124 
THE GOLDEN RIVER. 
straight up in the air, and the short end sticks 
out almost at right-angles to it, as each always 
tries to do in maddening fashion, nothing you 
can do will prevent the short end twisting itself 
round the long. You may think you are twist¬ 
ing the long length in its turn round the short, 
and yet when you look at it you see you have 
not. You will find it much easier if as you are 
twisting you keep the two ends well apart: 
that is, keep the angle between them a wide one, 
considerably more than a right-angle. When 
you have twisted five or six tight spirals this 
way, then indeed you can finish off by twisting 
the short end round the long, a few close turns, 
and then cut off short with your nippers. 
Nothing on earth can cause such a twist to 
draw : it will break first. 
If your fingers are very strong, you may be 
able to twist piano wire unaided; but most 
people want pliers. Get two pair : get the sort 
of which the lower part is a wire cutter and the 
upper has a roughened grip for holding. When 
you start twisting, pass the short end through 
the eye of the swivel and bend it short across the 
long end. Grip the crossing place tight with the 
edge of your pliers and hold them hard in your 
left hand. See that each end stands out at an 
equal angle from the crossing place, as has been 
said before, and bend and coax them till they 
do. Then take hold of both ends just above 
the junction and begin twisting. You can 
