the riverman-第23章

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thing：　aren't　Heinzman's　rollways　below　most　of　the　others？〃



〃Yes；　I　believe　they　are；〃　said　Orde。



〃And；　of　course；　it　was　agreed；　as　usual；　that　Heinzman　was　to　break　

out　his　own　rollways？〃



〃I　see；〃　said　Orde　slowly。　　〃You　think　he　intends　to　delay　things　

enough　so　we　can't　deliver　on　the　date　agreed　on。〃



〃I　know　it；〃　stated　Newmark　positively。



〃But　if　he　refuses　to　deliver　the　logs；　no　court　of　law　will〃



〃Law！〃　cried　Newmark。　　〃Refuse　to　deliver！　　You　don't　know　that　

kind。　　He　won't　refuse　to　deliver。　　There'll　just　be　a　lot　of　

inevitable　delays；　and　his　foreman　will　misunderstand；　and　all　that。　　

You　ought　to　know　more　about　that　than　I　do。〃



Orde　nodded；　his　eye　abstracted。



〃It's　a　child…like　scheme；〃　commented　Newmark。　　〃If　I'd　had　more　

knowledge　of　the　business；　I'd　have　seen　　still　above　them　the　marshes　and　the

flats　

where　the　river　widened　below　the　Big　Bend。　　That　would　be　the　

location　for　the　booms　of　the　new　companya　cheap　property　on　which　

the　partners　had　already　secured　a　valuation。　　And　below　he　dropped　

in　imagination　with　the　slackening　current　until　between　two　greater　

sand…hills　than　the　rest　the　river　ran　out　through　the　channel　made　

by　two　long　piers　to　the　lakeblue；　restless；　immeasurable。　　To　

right　and　left　stretched　the　long　Michigan　coast；　with　its　low　

yellow　it　sooner。〃



〃I'd　never　have　seen　it　at　all；〃　said　Orde　humbly。　　〃You　seem　to　be　

the　valuable　member　of　this　firm；　Joe。〃



〃In　my　way；〃　said　Newmark；　〃you　in　yours。　　We　ought　to　make　a　good　

team。〃







XII





Sunday　afternoon；　Orde；　leaving　Newmark　to　devices　of　his　own；　

walked　slowly　up　the　main　street；　turned　to　the　right　down　one　of　

the　shaded　side　residence　streets　that　ended　finally　in　a　beautiful　

glistening　sand…hill。　　Up　this　he　toiled　slowly；　starting　at　every　

step　avalanches　and　streams　down　the　slope。　　Shortly　he　found　

himself　on　the　summit；　and　paused　for　a　breath　of　air　from　the　lake。



He　was　just　above　the　tops　of　the　maples；　which　seen　from　this　angle　

stretched　away　like　a　forest　through　which　occasionally　thrust　roofs　

and　spires。　　Some　distance　beyond　a　number　of　taller　buildings　and　

the　red　of　bricks　were　visible。　　Beyond　them　still　were　other　sand…

hills；　planted　raggedly　with　wind…twisted　and　stunted　trees。　　But　

between　the　brick　buildings　and　these　sand…hills　flowed　the　river

wide；　deep；　and　stillbordered　by　the　steamboat　landings　on　the　

town　side　and　by　fishermen's　huts　and　net…racks　and　small　boats　on　

the　other。　　Orde　seated　himself　on　the　smooth；　clean　sand　and　

removed　his　hat。　　He　saw　these　things；　and　in　imagination　the　far　

upper　stretches　of　the　river；　with　the　mills　and　yards　and　booms　

extending　for　miles；　andhills　topped　with　the　green　of　twisted　pines；　firs；　and　

beeches；　with　always　its　beach　of　sand；　deep　and　dry　to　the　very　

edge　of　its　tideless　sea；　strewn　with　sawlogs；　bark；　and　the　ancient　

remains　of　ships。



After　he　had　cooled　he　arose　and　made　his　way　back　to　a　pleasant　

hardwood　forest　of　maple　and　beech。　　Here　the　leaves　were　just　

bursting　from　their　buds。　　Underfoot　the　early　spring　flowersthe　

hepaticas；　the　anemones；　the　trilium；　the　dog…tooth　violets；　the　

quaint；　early；　bright…green　undergrowthswere　just　reaching　their　

perfection。　　Migration　was　in　full　tide。　　Birds；　little　and　big；　

flashed　into　view　and　out　again；　busy　in　the　mystery　of　their　

northward　pilgrimage；　giving　the　appearance　of　secret　and　silent　

furtiveness；　yet　each　uttering　his　characteristic　call　from　time　to　

time；　as　though　for　a　signal　to　others　of　the　host。　　The　woods　were　

swarming　as　city　streets；　yet　to　Orde　these　little　creatures　were　as　

though　invisible。　　He　stood　in　the　middle　of　a　great　multitude；　he　

felt　himself　under　the　observation　of　many　bright　eyes；　he　heard　the　

murmuring　and　twittering　that　proclaimed　a　throng；　he　sensed　an　

onward　movement　that　flowed　slowly　but　steadily　toward　the　pole；　

