From the bottom of the inclined trestleway we continued the track down the slope to the river; but for the sake of economy, instead of using 2 x 4-inch scantlings for the rails, we bought a number of 2-inch planks at Lumberville, and had them sawed up into strips 2 inches wide.  These 2-inch square rails were fastened together with slabs nailed on at frequent intervals.  To maintain the proper gauge the car was rolled over each pair of rails, which were nailed first at the ends and center.  To anchor the track we drove short posts into the ground so that their upper ends lay flush with the surface.  A post was provided under each joint and one under the center of each rail, and then the slab ties were nailed securely to these posts.  In imitation of a full-sized railway, we made it a point to “break joints” on our track; that is, to make the end of one rail come in line with the center of the opposite rail, as shown in Fig. 302.  Our track was continued across the pontoon bridge and ran around the west shore of Kite Island.  The track was straight as far as the shore of Kite Island, whence, by an easy curve, it was carried around to the log cabin.

The First Railway Accident.

Dutchy was the first one to try the railway.  He sneaked back to the platform while the rest of us were putting a few last touches on the track.  The first we knew the car came tearing down the track at full speed, with Dutchy yelling at the top of his voice for us to get out of his way.  Bill was on the bridge when the car came along and he had no time to run for shore, but with great presence of mind he jumped into the water and clung to one of the barrels.  But the joke of it all was that Dutchy himself got a wetting too.  The track at the middle of the bridge was not quite true to gauge.  It was this very spot that Bill was fixing up when Dutchy, came along.  The end of a rail was bent in far enough to catch the flange of one of the car wheels, and in a moment Dutchy, car and all, was slung head over heels into the mill-race.  Fortunately no serious harm was done.  Dutchy landed a little ways down-stream, and Reddy, by quick work, managed to rescue the car just as it was floating off under the suspension bridge.  The car was undamaged except that the flange of a wheel was split off.

Of course, Bill was as mad as a hornet at Dutchy, and expressed his feelings in no mild terms.  But his anger was somewhat tempered by the fact that Dutchy received as bad a punishment as he had inflicted.

[Illustration:  The Start of the Gravity Railroad.]

Testing the Track.