found it more and more difficult to raise the logs to position.  We could not lift them directly to the top of the wall, but had to roll them up on “skids”; that is, on a pair of 14-foot logs which were laid against the top of the wall.  When the walls had reached a height of about 5 feet above the foundation logs, a length 4 feet 9 inches long was cut out of the top log to allow space for sawing out the front door and window, and also a 30-inch piece was cut out for the side window.  Cleats temporarily held the sawed ends of the logs, while the walls were carried on up to a height of a little over 6 feet from the foundation logs.

[Illustration:  Fig. 270.  Skids.]

The Roof of the Log Cabin.

Then we started laying the roof.  A 16-foot log was now notched in place at each side, with its forward end projecting about 3 feet over the front of the cabin to form a shelter in front of the building.  A pair of 12-foot logs were then laid in position.  The next pair of 16-foot logs were laid about 20 inches in from the sides, and after a pair of the cross logs had been set in place a third pair of logs were laid about 40 inches from the sides.  Finally, a single 16-foot log was set in place at the center, to serve as the ridge beam of the roof.  The roof logs were all carefully tested to see if they were sound before we laid them in place, because we did not want to run any risk of the roof falling in, particularly in the winter time, when it would be heavily covered with snow.  A chalk line was drawn from the ridge beam to the lower roof beam, and the cross logs were sawed off along this line, as indicated in Fig. 271.  Several slabs were now procured and laid across the roof beams to serve as rafters.  These rafters projected about 18 inches beyond the side walls of the cabin, so as to support the eaves.  Over the rafters we laid a roofing of slabs; starting with the bottom and lapping them, as we had done on our tree house.

[Illustration:  Fig. 271.  How the Roof Logs were Laid.]

[Illustration:  Fig. 272.  The Finished Roof.]

The Door and Window Frames.

We were now ready to cut out and frame the doors and window openings.  The front window of the cabin was to be close beside the door, so we merely widened the door opening at the top to include the window opening as well (see Figs. 271 and 272).  The door was made 2-1/2 feet wide, and was cut down to the foundation logs.  The window opening was cut to a depth of 24 inches.  Before sawing out the opening we wedged pieces of wood between the logs along the line we were to follow with the saw, so as to keep them in place.  After the opening had been made a couple of stout boards were nailed to the sawed ends of the logs at each side, to hold them securely in place and make a suitable framing for the door.  The cleats were then removed.  The foundation log and the one at the top of the opening were flattened, to serve as the sill and lintel of the door.  Between the door and window a short post was wedged in place.  This post was flattened on opposite sides, so that the door jamb could be nailed against it on one side and the window frame on the other.  The side window was next cut out and framed.  After it had been framed it measured 2 feet square.