[Illustration:  Fig. 124.  Center Form.]

[Illustration:  Fig. 125.  Intermediate Form.]

[Illustration:  Fig. 126.  The Stem Piece.]

[Illustration:  Fig. 127.  Skeleton Frame of Canoe.]

[Illustration:  Fig. 128.  Section at Center of Canoe.]

Our sailing canoe proved such a good one that we decided to build a second.  This was to be much lighter, for paddling only, and of the true Indian shape, with wide, bulging sides and raised stem and stern.  The dimension of the forms used are given in Figs. 124 and 125.  These forms, it will be observed, were notched to receive the keelson and gunwales.  The keelson was formed of 1-inch spruce 3 inches wide and 10 feet long.  The stem and stern, which were both of the same shape, were cut from a 12-inch board to the form shown in Fig. 126, and were firmly secured to the keelson.  This made the boat 12 feet long.  The forms were then set in place on the keelson, one at the center and the others three feet each side.  The gunwales were formed of 3/4-inch by 2-1/2-inch spruce, and the twelve rib bands used were of the size used in our first boat.  As none of these forms was to remain in the boat, nails were driven very lightly into them, with heads projecting so that they could easily be withdrawn when it was time to remove the forms.  The cross ribs were passed under the keelson inside of the rib bands and outside of the gunwales, as shown in Fig. 128.  After they were set in place and firmly secured with copper tacks, a band was nailed to the keelson to form the keel.  To produce the raised stem and stern, four wedge-shaped pieces were nailed to the tops of the gunwales, as indicated in Fig. 129.  The forms were then removed and were replaced with cross sticks braced between the gunwales.  The center cross stick was provided with two corner pieces, as shown in Fig. 130, adapted to fit under the gunwales and against the rib bands.  The canvas was then applied in the manner described before, but was tacked to the upper edge of the gunwale instead of the outer side, and the tacks were covered by a half-round molding which extended around the entire boat.  After the lacing was cut the edge of the canvas was secured to the under edges of the gunwales.  The canoe was then completed by fastening on a 1-inch square keel and treating the boat with two coats of paint.  The paddle was a duplicate of the one described in connection with the sailing canoe.

I remember that we eventually equipped our paddling canoe with a sail and a pair of lee boards, though no record of this fact appears in the chronicles of the society.

[Illustration:  Fig. 129.  Wedge Pieces at the Ends.]

[Illustration:  Fig. 130.  The Cross Braces.]

CHAPTER XI.

HOUSE BUILDING.

One afternoon Fred, who had waded over to Lumberville after some provisions, came splashing back holding aloft a large square envelope.  It was from Uncle Ed and contained a photograph of a group of Wichita Indians building a large grass lodge.  In a brief explanatory letter Uncle Ed suggested that we build a similar hut on our Island.