110 OFF ON A RAFT. 



spirits. They accordingly shouldered their axes and 

 followed their veteran comrade, who was already 

 searching for trees suitable to his purpose. In such a 

 place these were not difficult to find. Each selected his 

 tree, and in a short time the ground was covered with 

 logs of dry timber some eighteen or twenty feet in 

 length. 



These were trimmed and flattened, and the necessary 

 number being at length prepared, they were conveyed 

 to the water's edge, old Jake supporting the butt end 

 on his shoulder, Gaultier lending his aid in the middle, 

 and Pierre leading. Withes made from the roots of 

 the e'pinette tree and strips of bison hide lashed the 

 logs together, which finally formed a platform about 

 eighteen feet square. 



On this were thrown the tender branchlets of the 

 firs, on which the voyageurs could repose in comfort 

 when not engaged in navigating their raft. Two long 

 slender poles were cut to steer with ; and having at 

 length finished their clumsy craft, and taken on board 

 the furs and stores, they shoved off from the bank and 

 floated quietly down stream. 



