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第16章

the riverman-第16章

小说: the riverman 字数: 每页4000字

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satisfaction across his thin face。  〃Would you form a partnership 

with me having such an object in view?〃



Orde threw back his head and laughed with genuine amusement。



〃I guess you don't realise the situation;〃 said he。  〃We'd have to 

have a few little things like distributing booms; and tugs; and a 

lot of tools and supplies and works of various kinds。〃



〃Well; we'd get them。〃



It was now Orde's turn to ask questions。



〃How much are you worth?〃 he inquired bluntly。



〃About twenty thousand dollars;〃 replied Newmark。



〃Well; if I raise very much black eyes。  In his time; 

Grandpa Orde had been a mighty breaker of the wilderness; but his 

time had passed; and with the advent of a more intensive 

civilisation he had fallen upon somewhat straitened ways。  Grandma 

Orde; on the other hand; was a very small; spry old lady; with a 

small face; a small figure; small hands and feet。  She dressed in 

the then usual cap and black silk of old ladies。  Half her time she 

spent at her housekeeping; which she loved; jingling about from 

cellar to attic store…room; seeing that Amanda; the 〃help;〃 had 

everything in order。  The other half she sat in a wooden 〃Dutch〃 

rocking…chair by a window overlooking the garden。  Her silk…shod 

feet rested neatly side by side on a carpet…covered hassock; her 

back against a gay tapestried cushion。  Near her purred big Jim; a 

maltese rumoured to weigh fifteen pounds。  Above her twittered a 

canary。



And the interior of the house itself was in keeping。  The low 

ceilings; the slight irregularities of structure peculiar to the 

rather rule…of…thumb methods of the earlier builders; the deep 

window embrasures due to the thickness of the walls; the unexpected 

passages leading to unsuspected rooms; and the fact that many of 

these apartments were approached by a step or so up or a step or so 

downthese lent to it a quaint; old…fashioned atmosphere enhanced 

further by the steel engravings; the antique furnishings; the many…

paned windows; and all the belongings of old people who have passed 

from a previous generation untouched by modern ideas。



To this house and these people Orde came direct from the greatness 

of the wilderness and the ferocity of Hell's Half…Mile。  Such 

contrasts were possible even ten or fifteen years ago。  The untamed 

country lay at the doors of the most modern civilisation。



Newmark; reappearing one Sunday afternoon at the end of the two 

weeks; was apparently bothered。  He examined the Orde place for some 

moments; walked on beyond it; finding nothing there; he returned; 

