40 THE ADIRONDACK. 



which one would stand half under a huge embankment 

 of logs, and hew away to loosen the whole, while 

 another with a " handspike"* kept them back. Once, 

 after a blow, I saw the entire mass start, when " Take 

 care ! take care ! " burst in such startling tones from 

 my lips, that the cool chopper sprung as if stung by 

 an adder ; then, with a laugh at his own foolish fright, 

 stepped back to his place again. The man with the 

 " handspike" never even turned his head, but with a 

 half grunt, as much as to say " Green horn from the 

 city," held on. It was really an exciting scene — the 

 mad leaping away of those huge logs, and their rapid, 

 arrowy-like movement down the stream. At length I 

 threw off my coat, and laying my gun aside, also 

 seized a " handspike," and was soon behind a log, tug- 

 ging and lifting away. I was on the top of a high bank, 

 and when*the immense timber gave way, and bounded 

 with a dull sound from rock to rock, till it struck with 

 a splash into the very centre of the current, my sud- 

 den shout followed it. The first plunge took it 

 out of sight, and when it rose to the surface 

 again, it stood, for a single moment, perfectly still in its 

 place, except that it rolled rapidly on its axis — the 



* A wooden lever. 



