The logs which I had cut with so much labor were still where I had left them when I had met with my accident. I shuddered when I saw the heavy timber which had pinned me down and remembered the tortures I had suffered.
I would be more careful this time and would make haste slowly. As I was far better equipped to build a raft now than when I had first attempted the undertaking, I had little fear of the outcome.
My life in the woods had added greatly to my health and strength and I found little difficulty in handling logs which had formerly resisted all my efforts.
But despite this, many hours were required to cut the logs by the slow process of burning, for I was obliged to cut several, since those which I had rolled to the lake in the autumn had been carried away by the ice.
Then came the hard, tedious work of rolling the logs to the water, but at the close of the second day I had the satisfaction of seeing eight lengths of logs floating on the lake and securely moored to the bank.
I had learned much during the months which had passed since I first reached the lake, and I went about building my raft with far greater confidence and greater skill than would have been possible the preceding autumn.
Slipping strong pieces of saplings beneath the floating logs, I lashed the projecting ends securely to corresponding crosspieces above the logs, and I also passed withes of willow around these pieces between each two logs. To draw these lashings taut and to secure the logs firmly I slipped short sticks through the withes, twisted them tightly, and bound them in position, and as the wood and lashings swelled in the water the strips of bark and twisted withes grew as hard and tight as wire.
But even then I was not satisfied, for I found that there was considerable play in the logs, and that instead of remaining rectangular in form the raft had a tendency to assume a diamond-shape.
As I had no wish to be dropped into the icy waters of the lake on my voyage, I placed numerous saplings diagonally across the raft, from corner to corner, lashed these firmly to the logs and crosspieces, secured another row of diagonal pieces above these in the opposite direction, and then found that the raft was as stiff, strong, and solid as one could wish.
Nearly a week had passed while I labored at my rude craft when at last it was finished and I prepared to set forth. I felt as if I was about to start on a voyage of discovery. Indeed, it was in truth a voyage of discovery, for beyond the waters of the little lake was a new and unknown land which I felt held greater reward for me than Columbus sought for when he sailed westward in his caravels.