and after some hesitation turned in up the tar sidewalk and pulled 

at the old…fashioned wire bell…pull。  Grandma Orde herself answered 

the door。



At sight of her fine features; her dainty lace cap and mitts; and 

the stiffness of her rustling black silks; Newmark took off his gray 

felt hat。



〃Good…afternoon;〃 said he。  〃Will you kindly tell me where Mr。 Orde 

lives?〃



〃This is Mr。 Orde's;〃 replied the little old lady。



〃Pardon me;〃 persisted Newmark; 〃I am looking for Mr。 Jack Orde; and 

I was directed here。  I am sorry to have troubled you。〃



〃Mr。 Jack Orde lives here;〃 returned Grandma Orde。  〃He is my son。  

Would you like to see him?〃



〃If you please;〃 assented Newmark gravely; his thin; shrewd face 

masking itself with its usual expression of quizzical cynicism。



〃Step this way; please; and I'll call him;〃 requested his 

interlocutho was with us on the 

drive this spring。〃



Grandma Orde laid her gold…bowed glasses and her black leather Bible 

on the stand beside her。



〃Mr。 Newmark and I spoke at the door;〃 said she; extending her frail 

hand with dignity。  〃If you were on the drive; Mr。 Newmark; you must 

have been one of the High Privates in this dreadful war we all read 

about。〃



Newmark laughed and made some appropriate reply。  A few moments 

later; at Orde's suggestion; the two passed out a side door and back 

into the remains of the old orchard。



〃It's pretty nice here under the trees;〃 said Orde。  〃Sit down and 

light up。  Where you been for the last couple of weeks?〃



〃I caught Johnson's drive and went on down river with him to the 

lake;〃 replied Newmark; thrusting the offered cigar in one corner of 

his mouth and shaking his head at Orde's proffer of a light。



〃You must like camp life。〃



〃I do not like it at all;〃 negatived Newmark emphatically; 〃but the 

drive interested me。  It interested me so much that I've come back 

to talk to you about it。〃



〃Fire ahead;〃 acquiesced Orde。



〃I'm going to ask you a few questions about yourself; and you can 

answer them or not; just as you please。〃



〃Oh; I'm not bashful about my career;〃 laughed Orde。



〃How old are you?〃 inquired Newmark abruptly。



〃Thirty。〃



〃How long have you been doing that sort of thingdriving; I mean?〃



〃Off and on; about six years。〃



〃Why did you go into that particular sort of thing?〃



Orde selected a twig and carefully threw it at a lump in the turf。



〃Because there's nothing ahead of shovelling but dirt;〃 he replied 

with a quaint grin。



〃I see;〃 said Newmark; after a pause。  〃Then you think there's more 

future to that sort of thing than the sort of thing the rest of your 

friends go in forlaw; and wholesale groceries; and banking and the 

rest of it?〃



〃There is for me;〃 replied Orde simply。



〃Yet you're merely river…driving on a salary at thirty。〃



Orde flushed slowly; and shifted his position。



〃Exactly soMr。 District Attorney;〃 he said drily。



Newmark started from his absorption in his questioning and shifted 

his unlighted cigar。



〃Does sound like it;〃 he admitted; 〃but I'm not asking all this out 

of idle curiosity。  I've got a scheme in my head that I think may 

work out big for us both。〃



〃Well;〃 assented Orde reservedly; 〃in that caseI'm foreman on this 

drive because my outfit went kerplunk two years ago; and I'm making 

a fresh go at it。〃



〃Failed?〃 inquired Newmark。



〃Partner skedaddled;〃 replied Orde。  〃Now; if you're satisfied with 

my family history; suppose you tell me what the devil you're driving 

at。〃



He was plainly restive under the cross…examination to which he had 

been subjected。



〃Look here;〃 said Newmark; abruptly changing the subject; 〃you know 

that rapids up river flanked by shallows; where the logs are always 

going aground?〃



〃I do;〃 replied Orde; still grim。



〃Well; why wouldn't it help to put a string of piers down both 

sides; with booms between them to hold the logs in the deeper 

water?〃



〃It would;〃 said Orde。



〃Why isn't it done; then?〃



〃Who would do it?〃 countered Orde; leaning back more easily in the 

interest of this new discussion。  〃If Daly did it; for instance; 

then all the rest of the drivers would get the advantage of it for 

nothing。〃



〃Get them to pay their share。〃



Orde grinned。  〃I'd like to see you get any three men to agree to 

anything on this river。〃



〃And a sort of dam would help at that Spruce Rapids?〃



〃Sure!  If you improved the river for driving; she'd be easier to 

drive。  That goes without saying。〃



〃How many firms drive logs on this stream?〃



〃Ten;〃 replied Orde; without hesitation。



〃How many men do they employ?〃



〃Driving?〃 asked Orde。



〃Driving。〃



〃About five hundred; a few more or less。〃



〃Now suppose;〃 Newmark leaned forward impressively; 〃suppose a firm 

should be organised to drive ALL the logs on the river。  Suppose it 

improved the river with necessary piers; dams; and all the rest of 

it; so that the driving would be easier。  Couldn't it drive with 

less than five hundred men; and couldn't it save money on the cost 

of driving?〃



〃It might;〃 agreed Orde。



〃You know the conditions here。  If such a firm should be organised 

and should offer tomore than t

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