the ring of the tackle block and the opposite ends were twisted over the ends of the seat board in the manner illustrated in Fig. 95.  The tackle blocks were quite small, having 2-inch sheaves, and they, together with the large pulley or “traveling block,” as we called it, cost us about $2.50.  Two light ropes were fastened to the large traveling block, each rope long enough to reach across the stream.  The ropes extended to opposite anchorages, where each was passed over a branch of the tree and belayed on a cleat within easy reach.  A fellow could draw himself up clear of the ground by pulling on the free end of the fall, as a painter does; then tying the swing fast in this position, he would pull himself across the stream by means of the rope stretched to the opposite anchorage.  The swing could be drawn back by the next one who wanted to cross.  We also used this aerial line for transporting loads from one island to the other.

Suspension Bridge.

[Illustration:  Fig. 97.  Barrel-stave Flooring.]

Our aerial railway didn’t last long.  We soon tired of it, and instead utilized the materials for a rope suspension bridge.  We procured from Lumberville half a dozen old barrels and used the staves as a flooring for the bridge.  The staves were linked together by a pair of ropes at each end woven over and under, as indicated in the drawing Fig. 97.  Notches were cut in the staves to hold the ropes from slipping off.  The flexible flooring thus constructed was stretched across the river and secured to stakes driven firmly in the ground.  A pair of parallel ropes were extended across the stream about three feet above the flooring, with which they were connected at intervals of five feet.  The bridge was 25 feet long, and while rather shaky, owing to the fact that there were no braces to prevent it from swaying sidewise, still it was very strong and did excellent service.

[Illustration:  Fig. 98.  The Suspension Bridge.]

Pontoon Bridge.

[Illustration:  Fig. 99.  The Pontoon Bridge.]

At the head of the mill-race, where the channel was fifty feet wide, we built a pontoon bridge.  We were fortunate in securing six good cider barrels at low cost, also a quantity of “slabs” from one of the sawmills of Lumberville.  “Slab” is the lumberman’s name for the outside piece of a log which is sawn off in squaring up the sides.  We made a raft of these materials and floated them down the river to Lake Placid.  The bridge was made by anchoring the barrels in the channel about eight feet apart, and laying on them the floor beams, which supported a flooring of slabs.  The floor beams were narrow planks 1 inch by 4 inches, taken from the bridge wreck, and they were placed on edge to prevent sagging.  Of course we had no anchors for securing the barrels, but used instead large stones weighing about 100 pounds each, around which the anchor lines were fastened.  We found it rather difficult to sink these improvised anchors at just the right