贝壳电子书 > 英文原著电子书 > the riverman >

第44章

the riverman-第44章

小说: the riverman 字数: 每页4000字

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!




no one; so they opened her up wide。〃



〃What did you hear?〃 asked Orde。



Well; McNeill he agreed to get a gang of bad ones from the Saginaw 

to run in on the river; and I heard Heinzman tell him to send 'em in 

to headwaters。  And McNeill said; 'That's all right about the cash; 

Mr。 Heinzman; but I been figgerin' on gettin' even with Orde for 

some myself。'〃



〃Is that all?〃 inquired Orde。



〃That's about all;〃 confessed Charlie。



〃How do you know he didn't hire them to carry down his drive for 

him?  He'd need sixty men for his lower rollways; and maybe they 

weren't all to go to headwaters?〃 asked Orde by way of testing 

Charlie's beliefs。



〃He's payin' them four dollars a day;〃 replied Charlie simply。  

〃Now; who'd pay that fer just river work?〃



Orde nodded at Jim Denning。



〃Hold on; Charlie;〃 said he。  〃Why are you giving all this away if 

you were working for Heinzman?〃



〃I'm working for you now;〃 replied Charlie with dignity。  〃And; 

besides; you helped me out once yourself。〃



I guess it's a straight tip all right;〃 said Orde to Denning; when 

the cook had resumed his place by the fire。



〃Thattaken three steps; a huge riverman had 

planted himself squarely in the way。  The others rising; slowly 

surrounded the rig。



〃I don't know what you're up here for;〃 growled the man's what I thought。  That's

why I brought him up。〃



〃If that crew's been sent in there; it means only one thing at that 

end of the line;〃 said Orde。



〃Sure。  They're sent up to waste out the water in the reservoir and 

hang this end of the drive;〃 replied Denning。



〃Correct;〃 said Orde。  〃The old skunk knows his own rollways are so 

far down stream that he's safe; flood water or no flood water。〃



A pause ensued; during which the two smoked vigorously。



〃What are you going to do about it?〃 asked Denning at last。



〃What would you do?〃 countered Orde。



〃Well;〃 said Denning slowly; and with a certain grim joy; 〃I don't 

bet those Saginaw river…pigs are any more two…fisted than the boys 

on this river。  I'd go up and clean 'em out。〃



〃Won't do;〃 negatived Orde briefly。  〃In the first place; as you 

know very well; we're short…handed now; and we can't spare the men 

from the work。  In the second place; we'd hang up sure; then; to go 

up in that wilderness; fifty miles from civilisation; would mean a 

first…class row of too big a size to handle。  Won't do!〃



〃Suppose you get a lawyer;〃 suggested Denning sarcastically。



Orde laughed with great good…humour



〃Where'd our water be by the time he got an injunction for us?〃



He fell into a brown study; during which his pipe went out。



〃Jim;〃 he said finally; 〃it isn't a fair game。  I don't know what to 

do。  Delay will hang us; taking men off the work will hang us。  I've 

just got to go tip there myself and see what can be done by talking 

to them。〃



〃Talking to them!〃 Denning snorted。  〃You might as well whistle down 

the draught…pipe of hell!  If they're just up there for a row; 

