SPLITTING OLD ROOTS. 183 



and the operation was to be repeated. They 

 now rubbed the sides of the wedge with chalk, 

 and putting it in the same place, at length suc- 

 ceeded in driving it firmly in. Each man then 

 took a beetle, and, with the greatest regularity 

 and truth of aim, smote it alternately, till the 

 wedge was fairly buried in the wood. 



Oh !" said Frederick, laughing, now 

 what is to be done ? Nobody can get the 

 wedge out, I am sure : and the wood is not in 

 the least split ! " 



Let us see," said Mr. Longhvirst ; the 

 men do not seem at all concerned about their 

 wedge." 



They now took another wedge, and placing 

 it as close as they could to the one already in, 

 they drove the fresh one also completely down 

 and level with the first. Not to make too 

 long a story of it, however, it is sufficient to 



