Page:The American Boy's Handy Book edition 1.djvu/146

Many hints of this same kind might be given, but this one will suffice to show that a boy with his wits about him can lighten very materially the fatigues inseparable from camping out and flat-boating. Endurance of hardship is noble in itself, and there is call enough for it in this rough-and-tumble world; but the fellow who most enjoys "roughing it" in a trip outdoors is he who is quickest to save himself unnecessary exertion by using the simplest means at hand.

From the saw-mills away up among the tributaries of the Ohio River come floating down to the towns along the shore great rafts of pine lumber. These rafts are always objects of interest to the boys, for the youngsters know that when moored to the shore the solidly packed planks make a splendid platform to swim from. Fine springing-boards can be made of the projecting blades of the gigantic sweeps which are used to guide the mammoth rafts, and, somewhere aboard, there is always to be found a "Yankee Pine." Just when or why this style of skiff was dubbed with such a peculiar name I am unable to state; but this I know, that when a raft is to be broken up and carted away to the lumber yards there is, or always used to be, a good, light skiff to be had cheap.

However, all boys do not live on the bank of the river, and if they did there would hardly be "Yankee Pines" enough to go round; so we will at once proceed to see how to build one for ourselves. Although my readers may find the "Yankee Pine" a little more difficult to build than the blunt-ended, flatbottomed scow, it really is a comparatively simple piece of work for boys familiar with the use of carpenters' tools.

For the side pieces select two straight-grained pine boards free from knots. These boards should be about 13 or 14 feet long,