Thus he not only secured the boom
against opening any wider, but closed the exit already made.
[Illustration: "Winn secured one end of the cable to that part of the
boom resting against the snag."]
"That's as good a job as any of them could have done," he remarked to
himself, regarding his work through the gathering gloom with great
satisfaction. "Now for the fellows that got away."
It was a much harder task to capture and tow back those three truant
logs than it had been to repair the boom. It was such hard work, and
the darkness added so much to its difficulties, that almost any other
boy would have given it up in despair, and allowed the three logs to
escape. But Winn Caspar was not inclined to give up anything he had
once undertaken. Having determined to do a certain thing, he would
stick to it "like a dog to a root," as one of the mill-hands had said
of him. So those logs had to go back inside of that boom, because Winn
had made up his mind that they should; but they went so reluctantly,
and gave him so much trouble, that it was long after dark and some
hours past supper-time before the job was completed.
When Winn at length returned to the raft he was wet, tired, and hungry,
though very proud of his accomplished task. He was shivering too, now
that his violent exertions were ended, for the sky had become overcast,
and a chill wind was moaning through the pine-trees.
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