nevertheless；　a　flash　of　wings；　a　fluttering　little　body；　the　dip　of　

a　hasty　short　flight；　represented　the　visible　tokens。　　Across　the　

pale　silver　sun　of　April　their　shadows　flickered；　and　with　them　

flickered　the　tracery　of　new　leaves　and　the　delicacy　of　the　lace…

like　upper　branches。



Orde　walked　slowly　farther　and　farther　into　the　forest；　lost　in　an　

enjoyment　which　he　could　not　have　defined　accur　snatched　at　the　sand　and　sprayed

it　

away　in　a　beautiful　plume。



〃Isn't　this　REAL　fun？〃　she　asked　him。



〃Why；　Miss　Bishop！〃　cried　Orde；　finding　his　voice。　　〃What　are　you　

doing　here？〃



A　faint　shade　of　annoyance　crossed　her　brow。



〃Oh；　I　could　ask　the　same　of　you；　and　then　we'd　talk　about　how　

surprised　we　are；　world　without　end；〃　said　she。　　〃The　important　

thing　is　that　here　is　sand　to　play　in；　and　there　is　the　Lake；　and　

here　are　we；　and　the　day　is　charmed；　and　it's　good　to　be　alive。　　Sit　

down　and　dig　a　hole！　　We've　all　the　common　days　to　explain　things　

in。〃



Orde　laughed　and　seated　himself　to　face　her。　　Without　further　talk；　

and　quite　gravely；　they　commenced　to　scoop　out　an　excavation　between　

them；　piling　the　sand　over　themselves　and　on　either　side　as　was　most　

convenient。　　As　the　hole　grew　deeper　they　had　to　lean　over　more　and　

more。　　Their　heads　sometimes　brushed　ever　so　lightly；　their　hands　

perforce　touched。　　Always　the　dry　sand　flowed　from　the　edges　

partially　to　fill　in　the　result　their　efforts。　　Faster　and　faster　

they　scooped　it　out　again。　　The　excavation　thus　took　on　the　shape　of　

a　funnel。　　Her　cheeks　glowed　pink；　her　eyes　shone　like　stars。　　

Entirely　was　she　absorbed　in　the　task。　　At　last　a　tiny　commotion　

manifested　itself　in　the　bottom　of　the　funnel。　　Impulsively　she　laid　

her　hand　on　Orde's；　to　stop　them。　　Fascinated；　they　watched。　　After　

incredible　though　lilliputian　upheavals；　at　lenately；　but　which　was　

so　integral　a　portion　of　his　nature　that　it　had　drawn　him　from　the　

banks　and　wholesale　groceries　to　the　woods。　　After　a　while　he　sat　

down　on　a　log　and　lit　his　pipe。　　Ahead　the　ground　sloped　upward。　　

Dimly　through　the　half…fronds　of　the　early　season　he　could　make　out　

the　yellow　of　sands　and　the　deep　complementary　blue　of　the　sky　above　

them。　　He　knew　the　Lake　to　lie　just　beyond。　　With　the　thought　he　

arose。　　A　few　moments　later　he　stood　on　top　the　hill；　gazing　out　

over　the　blue　waters。



Very　blue　they　were；　with　a　contrasting　snowy　white　fringe　of　waves　

breaking　gently　as　far　up　the　coast　as　the　eye　could　reach。　　The　

beach；　on　these　tideless　waters；　was　hard　and　smooth　only　in　the　

narrow　strip　over　which　ran　the　wash　of　the　low　surf。　　All　the　rest　

of　the　expanse　of　sand　back　to　the　cliff…like　hills　lay　dry　and　

tumbled　into　hummocks　and　drifts；　from　which　projected　here　a　sawlog　

cast　inland　from　a　raft　by　some　long…past　storm；　there　a　slab；　again　

a　ship's　rib　sticking　gaunt　and　defiant　from　the　shifting；　restless　

medium　that　would　smother　it。　　And　just　beyond　the　edge　of　the　hard　

sand；　following　the　long　curves　of　the　wash；　lay　a　dark；　narrow　line　

of　bark　fragments。



The　air　was　very　clear　and　crystalline。　　The　light…houses　on　the　

ends　of　the　twin　piers；　though　some　miles　distant；　seemed　close　at　

hand。　　White　herring　gulls；　cruising　against　the　blue；　flashed　white　

as　the　sails　of　a　distant　ship。　　A　fresh　breeze　darkened　the　blue　

velvet　surface　of　the　water；　tumbled　the　white　foam　hissing　up　the　

beach；　blew　forward　over　the　dunes　a　fine　hurrying　mist　of　sand；　and　

bore　to　Orde　at　last　the　refreshment　of　the　wide　spaces。　　A　woman；　

walking　slowly；　bent　her　head　against　the　force　of　this　wind。



Orde　watched　her　idly。　　She　held　to　the　better　footing　of　the　smooth　

sand；　which　made　it　necessary　that　she　retreat　often　before　the　

inrushing　wash；　sometimes　rather　hastily。　　Orde　caught　himself　

admiring　the　grace　of　her　deft　and　sudden　movements；　and　the　sway　of　

her　willowy　figure。　　Every　few　moments　she　turned　and　fa