the bridge-builders-第3章

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〃Peroo　has　gone　up　the　spurs　in　your　dinghy。　　He's　taken　a　couple

of　nephews　with　him；　and　he's　lolling　in　the　stern　like　a

commodore；〃　said　Hitchcock。



〃That's　all　right。　　He's　got　something　on　his　mind。　　You'd　think

that　ten　years　in　the　British　India　boats　would　have　knocked　most

of　his　religion　out　of　him。〃



〃So　it　has；〃　said　Hitchcock；　chuckling。　　〃I　overheard　him　the

other　day　in　the　middle　of　a　most　atheistical　talk　with　that　fat

old　guru　of　theirs。　　Peroo　denied　the　efficacy　of　prayer；　and

wanted　the　guru　to　go　to　sea　and　watch　a　gale　out　with　him；　and

see　if　he　could　stop　a　monsoon。〃



〃All　the　same；　if　you　carried　off　his　guru　he'd　leave　us　like　a

shot。　　He　was　yarning　away　to　me　about　praying　to　the　dome　of　St。　

Paul's　when　he　was　in　London。〃



〃He　told　me　that　the　first　time　he　went　into　the　engine…room　of　a

steamer；　when　he　was　a　boy；　he　prayed　to　the　low…pressure

cylinder。〃



〃Not　half　a　bad　thing　to　pray　to；　either。　　He's　propitiating　his

own　Gods　now；　and　he　wants　to　know　what　Mother　Gunga　will　think

of　a　bridge　being　run　across　her。　　Who's　there？〃　　A　shadow　darkened

the　doorway；　and　a　telegram　was　put　into　Hitchcock's　hand。



〃She　ought　to　be　pretty　well　used　to　it　by　this　time。　　Only　a

tar。　It　ought　to　be　Ralli's　answer　about　the　new　rivets。　。　。　。　

Great　Heavens！〃　　Hitchcock　jumped　to　his　feet。



〃What　is　it？〃　said　the　senior；　and　took　the　form。　　〃that's　what

Mother　Gunga　thinks；　is　it；〃　he　said；　reading。　　〃Keep　cool；

young　'un。　　We've　got　all　our　work　cut　out　for　us。　　Let's　see。　

Muir　wired　half　an　hour　ago：　'Floods　on　the　Ramgunga。　　Look　out。'　

