he braced the ends of two more logs, on which he once more caused to
be loaded at right angles many timbers. An old stub near shore
furnished him the basis of a third pier. He staked a thirty-inch
butt for a fourth; and so on, until the piers, in conjunction with
the small centre jam already mentioned, extended quite across the
river.

All this was accomplished in a very short time, and immediately
below the mill, but beyond sight from the sluice-gate of the dam.

"Now, boys," commanded Orde, "shove off some shore logs, and let
them come down."

"We'll have a jam sure," objected Purdy stupidly.

"No, my son, would we?" mocked Orde. "I surely hope not!"

The stray logs floating down with the current the rivermen caught
and arranged to the best possible advantage about the improvised
piers. A good riverman understands the correlation of forces
represented by saw-logs and water-pressure. He knows how to look
for the key-log in breaking jams; and by the inverse reasoning, when
need arises he can form a jam as expertly as Koosy-oonek himself--
that bad little god who brings about the disagreeable and undesired--
"who hides our pipes, steals our last match, and brings rain on the
just when they want to go fishing."

So in ten seconds after the shore logs began drifting down from
above, the jam was taking shape. Slowly it formed, low and broad.
Then, as the water gathered pressure, the logs began to slip over