But now that the trees were down the hardest part of the work began. This was to trim the huge logs and bind them together for a raft.
But this was finally accomplished. The logs were firmly bound, two tiers deep. This was reckoned sufficient to float the machine.
Then the Scorcher was run upon it. There was little time to spare.
The rise of the inland sea was so fast that already the water was up to their knees as they worked. The Scorcher was secured to the raft.
Then all waited for the water to cover the top of the hill and float the raft.
They had not long to wait.
It was already skimming over the highest point. The raft began to rise.
The voyagers had provided themselves with long poles to push the raft off and propel it with. Soon it was afloat.
It required several hours of hard work to propel it to the upper end of the lake or the slope of the volcano.
Here, however, a landing place was found, and the Scorcher was run off the raft upon terra firma.