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SOBER JOHN. 61

* At noon, after dinner, John went out in
the shed, and took down a rope which he
had prepared, about ten feet long, and with
short cross-pieces of wood curiously spliced
into it, at equal distances, about two feet
apart, for handles to take hold of. He let
the two smallest boys take hold of the one
at the end, and the others came along in
pairs, at the other handles.» When he had
done, he said, ‘ There! there is a fine team
of horses! Now trot off to the carpenter’s,
and hook on to the jolly-boat he has got
made for you.’

“The boys started off in high glee.
When they got to the carpenter’s, they found
there a very long sled, with thin plank run-
ners, and a curious contrivance at the end
behind.”

“What was it?” said Rollo, eagerly.

“A kind of a rudder,” said Jonas.

“A rudder!” said Rollo; ‘ what, to steer
by ? 9

“Yes,” said Jonas. ‘It was a single
runner reaching out behind, in the middle.
It was fastened to a round bar which came
up through the end of a sled, and had a kind

Pad a handle at the top, so that it could move

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