By the aid of a gimlet or awl, four holes should now be made through the board, beneath the end of each cross piece, and also directly under the side piece.  It is well to mark with a pencil, the various points for the holes, after which the sticks can be removed and the work much more easily performed.  The four holes should be about an inch apart, or so disposed as to mark the four corners of a square inch.  It is also necessary to make other holes along the length of the cross pieces, as seen in the illustration.  The line on these can also be marked with the pencil across the board, and the holes made afterwards.  These should also be an inch apart, and only two in number at each point, one on each side of the stick.  When all the holes are made the board should be turned over, in order to complete preparations on the other side.  The object of these various holes is for the passage of the leather shoe-strings for the purpose of securing the cross pieces firmly to the board.  In order to prevent these loops from wearing off on the under side, small grooves should next be made connecting the holes beneath, thus allowing the leather string to sink into the wood, where it is securely protected from injury.  A narrow chisel is the best tool for this purpose, the making of the grooves being much more easily and perfectly accomplished with this than with the jack-knife.  When the under side is thus finished the board may be turned over and the cross pieces and sides again arranged in place as already described.  Secure the pieces to the board by the leather strings through the various holes, always knotting on the upper surface, and taking care that the knots are firmly tied.  The ends of all the cross pieces will require a double cross stitch through the four holes beneath, in order to secure the side pieces as well.  This is plainly shown in the small diagram (a).  The front end of each side piece underneath should now be sharpened to a point, to allow for the bend at the front of the toboggan.  The cross piece at this end should be secured to the under side of the board, so that as it bends over it will appear on the upper edge, as our illustration shows.  The board should [Page 272] next be bent with a graceful curve, and thus held in position by a rope or strip of leather at each extremity of the end cross piece and attached to the ends of the third cross piece, as seen in the engraving.  If the bending is difficult and there is danger of breaking the board, the application of boiling water will render it pliable.  The draw strings should then be attached to the ends of the second cross piece, and our toboggan is now complete.

It may now be laden with two or three hundred pounds of merchandize and will be found to draw over the surface of the snow with perfect ease.  For coasting over the crust there is nothing like it.  Such a toboggan as we have described will easily accommodate three boys, the one at the stern being provided with a sharp stick for steering, and the front occupant holding firmly to the draw strings.  The toboggan is easily made, and will do good service either for traffic or sport.