continued stepping until he
had rolled it completely over. The side which had been under water
appeared of a dark color, and was very slippery, being covered with a
sort of slime; but the man did not slip. After he had thus rolled the
log completely over, he looked up to Marco, and said,

"There, you see that there is no danger."

When the man had drawn this log up to the shore, he went for another;
and he had to sail upon this second one a long distance, in bringing it
to its place. He pushed himself along by running his pole down to the
bottom, and pushing against the sand.