The Argosy, Volume XLIV — page 223: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE CRUISE OF We anchored the side pieces at each end, measured off the space we desired tor the width of the raft, and then be- gan to split logs into flat slabs. Some of the trees split easily into long boards, and, though they were rough, they an- swered- our purpose as well as boards from a planing mill. | ‘hese we laid across the two “ float- ers,” as we called the long pieces, and made them fast with ropes, strength- ening this by driving wooden pegs through the ends. These wooden pegs made us some trouble, for at times we would make a mistake and drive one into a bamboo and split it. That length of bamboo had to be taken out and replaced by a sound one. Take it all in all, the building of such a craft as ours is no play. Of course we could have done with less care and less labor, but we were determined that our craft should be made as safe as possible, and considered no amount of extra labor too great. At last we had the flooring on. It was a preat, bulky platform, a hundred feet long and twenty feet wide, rising now, with the weight of the deck, only about three feet out of water. When we lashed the last board across and drove home the final peg, Ross leaped upon it and gave an exhibition of what he could do m the way of a war- dance. “Ain't -it great?” he shouted. “Let’s give a ball and invite our friends. What do they call it? A house warming. Yes, this is a raft warming.” “You'd better wait tul you get where you have some friends,” said Foster. “T assure you, you have none on this island.” “Go to, thou croaker,” quoth Ross. “ve the professor and the kayhbees.” “Invite them to your dance,” I said. “Shut up, and let’s see about the house.”’ We measured a space about twenty- five feet in the center, or almost the center, lengthwise, being slightly to the rear. This was going to be the most difficult part of the job. We could build the house easily enough, but the question was how to secure it to the deck s0 that high seas THE HANDICAP. Zhe would not wash it away or a strong wind hlow it overboard. It was finally decided to lay a second floor and secure it with wooden pegs. his meant a great deal of labor; for though we had axes, and could chop all the pegs we wanted, the boring of holes was a prodigious task. But Mr. Donald- son assisted us there. We fished up the remains of the wrecked launch, and took out its metal. The engine was in good condition, but the tank had been broken, and there was no gasoline. But we decided to take the engine with us, not knowine when it might be of use. | We straightened a rod and heated it. With this at white heat we burned through the planks, and then drove in the wooden pegs, making everythiny tight and secure. | We laid hewn beams along the lines of the house, mortised them at the ends, and then set our uprights. Oh, we were builders! : After placing the uprights and hind- ing them with smaller pieces about six fect above the deck, we proceeded to cut out our boards for the sides. This was casv work, for we had trees that split without a knot. We made these as light as possible, and when thev were in position thev made scarcely anv difference in the welght of the raft. The big platform was perfectly stcadv in the bay, and we trusted it would be so at sea. We divided the house into three rooms with bamboo partitions. One room was for Marv, the other for general use, and the third was kitchen and dining-room, or for the crew when not actively engaged in sailing the ship. We paid little attention to our own sleeping accommodations. In the first place, we did not expect to spend more than a night or two on the raft, and be- sides that, we anticipated that it would require all hands to sail the raft. We fixed up a bed for Mary and one for her father. We next cut a long pole for a mast, and fitted it with a block. The block was certainly a crude affair, and some- time. got stuck. But it was the beat we could do. We cut out the shape, and the pro- ‘ Colin ElOOO Colin