there'll be whisky in camp; and you can bet McNeill's got some of 

'em instructed on YOUR account。  They'll kill you; sure!〃



〃I agree with you it's risky;〃 replied Orde。  〃I'm scared; I'm 

willing to admit it。  But I don't see what else to do。  Of course 

he's got no rights; but what the hell good does that do us after our 

water is gone?  And Jim; my son; if we hang this drive; I'll be 

buried so deep I never will dig out。  No; I've got to go。  You can 

stay up here in charge of the rear until I get back。  Send word by 

Charlie who's to boss your division while you're gone。〃







XXIII





Orde tramped back to Sawyer's early next morning; hitched into the 

light buckboard the excellent team with which later; when the drive 

should spread out; he would make his longest jumps; and drove to 

head…waters。  He arrived in sight of the dam about three o'clock。  

At the edge of the clearing he pulled up to survey the scene。



A group of three small log…cabins marked the Johnson; and later the 

Heinzman; camp。  From the chimneys a smoke arose。  Twenty or thirty 

rivermen lounged about the sunny side of the largest structure。  

They had evidently just arrived; for some of their 〃turkeys〃 were 

still piled outside the door。  Orde clucked to his horses; and the 

spidery wheels of the buckboard swung lightly over the wet hummocks 

of the clearing; to come to a stop opposite the men。  Orde leaned 

forward against his knees。



〃Hullo; boys!〃 said he cheerfully。



No one replied; though two or three nodded surlily。  Orde looked 

them over with some interest。



They were a dirty; unkempt; unshaven; hard…looking lot; with 

bloodshot eyes; a flicker of the dare…devil in expression; beyond 

the first youth; hardened into an enduring toughness of  fibrebad 

men from the Saginaw; in truth; and; unless Orde was mistaken; men 

just off a drunk; and therefore especially dangerous; men eager to 

fight at the drop of the hat; or sooner; to be accommodating; and 

ready to employ in their assaults all the formidable and terrifying 

weapons of the rough…and…tumble; reckless; hard; irreverrent; 

blasphemous; to be gained over by no words; fair or foul; absolutely 

scornful of any and all institutions imposed on them by any other 

but the few men whom they acknowledged as their leaders。  And to 

master these men's respect there needed either superlative strength; 

superlative recklessness; or superlative skill。



〃Who's your boss?〃 asked Orde。



〃The Rough Red;〃 growled one of the men without moving。



Orde had heard of this man; of his personality and his deed at the 

horses' heads; 〃but you wanted to see the boss; and I guess you'd 

better see him。〃



〃I intend to see him;〃 said Orde sharply。  〃Get out of the way and 

let me hitch my team。〃



He drove deliberately ahead; forcing the man to step aside; and 

stopped his horses by a stub。  He tied them there and descended; to 

lean his back also against the log walls of the little house。



After a few moments a huge form appeared above the river bank at 

some forty rods' distance。



〃Yonder he comes now;〃 vouchsafed the man nearest Orde。



Orde made out the great square figure of the boss; his soft hat; his 

flaming red beard; his dingy mackinaw coat; his dingy black…and…

white checked flannel shirt; his dingy blue trousers tucked into 

high socks; and; instead of driving boots; his ordinary lumberman's 

rubbers。  As a spot of colour; he wore a flaming red knit sash; with 

tassels。  Before he had approached near enough to be plainly 

distinguishable; he began to bellow at the men; commanding them; 

with a mighty array of oaths; to wake up and get the sluice…gate 

open。  In a moment or so he had disappeared behind some bushes that 

intervened in his approach to the house。  His course through them 

could be traced by the top of his cap; which just showed above them。  

In a moment he thrust through the brush and stood before Orde。



For a moment he stared at the young man; and then; with a wild Irish 

yell; leaped upon him。  Orde; caught unawares and in an awkward 

position; was hardly able even to struggle against the gigantic 

riverman。  Indeed; before he had recovered his faculties to the 

point of offering determined resistance; he was pinned back against 

the wall by his shoulders; and the Rough Red's face was within two 

feet of his own。



〃And how are ye; ye ould darlint?〃 shouted the latter; with a roll 

of oaths。



〃Why; Jimmy Bourke!〃 cried Orde; and burst into a laugh。



The Rough Red jerked him to his feet; delivered a bear hug that 

nearly crushed his ribs; and pounded him mightily on the back。



〃You ould snoozer!〃 he bellowed。  〃Where the blankety blank in blank 

did you come from?  Byes;〃 he shouted to the men; 〃it's me ould boss 

on th' Au Sable six year backthat time; ye mind; whin we had th' 

ice j

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的