On all the posts a charcoal line was now drawn at _A_ (figure 32). The distance from _A_ to _B_ (figure 32) should be the length of a woman’s arm, which also was the depth of the post hole. But in cutting the posts, no matter how careful we were, there was always some irregularity in lengths so that the part from _A_ to _B_ upon the various posts might slightly vary.
All having now been marked with the charcoal line, the posts were rolled each to its proper post hole and the part _AB_ on the post was carefully measured and compared with the hole’s depth. For this purpose the stick used to probe the post holes came again into use. If the length of the part _AB_ on any post happened to be an inch or two longer than my arm its post hole was deepened to the same extent. All this was necessary in order that when the posts were dropped into their holes, the forks that were to receive the floor beams would lie all at the same height.
I have said that a charcoal line was drawn around each post at _A_ (figure 32). The position of this line, after the first one was drawn, was obtained by measuring from the fork _C_; and care was taken that the measurements on all the posts should be exactly alike. The charcoal line quite encircled the post.
The posts were now raised and dropped into the post holes; raising was by hand. The posts were turned so that the forks lay in proper position to receive the floor beams and upper rails; a two-forked post was placed with the prong _C_ (figure 32) turned inward.
A single-forked post had to have a companion post beside it, also forked, to support the railing at the top of the stage. This companion post was not so heavy, but of course was longer. It stood just beside the main post and was carefully adjusted to receive the upper rail properly. It was lashed to the main post by a green-hide thong.
This thong might pass around the shorter post just below its fork; or it might bind the companion post to one of the prongs of the fork itself.
If I had several two-forked posts and several one-forked posts with companion posts beside them, it required some little bit of fitting to adjust them all so that the floor beams and rails would lie properly. To better permit this to be done, it was not my custom to firm the earth about the post, until the frame had been set up and adjusted; for little irregularities in the fitting could be cured by slightly moving the posts as they stood unfirmed, in their holes. When the frame was properly adjusted, I took my digging stick—it was always a long one that was used for digging holes—and rammed the earth around the foot of each post, firming it.