Well；　that　gives　us　…　one；　two　…　nine　and　a　half　for　the　flood　to

reach　Melipur　Ghaut　and　seven's　sixteen　and　a　half　to　Lataoli　…

say　fifteen　hours　before　it　comes　down　to　us。〃



〃Curse　that　hill…fed　sewer　of　a　Ramgunga！　　Findlayson；　this　is　two

months　before　anything　could　have　been　expected；　and　the　left　bank

is　littered　up　with　stuff　still。　　Two　full　months　before　the　time！〃



〃That's　why　it　comes。　　I've　only　known　Indian　rivers　for

five…and…twenty　years；　and　I　don't　pretend　to　understand。　　Here

comes　another　tar。〃　Findlayson　opened　the　telegram。　　〃Cockran；

this　time；　from　the　Ganges　Canal：　'Heavy　rains　here。　　Bad。'　　He

might　have　saved　the　last　word。　　Well；　we　don't　want　to　know　any

more。　　We've　got　to　work　the　gangs　all　night　and　clean　up　the

riverbed。　　You'll　take　the　east　bank　and　work　out　to　meet　me　in

the　middle。　　Get　everything　that　floats　below　the　bridge：　we

shall　have　quite　enough　river…craft　coming　down　adrift　anyhow；

without　letting　the　stone…boats　ram　the　piers。　　What　have　you　got

on　the　east　bank　that　needs　looking　after？



〃Pontoon　…　one　big　pontoon　with　the　overhead　crane　on　it。　T'other

overhead　crane　on　the　mended　pontoon；　with　the　cart…road　rivets

from　Twenty　to　Twenty…three　piers　…　two　construction　lines；　and　a

turning…spur。　　The　pilework　must　take　its　chance；〃　said

Hitchcock。



〃All　right。　　Roll　up　everything　you　can　lay　hands　on。　　We'll　give

the　gang　fifteen　minutes　more　to　eat　their　grub。〃



Close　to　the　verandah　stood　a　big　night…gong；　never　used　except

for　flood；　or　fire　in　the　village。　　Hitchcock　had　called　for　a

fresh　horse；　and　was　off　to　his　side　of　the　bridge　when

Findlayson　took　the　cloth…bound　stick　and　smote　with　the　rubbing

stroke　that　brings　out　the　full　thunder　of　the　metal。



Long　before　the　last　rumble　ceased　every　night…gong　in　the

village　had　taken　up　the　warning。　　To　these　were　added　the　hoarse

screaming　of　conches　in　the　little　temples；　the　throbbing　of

drums　and　tom…toms；　and；　from　the　European　quarters；　where　the

riveters　lived；　McCartney's　bugle；　a　weapon　of　offence　on　Sundays

and　festivals；　brayed　desperately；　calling　to　〃Stables。〃　　Engine

after　engine　toiling　home　along　the　spurs　at　the　end　of　her　day's

work　whistled　in　answer　till　the　whistles　were　answered　from　the

far　bank。　　Then　the　big　gong　thundered　thrice　for　a　sign　that　it

was　flood　and　not　fire；　conch；　drum；　and　whistle　echoed　the

call；　and　the　village　quivered　to　the　sound　of　bare　feet　running

upon　soft　earth。　　The　order　in　all　cases　was　to　stand　by　the

day's　work　and　wait　instructions。　　The　gangs　poured　by　in　the

dusk；　men　stopping　to　knot　a　loin…cloth　or　fasten　a　sandal；

gang…foremen　shouting　to　their　subordinates　as　they　ran　or　paused

by　the　tool…issue　sheds　for　bars　and　mattocks；　locomotives

creeping　down　their　tracks　wheel…deep　in　the　crowd；　till　the

brown　torrent　disappeared　into　the　dusk　of　the　river…bed；　raced

over　the　pilework；　swarmed　along　the　lattices；　clustered　by　the

cranes；　and　stood　still　…　each　man　in　his　place。



Then　the　troubled　beating　of　the　gong　carried　the　order　to　take

up　everything　and　bear　it　beyond　high…water　mark；　and　the

flare…lamps　broke　out　by　the　hundred　between　the　webs　of　dull

iron　as　the　riveters　began　a　night's　work；　racing　against　the

flood　that　was　to　come。　　The　girders　of　the　three　centre　piers　…

those　that　stood　on　the　cribs　…were　all　but　in　position。　　They

needed　just　as　many　rivets　as　could　be　driven　into　them；　for　the

flood　would　assuredly　wash　out　their　supports；　and　the　ironwork

would　settle　down　on　the　caps　of　stone　if　they　were　not　blocked

at　the　ends。　　A　hundred　crowbars　strained　at　the　sleepers　of　the

temporary　line　that　fed　the　unfinished　piers。　　It　was　heaved　up

in　lengths；　loaded　into　trucks；　and　backed　up　the　bank　beyond

flood…level　by　the　groaning　locomotives。　　The　tool…sheds　on　the

sands　melted　away　before　the　attack　of　shouting　armies；　and　with

them　went　the　stacked　ranks　of　Government　stores；　iron…hound

boxes　of　rivets；　pliers；　cutters；　duplicate　parts　of　the

riveting…machines；　spare　pumps　and　chains。　　The　big　crane　would

be　the　last　to　be　shifted；　for　she　was　hoisting　all　the　heavy

stuff　up　to　the　main　structure　of　the　bridge。　　The　concrete

blocks　on　the　fleet　of　stone…boats　were　dropped　overside；　where

there　was　any　depth　of　water；　to　guard　the　piers；　and　the　empty

boats　themselves　were　poled　under　the　bridge　down…stream。　　It

was　here　that　Peroo's　pipe　shrilled　loudest；　for　the　first　stroke

of　the　big　gong　had　brought　the　dinghy　back　at　racing　speed；　and

Peroo　and　his　people　were　stripped　to　the　waist；　working　for　the

honour　and　credit　which　are　better　than　life。



〃I　knew　she　would　speak；〃　he　cried。　　〃I　knew；　but　the　telegraph

gives　us　good　warning。　　O　sons　of　unthinkable　begetting　…

children　of　unspeakable　shame　…　are　we　here　for　the　look　of　the

thing？〃　　It　was　two　feet　of　wire…rope　frayed　at　the　ends；　and　it

did　wonders　as　Peroo　leaped　from　gunnel　to　gunnel；　shouting　the

language　of　the　sea。



Findlayson　was　more　troubled　for　the　stoneboats　than　anything

else。　　McCartney；　with　his　gangs；　was　blocking　up　the　ends　of　the

three　doubtful　spans。　　but　boats　adrift；　if　the　flood　chanced　to

be　a　high　one；　might　endanger　the　girders；　and　there　was　a　very

fleet　in　the　shrunken　channel。



〃Get　them　behind　the　swell　of　the　guardtower；〃　he　shouted　down　to

Peroo。　　〃It　will　be　dead…water　there。　　Get　them　below　the　bridge。〃



〃Accha！　　＇Very　good。＇　　I　know；　we　are　mooring　them　with　wire…rope；〃

was　the　answer。　　〃Heh！　　Listen　to　the　Chota　Sahib。　　He　is　working　hard。〃



From　across　the　river　came　an　almost　continuous　whistling　of

locomotives；　backed　by　the　rumble　of　stone。　　Hitchcock　at　the

last　minute　was　spending　a　few　hundred　more　trucks　of　Tarakee

stone　in　reinforcing　his　spurs　and　embankments。



〃The　bridge　challenges　Mother　Gunga；〃　said　Peroo；　with　a　laugh。

〃But　when　she　talks　I　know　whose　voice　will　be　the　loudest。〃



For　hours　the　naked　men　worked；　screaming　and　shouting　under　the

lights。　　It　was　a　hot；　moonless　night；　the　end　of　it　was　darkened

by　clouds　and　a　sudden　squall　that　made　Findlayson　very　grave。



〃She　moves！〃　said　Peroo；　just　before　the　dawn。　　〃Mother　Gunga　is

awake！　　Hear！〃　He　dipped　his　hand　over　the　side　of　a　boat　and　the

current　mumbled　on　it。　　A　little　wave　hit　the　sid