FALL OF THE OAK. 175 



the saw will go so far throughythat scarcely an 

 inch appears to hold the tree up^ and yet it 

 continues to stand. At lengthy a peculiar 

 cracking was heard. Two men now took the 

 rope's end as far off as it would allow them^ 

 and pulled^ gently swaying the tree backwards 

 and forwards, whilst two more drove in 

 wedges at the gash where the saw had entered, 

 and thus relieved greatly the labour of the 

 sawyers. At another loud crack, they sud- 

 denly desisted- — we all stepped backwards. 

 Three or four of the men now went to assist 

 those at the rope, who took care to stand a 

 little sideways of the expected fall. The head- 

 man cried at each pull, One — Two — Three" 

 — that they might all act together. At the 

 third cry, all bore with their whole strength. 

 Now, a low bursting sort of noise succeeded — 

 the mighty trunk swayed fairly over, and, with 



