He knew exactly what he intended to do. Far back on the head-waters
he built a dam. The construction of it was crude, consisting merely
of log cribs filled with stone and debris placed at intervals across
the bed of the stream, against which slanted logs made a face. The
gate operated simply, and could be raised to let loose an entire
flood. And indeed this was the whole purpose of the dam. It
created a reservoir from which could be freed new supplies of water
to eke out the dropping spring freshets.

Having accomplished this formidable labour--for the trees had to be
cut and hauled, the stone carted, and the earth shovelled--the crew
next moved down a good ten miles to where the river dropped over a
rapids rough and full of boulders. Here were built and placed a row
of stone-filled log cribs in a double row down stream to define the
channel and to hold the drive in it and away from the shallows near
either bank. The profile of these cribs was that of a right-angled
triangle, the slanting side up stream. Booms chained between them
helped deflect the drive from the shoals. Their more important
office, however, was to give footing to the drivers.

For twenty-five miles then nothing of importance was undertaken.
Two or three particularly bad boulders were split out by the
explosion of powder charges; a number of snags and old trees were
cut away and disposed of; the channel was carefully examined for
obstructions of any kind whatever. Then the party came to the
falls.

Here Orde purposed his most elaborate bit of rough engineering. The
falls were only about fifteen feet high, but they fell straight down
to a bed of sheer rock. This had been eaten by the eddies into pot-