Others followed his example, and soon the river was full of warriors, each trying to mount a log and sail across the lake. Some of the limbs, however, were too small to bear their weight, and had to be abandoned. Others were of awkward shape and would not remain long in the same position, and so could not be controlled. Several, however, mounted successfully, and expected soon to reach the opposite shore. Pounder was in the lead, and beckoned the rest to follow him. But there were not logs enough to supply all, so that not many followed him, and some began to disparage this means of crossing. “Come on,” cried Pounder. “If you are afraid of the water, how do you expect to meet the enemy?” “Come back,” replied Koree, “till we can all provide ourselves with logs, or else find other means of crossing.” [Illustration: POUNDER’S MISHAP.] “I will not come back,” he said; “you are cowards, and when I get on the other side I will”— Just then his log turned, and the great Pounder was seen with his feet in the air, kicking at the sun. Down he went head first into the water and out of sight. Soon, however, he reappeared, and after spitting out a mouthful of water, and shaking his locks, tried to regain his log. But he could not raise himself for awhile, and when at last he succeeded in remounting the log it turned again and buried him a second time out of sight. “I would rather have hold of an alligator than of this thing,” he said, as he came up spitting and shivering. Finding, however, that he could not mount the log securely, he abandoned it, and swam back to the shore; and all the rest who had not been thrown from their logs followed his example, lest they should meet a like disaster. But the experiment was not lost, and the fruitless attempt to cross in this way suggested several improvements in navigation. “Some logs float better than others,” observed Koree; and there was a long discussion about how to trim and hew them so as to make them hold a man. Many experiments were made. They used their stone wedges and bear’s teeth to hollow them into shape. This work continued for days, and as a result of their consultations and efforts, a crude canoe, or boat was formed, but not till after many failures to make it hold its contents. The first success was accomplished by Duco who managed, after many dangers, to cross the lake in a vessel of his own construction. There was now an ambition in every one to construct a boat, and they almost forgot the war in their enthusiasm for this new industry. The art of ship-building was thus begun, and a navy put in process of construction. CHAPTER XXIV. [Illustration] “We can never at this rate,” said Koree, “construct boats enough to cross this water. We have already toiled many days and only one man has yet crossed and returned.”