DECEMBER 159 



slowly drive it in. Before the wedge is in half its 

 length a creaking sound is heard; the fibres are be- 

 ginning to tear, and a narrow rift shows on each side 

 of the iron. A few more strokes and the sound of 

 the rending fibres is louder and more continuous, with 

 sudden cracking noises, that tell of the parting of 

 larger bundles of fibres, that had held together tiU 

 the tremendous rending power of the wedge at last 

 burst them asunder. Now the man looks out a bit 

 of strong branch about four inches thick, and with the 

 tree-trunk as a block and the axe held short in one 

 hand as a chopper, he makes a wooden wedge about 

 twice the size of the iron one, and drives it into one 

 of the openings at its side. For if you have only one 

 iron wedge, and you drive it tight into your work, you 

 can neither send it farther nor get it out, and you feel 

 and look foolish. The wooden wedge driven in releases 

 the iron one, which is sent in afresh against the side 

 of the wedge of oak, the trunk meanwhile rending 

 slowly apart with much grieving and complaining of 

 the tearing fibres. As the rent opens the axe cuts 

 across diagonal bundles of fibres that still hold tightly 

 across the widening rift. And so the work goes on, 

 the man unconsciously exercising his knowledge of 

 his craft in placing and driving the wedges, the 

 helpless wood groaning and crealdng and finally 

 falling apart as the last holding fibres are severed 

 by the axe. Meanwhile the raw green wood gives 

 off a delicious scent, sweet and shai-p and refreshing. 



