grating, they had jammed. These logs would have to be floated
singly, and pushed one by one against the current across the pond and
into the influence of the sluice-gate. Some of them would be hard to
come at.

"I guess that will keep them busy for a day or two," commented Orde, as
he followed the rear down to where it was sacking below the dam.

This, as Orde had said, would be sufficiently annoying to Heinzman,
but would have little real effect on the main issue, which was that the
German was getting down his logs with a crew of less than a dozen men.
Nevertheless, Orde, in a vast spirit of fun, took delight in inventing
and executing practical jokes of the general sort just described. For
instance, at one spot where he had boomed the deeper channel from the
rocks on either side, he shunted as many of Heinzman's logs as came by
handily through an opening he had made in the booms. There they grounded
on the shallows--more work for the men following. Many of the logs in
charge of the latter, however, catching the free current, overtook the
rear, so that the number of the "H" logs in the drive was not materially
diminished.

At first, as has been hinted, these various tactics had little effect.
One day, however, the chore boy, who had been over to Spruce Rapids
after mail, reported that an additional crew of twenty had been sent in
to Heinzman's drive. This was gratifying.

"We're making him scratch gravel, boys, anyway," said Orde.

The men entered into the spirit of the thing. In fact, their enthusiasm
was almost too exuberant. Orde had constantly to negative new and
ingenious schemes.

"No, boys," said he, "I want to keep on the right side of the law. We
may need it later."

Meanwhile the entire length of the river was busy and excited.
Heinzman's logs were all blazed inside a week. The men passed the
hatchets along the line, and slim chance did a marked log have of
rescue once the poor thing fell into difficulties. With the strange
and interesting tendency rivermen and woodsmen have of personifying the
elements of their daily work, the men addressed the helpless timbers in
tones of contempt.

"Thought you'd ride that rock, you ---- ---- ----," said they, "and got
left, did you? Well, lie there and be ---- to you!"

And if chance offered, and time was not pressing, the riverman would
give his helpless victim a jerk or so into a more difficult position.
Times of rising water--when the sluice-gates above had