Stránka:roll 1931.djvu/112

96 Woodcraft Birch Bark Roll Log Riding [BBB8 By Fay WELCH Fay Welch describes the log-riding done at Rock Oak Forestry Camp, as follows: The first step was to locate a dead White Pine near the shore of Spruce Lake. The boys who had become fairly expert with axes and cross-cut saws, felled this and cut off a twelve-foot butt log. This log was about two feet in diam- eter at the small end, and was very straight and symmetrical. Getting it into the lake was a good problem, but it was soon accomplished after a skid-way had been built and rollers and prys cut. At first the boys experienced considerable difficulty in reaching a standing position on the log, only about one in four being able to do it. Their method of accomplishing this was to swim to one end of the log, and pull up until prone on their breasts on the log. Often they were rolled off from this position; but if they were able to control the log, they next shifted to a sitting position. After balancing themselves, they, with hands on the log, drew their feet up under them, and then straightened to the standing position. In the beginning, the game consisted of seeing how long the boys could remain poised on the log; but some individuals soon became so expert that the rules were changed, making it necessary for the boys to start spinning the log after bal- ancing on it for 60 seconds.