41 



next moment it yielded to the impetuosity of the cur- 

 rent and darted away as if inherent with life, and 

 moved straight towards a precipice that frowned over 

 the water below. Recoiling from the shock, its head 

 swung off with the current, and away it shot out 

 of sight. 



The stream gets full of these logs, which often catch 

 on some rock or projecting root, and accumulate till a 

 hundred or more will be all tangled and matted to- 

 gether. There they lie rising and falling on the un- 

 easy current, while a driver slowly and carefully steps 

 from one to another, feeling with his feet and " hand- 

 spike," to see where the " drag" is. Wlien he finds it, 

 he loosens, perhaps with a blow, the whole rolling, 

 tumbling mass, and away it moves. Now look out, 

 bold driver, thy footing is not of the most certain kind, 

 and a wild and angry stream is beneath thee. Yet see 

 how calmly he views the chaos. The least hurry or 

 alarm and he is lost : — but no, he moves without agi- 

 tation, — now balancing himself a moment, as the log 

 he steps upon shoots downward, then quickly passing to 

 another as that rolls under him, he is gradually worlv- 

 ing his way towards the» shore. He has almost suc- 

 ceeded in reaching the bank, vv^lion the whole floating 



