"Yes, you would have a jolly time where there was cross currents. It would take about ten horse power to steer it."
"It's a lot better than yours," he said.
No doubt that was correct enough, but I did not take any pride in my ability as a ship constructor. Jim was yet to be heard from. And doubtless he would have improvements on both our designs. There was no question but there was room for them.
We went to work again at our task of hollowing the logs. We went at it fiercely because we wanted to accomplish something before dark. It was almost sunset now. Then we heard Jim's voice.
"Gee! Haw! Buck! Get up, Piute! Coyote!"
"By Jove, he's snaking down a big timber with our old plugs. Where do you suppose he got it?" exclaimed Tom.
"Swiped it from our next neighbors," I suggested. "It must have been part of the foundation, from the size of it."
"Hey, Jim, where did you corner that?" Tom yelled.
Jim did not deign to reply until he had brought the big timber alongside of the other logs.
"I captured that over there on the other side of the valley," he informed us proudly but indefinitely.